Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2026 Arrives in the UK: A cask‑strength blend aged in a limestone cellar

# What this release is Maker's Mark has released the 2026 edition of its Cellar Aged bourbon in the UK. This is the fourth annual Cellar Aged bottling and it arrives through select luxury retailers on October 1, 2026.

# How it was matured The distillery follows a two‑stage maturation approach for Cellar Aged releases. Stock matures for about seven years in Maker's Mark's traditional warehouses. After that, selected barrels are moved into a LEED‑certified limestone cellar built into the limestone shelf surrounding Star Hill Farm. In the cellar the bourbon spends an additional four to six years at cooler conditions intended to change how fruit and oak present in the finished whisky.

# What's in the bottle The 2026 Cellar Aged is a cask‑strength blend made up of three age components:

• 49% 11‑year bourbon
• 33% 12‑year bourbon
• 18% 14‑year bourbon

The distillery bottled this release at 112.1 proof (56.05% ABV).

# Flavor profile (official notes) Aroma: dark cherry, clove, vanilla bean, soft orchard fruit.

Palate: honey, brown sugar, ripe plum.

Finish: almond, nutmeg, crisp green apple.

# Context and provenance Maker's Mark developed the cellar by building into the limestone shelf that characterizes the land at Star Hill Farm. The brand traces that location choice to Margie and Bill Samuels Sr., who selected the property in 1953 for its water source and watershed. The cellar is presented as a way to extend maturation while moderating oak influence and allowing fruit characteristics to persist.

Cellar Aged debuted in 2023. The initial release blended 12‑ and 11‑year stocks (87% 12‑year and 13% 11‑year) and was bottled at 115.7 proof. For comparison, the 2026 edition shifts the blend proportions and is slightly lower in proof.

# Availability and pricing

# What this means to drinkers Cellar Aged targets drinkers who want more mature Maker's Mark flavors without the hotter maturation profile of traditional rickhouses. Expect pronounced fruit notes with balanced oak, a higher proof presence, and a finish that leans toward nutty and spicy elements rather than heavy, new‑oak tannin.