Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 92 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 54.6% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $75.00 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2025-03-19 |
Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series ‘The Keepers Release’ Review
Initially launched in 2019, Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing Series starts with fully mature, cask strength bourbon and finishes it with specialty wood staves. Between 2019 and 2023, the series highlighted various aspects of bourbon production, including barrel rotation and wood seasoning. Starting with 2024’s “The Heart Release,” the series began paying homage to various teams at the brand’s Loretto, Ky. distillery.
The latest version is 2025’s “The Keepers Release,” which serves as a nod to the brand’s warehouse workers.
“We are delighted to introduce this latest Wood Finishing Series expression that celebrates the team who still rotate each and every barrel of Maker’s Mark by hand,” says Rob Samuel, managing director at Maker’s Mark, in a company press release. Because Maker’s is one of the few large producers to rotate almost every barrel between the top and bottom aging floors, its warehouse workers have arguably some of the most demanding jobs in all of bourbon.
Like all Wood Finishing Series bottlings, The Keepers Release introduces specialty wooden staves into barrels of mature bourbon, which are typically around six or seven years old. This particular release is a 50/50 blend of bourbon finished with two different types of toasted American oak stave, 10 staves per barrel. The barrels finished with the first stave type were aged for an additional five weeks, and barrels with the second variety underwent nine weeks of finishing.
The two batches were then married and finally bottled at 109.2 proof, which was cask strength for the blend. Let’s see how it tastes!
Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series The Keepers Release: Stats and Availability
Usually, Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing Series releases are available nationwide, and The Keepers Release is no exception. Though technically a limited, one-time drop, these are generally widely available for at or close to the suggested retail price of $75. But if you’re in the market for a bottle, don’t wait too long, as it’s unlikely we’ll see this exact profile for stave finishing again anytime soon.
Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series The Keepers Release Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
The nose kicks off with robust baking spice and a hefty amount of oak; the wood is immediately prominent via barrel char, toasted staves, and a concentrated vanilla component I often find imparted by well-seasoned wood.
While Maker’s Mark didn’t give exact specifications on these finishing staves, we know they’re both virgin, toasted American oak. Compared to whiskey influenced by French oak (including Maker’s 46), instead of amped up spice and floral notes, the result is a bourbon with classic wood sugars and tannins, but dialed much higher than classic Maker’s Mark. Indeed, this punches well above traditional Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and reminds me more of the distillery’s Cellar Aged expressions. If I didn’t know better, I might think this was significantly older whiskey.
The Keepers Release ultimately strikes an adept balance between spice and sweet, followed by both fruit (red cherry cough drops, candied bergamot peel) and dark chocolate. Small pops of cured tobacco and dried black tea round out a complex nose that starts strong and reveals even more depth over long minutes in the glass. It’s characteristically Maker’s, but altogether darker, richer, and more tannic.
Taste
A first taste features pronounced citrus — again, dried orange peel — along with cocoa powder. It’s just the tiniest bit chalky at first, but the mouthfeel improves mightily on the second and third sips, transitioning to a near-silky texture that carries vanilla, oak, and orange, the latter note bordering on artificial. The combined effect reminds me of the last few bites of a Creamsicle, with the popsicle stick hanging on to the last vestiges of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbert.
Cinnamon spice builds toward the mid-palate, along with sweetened black tea and orchard fruit, specifically dried apricots and cooked red apples. Flavors don’t crescendo here so much as they reach a plateau, evolving little between the mid- and back-palates. Still, there’s plenty to sit with, and lots of flavor to go around. The combo of cinnamon and apricot closes out the primary tastes on a spicy, jammy note. There aren’t a ton of peaks and valleys here, but instead a consistent (and very tasty) experience that quickly invites more sips.
Finish
The finish is longer than I expected, with dried fruit, cinnamon spice, and a resurgence of vanilla extract sticking around long after each taste. A hint of smoked maple syrup is the final flavor as the others slowly fade away.
Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series The Keepers Release Rating
92/100
Recap
In my mind, the latest Wood Finishing Series is something of a return to form for a usually high quality series. I found The Hearts Release serviceable, but a tad underwhelming; The Keepers Release is comparatively a big step up, and a flavorful expression in its own right. Overall, it’s a fitting tribute to one of bourbon’s hardest working warehouse teams, and a showcase of Maker’s Mark pushing its flavor boundaries. Enjoy accordingly!
As of 2024, VinePair no longer participates in any affiliate programs. All links included in our content are as a convenience to our readers, not for earning commission — we receive no monetary value from them. Learn more about our tastings & review department here!
Related Reads
Learn About Bourbon
Related Maker's Mark Reviews
Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series The Heart Review:
The Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series is back for 2024, this time with a new-look bottle and label combo more similar to its traditional ...
Maker's Mark Cellar Aged (2024):
In 2023, after 70 years in business, Maker’s Mark gave bourbon fans something they had long clamored for: an age-stated release. While ...
Related Bourbon Reviews
Angel's Envy Triple Oak:
It’s easy to forget that Louisville-based Angel’s Envy was an early pioneer in cask finishes, at least for American whiskey. Its ...
High West The Prisoner's Share (2023):
Since the first release of A Midwinter Night’s Dram over a decade ago, Utah’s High West Distillery has earned a reputation for taking ...
Featured Bourbon Articles
As the Secondary American Whiskey Market Grows, How Many More Brands Will Fit?:
Once defined by Pappy Van Winkle resales, the secondary market for American whiskey is swelling with new offerings.
For OnlyFans Creators, Private Whiskey Groups Are Rife With Opportunity:
Over the last year or so, an explosion of OnlyFans creators have started posting in Facebook's private whiskey groups.
Have We Reached Peak Bourbon?:
A decade from now, will the bourbon industry find itself with a surplus on its hands and no way to get rid of it?
What Ever Happened to Old Crow, Once the ‘Pinnacle of American Whiskey’?:
Old Overholt, Old Grand-Dad, and Old Taylor dominate in the American whiskey realm, so why is sibling Old Crow largely forgotten?
