In 2019, Maker’s Mark released its first Wood Finishing Series Bourbon, RC6. It was finished with RC6 staves and was slated to last for five years. This is the seventh and final release from the series. However, this product will continue to be made in a slightly different iteration. The next series will be another five-year story series.

Each release starts with a taste vision, and then research and development takes anywhere between one and two years before the product is finally released to the public. While the original idea was to have just one release per year, 2021 and 2022 both got two releases each because there was still part of the story to tell after the first release.

The experiments deal with different wood finishes and barrel entry proofs, pushing Maker’s Mark to its taste limits.

This year’s release, 2023 BEP, 10 virgin toasted American Oak staves were added to standard Maker’s Mark that had a 110 barrel entry proof.

These bottles are slated to start hitting shelves now nationwide with an MSRP of $69.99 per 750ml bottle.