Maker's Mark Private Select For WHA Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Every whiskey lover knows the feeling.

The bottle you opened, loved, and then spent months trying to find another. The one you wish you'd tucked away for a special occasion. The one you wish you'd bought two of.

We have a feeling this might be one of those releases.

After months of patience, we're incredibly proud to present the latest Whiskey Hunt Australia Exclusive: Maker's Mark Private Selection.

This wasn't simply a case of selecting a barrel and waiting for it to be bottled. Brock Tregellas and the Whiskey Hunt Australia tasting panel visited Maker's Mark on two separate occasions (in 2024 and 2025), checking in on the barrel's development before finally deciding it had reached its peak. Only then was it bottled exclusively for Australia.

The result is just 264 bottles.

Unlike traditional single barrel bourbons, Maker's Mark's acclaimed Private Selection programme allows each barrel to be finished with a bespoke combination of ten oak staves. By carefully selecting different French and American oak stave profiles, every Private Selection develops its own unique personality while remaining unmistakably Maker's Mark.

Our custom stave recipe delivers a rich, layered bourbon bursting with caramelised sugars, baking spices, dark fruit, toasted oak and creamy vanilla, all carried by a beautifully balanced 56.2% ABV (112.4 Proof).

Maker's Mark has released very few Private Selections for the Australian market in the last few years, and opportunities like this are becoming increasingly rare. From what we've been told, there won't be another one of these barrels for Australia for quite a while after this one. With just 264 bottles available, once they're gone, they're gone.

Barrel Specifications

Distillery: Maker's Mark
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, Barrel Finished with 10 Oak Staves
Age: Aged to taste, not to time (minimum 6 years). Our barrel spent considerably longer maturing before bottling.
ABV: 56.2% (112.4 Proof)
Cask Type: New American Oak

Stave Profile

• 0 × Baked American Pure
• 4 × Seared French Cuvée
• 1 × Maker's Mark 46
• 4 × Roasted French Mendiant
• 1 × Toasted French Spice

Mash Bill

• 70% Corn
• 16% Soft Red Winter Wheat
• 14% Malted Barley

Outturn: 264 bottles
Bottle Size: 700ml