Last updated: August 2026 · Whiskey Consensus Editorial Team
A 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley mash bill with no rye at all — and six expressions built on it, from the 90-proof flagship to the $175 Cellar Aged release.
Maker’s Mark is one of the most recognizable Kentucky straight bourbon whiskies on the shelf. It is produced in Loretto, Kentucky, at the Maker’s Mark Distillery on Star Hill Farm, and owned by Suntory Global Spirits — the company formerly known as Beam Suntory. Two things set it apart: the red wax-dipped bottle, and a recipe that uses soft red winter wheat instead of rye as its flavoring grain.
That single grain decision drives everything else. Where rye contributes pepper and sharp herbal spice, wheat tends to read softer, sweeter, and rounder. This guide covers the mash bill, the history, how the whisky is made, and every expression in the current lineup — proof, price, and what actually distinguishes each one.
What is a wheated bourbon? A bourbon whose secondary flavoring grain is wheat rather than the rye used in most classic Kentucky recipes. Maker’s Mark uses soft red winter wheat, which is generally associated with a smoother, sweeter, less peppery profile.
Who Founded Maker’s Mark?
The modern brand began in 1953, when T. William “Bill” Samuels Sr. purchased the historic Burks’ Distillery site in Loretto, Kentucky — a location whose distilling history reaches back to the early 1800s. Production started in 1954, and Maker’s Mark was introduced to consumers in 1958.
Bill Samuels Sr. developed the whisky recipe. His wife, Margie Samuels, shaped the identity that made it recognizable: she is credited with helping devise the square-shouldered bottle, the red wax seal, and the name “Maker’s Mark” itself.
What Is the Maker’s Mark Mash Bill?
The signature bourbon recipe is commonly reported as:
| Grain | Share of mash bill |
|---|---|
| Corn | 70% |
| Soft red winter wheat | 16% |
| Malted barley | 14% |
| Rye | None |
Corn supplies the underlying sweetness, wheat contributes the softer and creamier grain character, and malted barley supports fermentation.
The original bourbon, Maker’s Mark 46, Cask Strength, Maker’s Mark 101, and Private Selection releases are all built on this same wheated foundation. That does not mean every whisky made at the distillery uses it — Star Hill Farm Whisky, introduced in 2025, is a separate wheat-whisky project using different mash bills.
How Is Maker’s Mark Made?
Maker’s Mark is produced as Kentucky straight bourbon: the mash is at least 51% corn, maturation happens in new charred oak containers, and distillation and bottling follow the rules governing straight bourbon.
After distillation, the spirit enters new American oak barrels. The distillery is known for managing barrel location within its warehouses to help hold a consistent house style, though exact warehouse practices and maturity times vary by product and batch.
The flagship carries no age statement. Secondary sources often estimate roughly six to seven years, but that is an estimate, not a guarantee printed on the bottle. Cask Strength is the exception: it is officially described as aged at least seven years.
The Maker’s Mark Lineup
The range now extends well beyond the original bourbon and Maker’s Mark 46, covering permanent releases, retailer-selected single barrels, and limited annual offerings. Full current specs are listed on the official Maker’s Mark site.
| Expression | ABV / proof | What distinguishes it | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maker’s Mark | 45% / 90 proof | The original wheated bourbon | Core expression |
| Maker’s Mark 46 | 47% / 94 proof | Finished with ten seared French oak staves | Core expression |
| Cask Strength | 107–114 proof | Bottled at barrel strength, with batch variation | Core expression |
| Maker’s Mark 101 | 50.5% / 101 proof | The classic recipe at higher proof | Regularly marketed; availability varies |
| Private Selection | 107–114 proof | Retailer-selected, cask-strength, stave-finished single barrels | Retailer and partner program |
| Cellar Aged | Varies by release | Older-bourbon annual limited release | Annual limited release |
Retail availability, bottle sizes, and prices differ substantially by state, retailer, market, and allocation.
Maker’s Mark Original
The standard Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky is the flagship: 90 proof, no age statement, wheated. It is the bottle most associated with the red wax seal and square-shouldered packaging, and from the 1958 market launch until Maker’s Mark 46 arrived in 2010, it was the brand’s only major public expression.
The profile generally emphasizes sweet oak, vanilla, fruit, and caramel, with a softer grain character than rye-based bourbons. The brand describes the aroma in terms of sweet oak, vanilla, and bright fruit.
Pricing on the standard 750 mL varies by market. A suggested retail price of $28.99 was cited for a 2026 special 90-proof commemorative bottling, and ordinary retail for the flagship commonly lands in the high-$20s to low-$30s before local taxes or promotions — which puts it comfortably inside the range covered in our Best Bourbons Under $50 guide.
What Is Maker’s Mark 46?
Maker’s Mark 46 starts with mature Maker’s Mark bourbon and adds a wood-finishing step: ten seared French oak staves, producing a more oak-forward result. It is bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV) and was introduced in 2010, the brand’s first major new expression after the 1958 debut.
Against the original, 46 leans into deeper baking spice, toasted oak, caramel, and vanilla. The underlying recipe is unchanged — the difference is proof and French-oak stave finishing.
What Is Maker’s Mark Cask Strength?
Cask Strength is bottled at barrel strength rather than being reduced to a fixed 90- or 94-proof target. Proof varies batch to batch, within a stated range of 107 to 114 proof.
The brand says it is aged at least seven years; a 2026 company update describes it as usually reaching roughly seven to eight years before bottling. Higher proof makes it fuller-bodied and more concentrated than the flagship, keeping the recognizable caramel, vanilla, oak, and wheat notes but with more intensity and warmth. Suntory Global Spirits listed a suggested U.S. retail price of $49.99 in its 2026 packaging announcement.
Batch-to-batch proof variation is common across cask-strength bourbon — our Elijah Craig Barrel Proof complete guide tracks how much a single release can swing from batch to batch.
What Is Maker’s Mark 101?
Maker’s Mark 101 is the classic recipe bottled at 101 proof (50.5% ABV), built to keep the familiar wheated profile while adding structure for sipping or cocktails. The brand describes its profile in terms of holiday spice, fruit, and butterscotch.
It is not a randomly selected Cask Strength batch — it is proofed to a consistent 101-proof target.
What Is Maker’s Mark Private Selection?
Private Selection is a single-barrel customization program for participating retailers, bars, restaurants, and other partners. Each selection starts with cask-strength Maker’s Mark and uses a chosen combination of proprietary finishing staves.
The program builds on the Maker’s Mark 46 finishing concept, but the selecting partner shapes the final profile through the stave formula. Individual bottlings therefore differ in proof, wood influence, flavor, label details, and price. They are generally bottled at cask strength, in the official 107 to 114 proof range. The program was announced in 2015 and began arriving in market around 2016.
What Is Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged?
Cellar Aged is an annual limited-release series introduced in 2023, blending older Maker’s Mark bourbon matured using a combination of traditional warehouse aging and cellar maturation.
The 2025 release blended:
- 74% 11-year-old bourbon
- 10% 13-year-old bourbon
- 16% 14-year-old bourbon
It was bottled at 112.9 proof (56.45% ABV) with a suggested U.S. retail price of $175, per the release announcement from Suntory. Because Cellar Aged is allocated and released annually, availability and actual shelf prices can differ sharply from the suggested price.
Read Our Cellar Aged Review →Is Maker’s Mark a Wheated Bourbon?
Yes. It uses soft red winter wheat rather than rye as the key flavoring grain, on a commonly reported mash bill of 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley.
The distinction matters because rye typically contributes pepper, spice, and sharper herbal notes, while wheat is generally associated with a smoother, sweeter, more rounded character. For the other side of that comparison, our Best Rye Whiskeys guide ranks the top rye-forward bottles in the WC library.
Maker’s Mark vs. Maker’s Mark 46
| Feature | Maker’s Mark | Maker’s Mark 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Base bourbon | Standard wheated recipe | Same wheated recipe |
| Proof | 90 proof | 94 proof |
| Finishing | Standard maturation in new charred American oak | Additional finishing with ten seared French oak staves |
| Primary style | Sweet, soft, vanilla-and-oak-forward | More oak-forward, toasted, spicy, structured |
| Release history | Introduced in 1958 | Introduced in 2010 |
Both use the same basic bourbon recipe. 46 differs because of its finishing treatment and slightly higher bottling proof — not because of a different mash bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maker’s Mark bourbon or whiskey?
Both. Maker’s Mark is bourbon whiskey — specifically Kentucky straight bourbon whisky. Bourbon is a type of American whiskey made from a grain mixture containing at least 51% corn and matured in new charred oak containers.
Does Maker’s Mark contain rye?
No. Maker’s Mark uses wheat rather than rye as its secondary flavoring grain, which makes it a wheated bourbon.
What proof is original Maker’s Mark?
Original Maker’s Mark is 90 proof, or 45% ABV.
What proof is Maker’s Mark 46?
Maker’s Mark 46 is 94 proof, or 47% ABV.
What proof is Maker’s Mark Cask Strength?
It varies by batch, but the company identifies a usual range of 107 to 114 proof.
Who owns Maker’s Mark?
Suntory Global Spirits, the company formerly known as Beam Suntory.
When was Maker’s Mark founded?
Bill Samuels Sr. bought the distillery property in 1953, production began in 1954, and Maker’s Mark entered the market in 1958.
More scored rankings and head-to-head breakdowns are in the full Whiskey Consensus buying guides library.
