- Kentucky distillery Maker’s Mark has released its first wheat whiskey since the company was founded in 1953
- Star Hill Farm Whisky is named after the 1100-acre farm home to the Maker’s Mark distillery
- Like all its releases, Maker’s Mark spells its whiskey sans ‘e’, a nod to the founding Samuels family’s Scottish heritage
Maker’s Mark has swapped corn for wheat, producing its first non-bourbon whiskey in over seventy years. While the Kentucky distillery has long incorporated wheat into its whiskeys (since 1958, in fact), it’s always taken a backseat to corn with a mashbill of 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% barley. Now, not only has corn been demoted, it’s been kicked off the team altogether. The distillery’s newest release is a blend of two mashbills, one with 70% red winter wheat and 30% malted barley, and the other 100% malted red winter wheat. With not a kernel in sight, it cannot be categorised as bourbon (with the United States federal government requiring a mashbill with a minimum of 51% corn to be classed as ‘bourbon’).
Named after the 1100-acres of land the distillery is located on, Star Hill Farm Whisky (despite being an American whiskey, Maker’s Mark has always omitted the ‘e’ from its spelling, as a nod to the Scottish heritage of its founding family) highlights the farm’s soft red winter wheat produced using regenerative farming principles. With Maker’s Mark the first—and currently only—bourbon distillery to achieve B Corp Certification in Kentucky, the launch of Star Hill Whisky marks the start of a partnership with Regenified and Understanding Ag, which provides education and technical support to build healthy farm ecosystems.
The first of what’s set to become an annual release, the inaugural Star Hill Farm Whisky comprises whiskeys aged between seven and eight years, bottled uncut at cask strength with a heady 57.35% ABV. The result? A decidedly richer dram, with a nose of baking spices and golden raisins, with a palate of honeyed toffee and apple pie spice. Despite wheat whiskey being reputed for its mellowness, there’s an undeniable heat to Star Hill Farm Whisky, delivered with a full mouthfeel and lasting finish.
Star Hill Farm Whisky is priced at $380AUD and will be available via select national retailers including Dan Murphy’s, Skull & Barrel, and The Whisky List.
Want to learn more about the world of whisk(e)y? Read our primer on the types of American whiskey here and explore drams from Japan, Scotland, Australia, Ireland, and beyond at our dedicated whisk(e)y section.
Words by T. Angel
