Final chapter of a delicious story: Maker's Mark debuts its latest limited edition bourbon

The bottle itself is unassumingly called "BEP," but what it really signifies is the final chapter of a really delicious story at Maker's Mark distillery.

Sipping on BEP is almost like enjoying an old Brach’s caramel but in bourbon form. The spirit has vanilla and brown sugar notes and a light, decadent mouthfeel. It is the seventh and final bourbon in Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing Series, which over the past seven or so years has aimed to highlight different parts and traditions of the Loretto, Kentucky-based company.

This concept was to honor the distillery's 110-barrel entry proof, or BEP.

The name aside, it's genuinely lovely.

"It's also what happens when you let the people who make the whiskey, make up the names," Beth Buckner, senior manager of innovation and blending, told a group of bourbon writers during a tasting of the product in mid-April.

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That 110-barrel entry point was the legal limit when Maker’s Mark was founded, and even though that law changed several decades ago, that principle has remained a constant at the distillery. It's crucial to the company's "bitter-free" motto, Buckner said, and in general, gives the bourbon the approachable yummy taste that made it famous.

"Going in at 110 really allows us to get access to those vanillas those caramels, those baking spices and the tannins but in a really well-balanced way," Buckner said.

The Wood Finishing Series first hit shelves in 2019, as a spin-off of sorts to the company’s Private Selection program. The idea was to take everything Maker’s Mark had already learned about wood science and really push the boundaries of their signature, steadfast bourbon in the form of limited releases.

Each expression in the collection started with a traditional Maker’s Mark that had been aged a second time filling a barrel with a variety of staves toasted at different levels. Those different staves brought out new flavors in the already existing bourbon.

Before Buckner and her team started experimenting, though, the developers created a storyline that reflected a different aspect of what makes the distillery so unique. The first release in 2019 had ripe fruit flavors and strong notes of baking spice, and it was meant to nod to the yeast that's propagated onsite at the distillery. Other chapters, so to speak, highlighted the signature vanilla and caramel tasting notes, the way the rick houses feel at different parts of the aging process, and even the fatty acid esters, which gives Maker’s Mark a creamy mouth feel.

(If you think BEP is an odd name, you clearly missed the Wood Finishing Series 2021 installments FAE-01 and FAE-02 – Fatty Acid Esters.)

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Even though this storyline has finished, Buckner says, she’s already got other tasting visions in the works for a new series. Nothing has been finalized yet, but she says bourbon lovers can expect to see another four- or five-year series using wood finishing techniques soon.

That bright future ahead, though, didn’t keep her from longing for some of the previous installments. The 2020 release — with its luscious butter pecan ice cream notes — was overwhelming a fan favorite among the bourbon writers in the tasting. Buckner admitted to the group that she was hoarding a couple of bottles for herself in her private collection.

And while she said in theory they could recreate it, she strongly believes they won’t. Each of the bourbons took anywhere between 12 to 18 months to develop. They’re meant to be limited and exciting.

So even though BEP is just hitting Kentucky shelves this week, it won’t be long before its Brach’s caramel notes are a mouthwatering, coveted memory, too.

Maker's Mark BEP has a suggested retail price of $69.99 per 750ml bottle. It can be found at fine spirits retailers around the state.

Features columnist Maggie Menderski occasionally writes about bourbon, but most of the time she focuses on what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. If you've got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description — she wants to hear from you. Say hello at mmenderski@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4053.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Maker's Mark Distillery debuts new bourbon in Wood Finishing Series