We’re back at Star Hill Farm in Kentucky, sitting in the Heritage Room at Maker’s Mark, joined by Dr. Blake Layfield, the master distiller and head of innovation and blending. It’s the perfect day for bourbon, and Blake takes us through one of the most fascinating tastings we’ve ever done on the show. In front of us are three glasses that tell the whole story of Maker’s Mark: the classic cask strength expression that represents the founders’ original taste vision, an eleven and a half year over-aged barrel that shows what happens when oak and tannin push a whiskey outside those guardrails, and finally the new Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged release, a blend of eleven, thirteen and fourteen year old whiskey that is rich, dark and complex without drifting into bitterness. Blake explains how Maker’s Mark has kept the same mash bill, yeast and process since 1953 and why they focus on intensity, velocity, complexity and finish instead of simply naming tasting notes. He talks about what makes wheat spice feel so different to rye spice, why age is not a measure of quality in American whiskey, and what “age to taste” really means inside the distillery. We hear the story of the limestone cellar, why dynamiting a hill changed what was possible for Maker’s Mark, and how the Cellar Aged project shows a new dimension of the classic house style. Blake also lifts the curtain on their blending process, where weeks of blind tasting eventually shape each year’s release. If you’ve ever wondered how far Maker’s Mark can push maturity, what really happens in their warehouses, or why Cellar Aged tastes the way it does, this episode is a brilliant deep dive right from the source. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome from Star Hill Farm and the Heritage Room 00:13 Introducing Dr Blake Layfield and why this room matters 00:35 Heritage, culture and what makes Maker’s Mark unique 01:08 Returning to Maker’s, where you first fell in love with bourbon 01:20 Three glasses on the table and what each one is 01:50 Glass 1: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and the founder’s taste vision 02:32 How Maker’s has kept the same recipe since 1953 03:00 How Blake thinks about tasting: intensity, velocity, complexity and finish 04:10 Cherry notes from the yeast and wheat spice versus rye spice 05:49 Mash bill details and why the high malted barley is unusual 06:11 Velocity in the glass and how aroma meets you halfway 06:46 The history of classic 45 percent Maker’s and the first innovation, Maker’s 46 08:10 Opening up Cask Strength as a regular offering 08:36 Glass 2: an eleven and a half year over aged Maker’s Mark at cask strength 09:30 Why age is not automatically better and how American oak can take over 11:08 Tannins, dryness and the “I want water” reaction 12:16 Learning that bitterness and astringency are a choice, not a requirement 13:19 Talking about hand rotation, ricked barrels and low entry proof 14:09 Age to taste, not to a number 15:10 The limestone cellar and the birth of Maker’s Mark 46 16:10 Glass 3: Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged, dark, rich and complex, no bitterness 17:26 Aroma and flavor of Cellar Aged, bright cherry to dark cordial cherry 18:05 How long it spends in warehouses versus the cellar 18:33 Year by year blends and showing what cellaring can do to flavor 19:04 Inside the blending team and how they choose the final profile 19:45 Beth’s winning streak and Rob Samuels’ final sign off 20:32 How old can the cellar go, and where they expect the inflection point
