Maker’s Mark 101 Bourbon Debuts As A Travel Retail Exclusive

There was a time apparently when you went to the fabled Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, and if you were special enough, the founders would share with you a unique, slightly higher proof version of their signature bourbon. Now this expression is being released as a travel retail offering and it is known as Maker’s Mark 101.

Maker’s Mark 101, according to those behind it, is the same wheated Maker’s Mark bourbon drinkers are familiar with, but instead of being at 90 proof it clocks in at a slightly heartier 101 proof (50.5% ABV) – it is not, however, the highest proof expression in this whiskey family. It is, however, said to be the brand’s first global brand travel retail exclusive.

“Maker’s Mark 101 represents a world first for the brand – an expression exclusive to the travel retail channel,” said Ed Stening, Global Marketing Director of Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail, in a prepared statement. “Historically, special guests at the distillery were welcomed with the opportunity to sample our signature bourbon at a higher proof. This release allows us to extend that special welcome to travelers around the world, and we are confident that it will be well received in the channel continuing to drive that category growth.”

Plans call for this bourbon to price at around $50 USD per 1-liter bottle. It sports a “luxurious gold bottle decoration alongside the Maker’s Mark hand-dipped red wax seal and is “presented in a bespoke carton.” It is said, official tasting notes wise, to be “sweet on the nose with dark, bold spice” and “rich and creamy with spicy fruit and caramel to taste, with a mellow, creamy and lingering mid-palate finish.”