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Maker’s Mark Private Selection “Baklava Barrel” K&L Exclusive Stave Finished Cask Strength Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($69.99)
“The Maker’s Private Select barrel program continues to deliver in one of the most innovative and interesting ways in all of Kentucky.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

During last year’s trip to the hallowed halls of the Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, K&L buyers Andrew Whiteley and David Othenin-Girard were able to re-kindle the Maker’s Mark Private Select program to great success. For those unfamiliar, it’s a collaboration between the iconic bourbon distillery and our own intrepid spirits team to develop a custom-cask whiskey aged to our exact specifications. The Baklava Barrel shows the classic Maker’s Mark profile that has attracted legions of fans over the years, but our buyers’ added input has yielded a truly singular expression that brings additional power and depth that will thrill avid and casual fans alike.

Maker’s Mark Private Selection “Baklava Barrel” K&L Exclusive Stave Finished Cask Strength Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($69.99)

K&L Notes: This new barrel of Private Select continues our foray into experimentation with the new mendiant stave. If you’re just catching up to the Private Select program, this is a system for creating unique single barrels where Maker’s allows us to select from five stave types for a 90-day finish to make a unique selection unlike any other. Starting with the extremely delicious cask-strength Maker’s product, we added two staves of Seared French Cuvée and eight of the new Roasted French Mendiant. The idea was to evoke the sweet and savory character of the mendiant chocolates for which they’re made, but the sweet, wheated maker’s profile kept transporting us to some secret Turkish bazaar.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 28, 2022

The Maker’s Private Select barrel program continues to deliver in one of the most innovative and interesting ways in all of Kentucky. Maker’s has always been about consistency, and the core Bourbon is pretty close to being their only product. They go so far as to rotate barrels in the rickhouses so that each barrel is as close to all the others in profile as possible. While this is great from a quality-control standpoint, they needed to do something to differentiate barrels in their single-barrel program. Enter the Maker’s 46 process: take one of those incredible single barrels of full-proof Maker’s Mark Wheated Bourbon and hang additional staves in the barrel for nine weeks. Different types of staves means endless combinations of flavors. The stave selection process is one of the funnest single-barrel selection experiences available in Kentucky, and the flavors you’re capable of achieving are unmatched in the bourbon world. Think Toasted Barrel from Michter’s or Elijah Craig on steroids! This year Maker’s introduced a new stave to the mix, the Roasted French Mendiant stave. Just like its namesake candy, this stave offers chocolate, fruit, and nuts. Add to that the honey and sweet vanilla of Maker’s Mark, and we felt “Baklava” was a reasonable descriptor of this whiskey. Of course, we don’t know anything for sure until the long nine-week wait is over and the precious liquid is delivered in bottle. Let’s see how it turned out! The nose is classic Maker’s but with a dark side. It’s much more chocolate and spice than we even expected and seems to throw varnish and lacquer into the mix as well. Manuka honey and Madagascar vanilla are balanced by a bit of herbal thyme and cinnamon spice. The palate is bolder than most of the Maker’s barrels we’ve bottled in the past—rambunctious almost. It’s fiery and robust, a bit of a surprise. At 54.3% ABV, it’s one of the higher ABV barrels available in the typical range (they usually run from 52-55% with a couple of outliers on occasion). The palate and finish really bring on the nutty complexity, offering an array of candied almonds, roasted pistachios, and baked walnuts. Freshly sawn oak and more honey mesh with citrus peel and orange blossom to round out the sweeter profile. While it always feels a little bit like you’re shooing in the dark when mixing these staves together, I think that after at least a dozen barrels, we’re getting pretty dang good at it!

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