Maker's Mark Cellar Aged 2025 Release Limited Edition Bourbon Flash Review
- Nick Anderson
- 3d
- 4 min read
“Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing.”
- Shane Patton
Typical Maker's Mark releases get aged to taste in their traditional rickhouses for around 6 to 8 years. Maker's Mark Cellar Aged adds years to that range with a clever trick that prevents their whiskey from becoming bitter and over-oaked. By resting barrels in an isothermal limestone cave that Maker's calls their "cellar," wood interactions are slowed while oxygen continues to interact with the spirit, increasing complexity without falling into the tannin trap of hyped-aged whiskey. Finally free from the misconception that older whiskey was not possible for the distillery, the 2025 release of Cellar Aged is the oldest whiskey Maker's has ever released, with a 14 year component in the blend.
The cellar is cool in every sense of the word. The dim lighting and exposed stone wall give it a rough hideout feel, somewhere a Bond villain might make their home base. When I visited back in May of 2023, the temperature inside was a full 30 degrees cooler than the outside air, a sweet relief from Kentucky's brutal summers. The property in Loretto is truly stunning. If you've never been, I highly recommend you plan a stop in next time you're visiting the Bluegrass State.
I recently was able to sample the 2025 Cellar Aged thanks to the 12 day bourbon exchange that my good buddy Derek Laverriere puts on every year around Christmas time. Brian Spencer contributed this particular bottle, and I am deeply grateful to have the chance to review a whiskey I didn't otherwise get to hunt down this year. On with the review!
Company on Label: Maker's Mark Distillery, Star Hill Farm, Loretto, KY
Whiskey Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley
Proof / ABV: 112.9° / 56.45%
Age: 11 year (a blend of 74% 11 year, 10% 13 year, and 16% 14 year barrels)
MSRP: $175 (2025)
Buy Online: Frootbat
Further identification: The 2025 release is the 3rd edition of Cellar Aged which was available in September of this year
Nose: On first lifting the glass, I find some lovely wood funk that usually only happens at high age statements for Kentucky bourbon. Rich dark chocolate tones layer in rapidly in a way that jives quite nicely with the oak. The pour needs no scapegoat for tannins, though; they're noticeably nowhere to be found—which is a check in the win column in my book. Deep inhales show off aromas of flan, vanilla biscotti, and graham cracker. With some time and air, intriguing fruit tones begin to build, reminding me of candied strawberry and yogurt malt balls. While these start subtle, they rise in prominence as a new act begins in the glass. Haribo cherry gummies take over before falling back into black pepper, allspice, and prominent oak. Vanilla and molasses remain dominant undertones as the glass continues to evolve. After a sip, all the funk is still there, though it comes across sweeter than earlier. This is further bolstered by a wonderful mocha latte aroma that just sings to me with subtle dashes of whipped cream and nutmeg, telling a pretty incredible story of quality, nuance, and craftsmanship. I can't think of another whiskey in recent memory that has matched a nosing experience quite like this. After a long rest, notes of dense fudge brownie bites are an absolute treat for the senses. Long inhales mingle in amaretto and confectioners' sugar, which support the fudge tones so well. The empty glass smells of a delicious summer camp Choco Taco.
Palate: Woah, this is bigger than I thought it was going to be based on the nose. Cherry hots come on strong before being cooled by a sweet strawberry parfait as the first sip leaves me with a big Kentucky hug. Another quick sip shows this was mostly just palate acclimation, as huge peach tones blossom on the tongue—tingly sweet like a sugary peach candy ring... Yum! Returning to the glass after a long rest results in a reintroduction to just how functionally complete this sip is. It does a multi-act performance not just on the full glass evolutions, but also on each sip. An introduction of sweet cream starts subtle, ramping up with graham cracker, peaking with a bubbling raspberry dump cobbler, and sliding back down into maraschino cherry juice before finishing with low and rumbling chocolate and almond tones. The shape of the experience resembles a bell curve (a normal distribution for my math nerds), which is the ultimate example of balance. Sipping near the bottom of the glass produces big waves of body chills as this liquid bliss forces eyes to close and lips to curl into a smile. My last sip is just as consistently great as the rest of them, reproducing the multi-act performance of cream, fruit, bread, and chocolate tones. The finish is long, leaving a rolling feeling like dough is being kneaded in my chest. It's going to take a little bit of time to wipe this smirk off my face.
TL;DR: A bountiful surprise of complexity, depth, and flavor that will leave you smiling ear to ear
Rating: 4.5/5
This is everything I had hoped Cellar Aged would be and more! It was one of the clear standout pours of the 12 day exchange and got very similar ratings from my 11 other tasters before I told them my thoughts. I look forward to seeing what Maker's Mark continues to improve upon with this release, as there's not much left to perfect!
