A Whisky Born From the People Who Actually Make It
There is something different about the way Maker's Mark approaches its Wood Finishing Series. While most limited bourbon releases lean hard into barrel specs and tasting notes, this Kentucky distillery keeps coming back to something simpler — the people doing the work. With the 2026 release of the Wood Finishing Series: The Stewards Release, that philosophy is front and center once again.
Announced on March 9, 2026, out of Loretto, Kentucky, the Stewards Release is the third entry in what is shaping up to be one of the more thoughtful limited series in American whisky. And it is now on shelves.
What Makes This Release Different
The Wood Finishing Series is not just a marketing exercise. The technique behind it involves finishing already-matured Maker's Mark bourbon on specially crafted wood staves, which push the flavor profile in directions the standard recipe does not go. The results from past releases have earned serious attention from bartenders and collectors alike, and the Stewards Release looks to continue that trend.
This year's bottle opens with aromas described as cherry pie and vanilla bean — the kind of nose that draws you in before you even take a sip. From there, the palate moves through honey, toasted marshmallow and candied ginger, before landing on a finish built around stone fruit and salted caramel. For anyone who has spent time with Maker's signature sweetness, this expression sounds like a natural extension of what the distillery does best, only turned up a few notches.
The release comes in two separate batches, one bottled at 59.4% ABV (109.6 proof) and the other at 56.65% ABV (113.3 proof). Both carry a suggested retail price of $74.99 and are available now at retailers across the United States.
The Story Behind the Name
The name is not arbitrary. Each release in this second Wood Finishing Series pays tribute to a specific group of people inside the operation at Star Hill Farm, the home of the Maker's Mark Distillery.
The 2024 release, called The Heart Release, honored the distillery team — the men and women working the production floor crafting the bourbon by hand. In 2025, The Keepers Release recognized the warehouse crew, the people responsible for rotating barrels and making sure each one develops according to the flavor standards set by the founders. Now in 2026, The Stewards Release shifts focus to the operations teams who oversee the full arc of production, from the very first fermentation all the way through to the final bottling run.
It is a meaningful distinction. Operations teams rarely get the spotlight in the spirits world. They are the ones solving problems before anyone else knows there is a problem, keeping the process on track day after day. This release puts their name on the bottle.
Master distiller Dr. Blake Layfield spoke directly to the reasoning. "Bartenders feel the same way. They want to know more about the process, the ingredients and the craftsmanship in what they pour. The Stewards Release brings that philosophy to life, inspired by the operational leaders at Star Hill Farm and the care that goes into every step of production."
A Five-Year Series at Its Halfway Point
The Stewards Release marks the midpoint of a five-year journey. The current Wood Finishing Series is scheduled to wrap up in 2028, meaning there are two more releases still ahead before this chapter closes. That kind of long-range commitment is not something every distillery is willing to make, and it says something about how seriously Maker's Mark takes the series.
For collectors, this also means there is still time to build a complete run. The first two bottles from this series — The Heart Release and The Keepers Release — are already part of the story. Adding the Stewards Release now puts any serious collector at the halfway mark with room to finish the set.
Eight Generations and Still Moving Forward
Rob Samuels, eighth-generation whisky maker and managing director at Maker's Mark, connected the Stewards Release directly to the family's founding vision. "From the beginning, Maker's Mark has been guided by my grandparents' pursuit of exceptional flavor and deep respect for everyone who makes our whisky — from our grain growers to those who barrel and bottle our bourbon. We continue to honor our founders' vision through the Wood Finishing Series, which showcases our innovative spirit, celebrates our quality and craftsmanship and recognizes the teams who make our whisky possible."
That family history runs deep. In 1953, Bill and Margie Samuels, Sr. made a decision that would shape American bourbon for decades. They burned the family's 170-year-old recipe and started fresh, building a new bourbon around soft red winter wheat instead of the rye that most of the industry relied on at the time. That choice gave Maker's Mark its signature creaminess and sweetness — qualities that still define every bottle coming out of Loretto today.
Every barrel is still rotated by hand. Every bottle is still hand-dipped in that signature red wax. Those details matter to people who pay attention to how things are made.
The Bigger Picture at Star Hill Farm
It would be easy to look at the Stewards Release in isolation — a well-crafted limited bourbon at a fair price point for what is in the bottle. But the release also fits into a much larger story unfolding at Star Hill Farm.
In 2025, Maker's Mark debuted Star Hill Farm Whisky, its first-ever wheat whisky, which went on to earn Estate Whiskey certification, a notable milestone. That launch also sparked the creation of the Maker's Mark Regenerative Alliance, a program aimed at advancing regenerative farming practices beyond the distillery itself, pulling in farms, bars and restaurants as participants in the movement.
The distillery holds both B Corp certification and Regenified certification, two markers that carry real weight in sustainability conversations. These are not labels that come easily, and they reflect a genuine operational commitment at Star Hill Farm to how the land is managed and how the business runs.
Why $74.99 Is the Right Price for This Bottle
Limited bourbon releases in 2026 span a wide range, from bottles priced well under $50 to allocated expressions pushing into the hundreds or beyond. At $74.99, the Stewards Release sits in a range that feels honest for what it delivers. This is not an entry-level pour, but it is also not a bottle that only makes sense as a shelf piece.
The two-batch structure at different proof points gives buyers a genuine choice depending on how they prefer to drink. The higher-proof batch at 113.3 proof will appeal to anyone who wants to add water on their own terms and explore how the flavor opens up. The lower batch at 109.6 proof offers a slightly more approachable entry point without sacrificing the strength that makes cask-adjacent releases worth seeking out in the first place.
Either way, the wood stave finishing process is doing real work here. These are not generic tasting notes attached to a standard expression — cherry pie, toasted marshmallow, candied ginger and salted caramel represent a deliberate departure from what comes out of a standard Maker's Mark bottle, and that departure is what justifies the purchase.
A Limited Release Worth Tracking Down
The Wood Finishing Series does not sit on shelves forever. Past releases have moved steadily, and the growing reputation of the series means the Stewards Release will likely follow the same path. For anyone who has been watching this series develop over the past two years, this is the moment to pick up the third installment while it is available.
For those coming to the series fresh, the Stewards Release stands on its own as an introduction to what Maker's Mark is doing with wood finishing — and at $74.99, it is an accessible entry point into a series that still has two more chapters to write.
The bottle is available now at U.S. retailers. More information is available at MakersMark.com.
