
Maker's Mark Private Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Maker's Mark · Maker's Mark Distillery
Maker's Mark Private Select takes the distillery's wheated DNA and amplifies it through a custom stave program that lets each bottling tell a different story. This is hands-on bourbon-making at its most deliberate — no two selections are identical. It rewards attention with layered, cask-driven complexity.
Nose
Rich caramel and baking spices greet you first, followed by toasted oak and a thread of dried orange peel. Underneath, there's a creamy vanilla note and faint wheat-bread sweetness.
Palate
Full-bodied and layered. Butterscotch and brown sugar dominate the mid-palate, with charred oak providing a structural backbone. A gentle wheat softness rounds the edges, while cinnamon and a touch of leather add complexity.
Finish
Long and warming, with caramel, charred oak, and a lingering maple sweetness that fades slowly into dry spice.
- Mash Bill
- 70% Corn, 16% Soft Red Winter Wheat, 14% Malted Barley
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak with custom finishing staves
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
The Cooper's Handshake — 2 oz Maker's Mark Private Select · 0.75 oz sweet vermouth · 0.25 oz Licor 43 · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir over ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with an expressed orange peel.
Food Pairing
Brown butter pecan pie with flaky sea salt
Hand-dipped in Loretto, Kentucky, each Private Select bottle is finished with a unique combination of custom wood staves chosen by the maker or retailer, ensuring no two expressions are alike.
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