Maker’s Mark, the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon, announced the anticipated next chapter of its Wood Finishing Series with the 2024 expression, The Heart Release. Inspired by the team that distills its whisky at Star Hill Farm, home to the Maker’s Mark Distillery, The Heart Release will be available at U.S. retailers for $74.99 beginning in July 2024.

The Wood Finishing Series is a collection of one-of-a-kind expressions that use an innovative wood stave-finishing technique to enhance distinctive characteristics already present in the brand’s iconic bourbon. Whereas the first chapter of Wood Finishing Series emphasized the production process that impacts the flavor of Maker’s Mark, the second chapter will focus on the teams behind Maker’s Mark.

“Always staying true to my grandparents, our founders’ vision to deliver a full-flavored, soft red winter wheat bourbon with a smooth finish, Maker’s Mark continues to shape the brand’s future through purposeful, flavor-driven innovation,” Rob Samuels, eighth generation whisky maker and Managing Director for the distillery, said in a news release. “This Wood Finishing Series release celebrates the entire distillery team, who share our vision and who have contributed their perspective to craft the final expression.”

“It was a very unique, special experience to have the distillery team play a significant role in crafting the taste vision of The Heart Release,” said Beth Buckner, Senior Manager of Innovation and Blending. “Distillery team members all have different, yet very important jobs in creating our whisky; each person described aromas and flavors they experience throughout their day, which helped us shape the flavors of this release.”

For more information, please visit www.MakersMark.com.

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About Maker’s Mark

In 1953, in Loretto, Ky. Bill Samuels, Sr., fulfilled his dream to create a handmade and delicious bourbon. He decided to make his whisky in small batches, using soft red winter wheat to enhance the softness and sweetness. He then rotated each barrel by hand for consistency and, finally, aged each barrel to taste. While he developed the bourbon, his wife Margie Samuels ideated the bourbon’s name and label, standout bottle shape, iconic and signature look that still involves hand-dipping each bottle in red wax to this day. Together as co-founders, Bill and Margie transformed bourbon from a “commodity” into a premium handmade spirit, and today Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon continues to be crafted in the same, purposeful way.