The first bourbon in our wood-finishing series, Maker's Mark 46™ was created by Bill Samuels, Jr., to amplify the flavors he loves in Maker's Mark®. The innovative wood-stave-finishing process starts with fully matured Maker's Mark® at cask strength. We then insert 10 seared virgin French oak staves into the barrel and finish it for nine weeks in our limestone cellar. The result is Maker's Mark 46: bolder and more complex, but without the bitterness typical of longer-aged whiskies.