Last year, Maker’s Mark released its first whiskey made from a new mashbill in the Kentucky distillery’s 70-year history, a wheat whiskey called Star Hill Farm. That release was a blend of two different mashbills; this year’s version follows that recipe, but changes up the wheat varietals in an attempt to create a different flavor profile than the inaugural expression.

We visited the distillery ahead of last year’s launch to find out more about Star Hill Farm. According to master distiller Dr. Blake Layfield, the 2025 release came from a small batch of 300 barrels, 60 percent of which were regular new charred oak and 40 percent of which were “experimental vessels”—American oak, French oak, American-French hybrid, and grooved barrels to increase surface area and influence on the whiskey. The regular Maker’s Mark wheated bourbon mashbill is 70 percent corn, 16 percent red winter wheat, and 14 percent malted barley. But Star Hill Farm is made from two different mashbills, one made up of 100 percent malted wheat, the other of 70 percent wheat and 30 percent malted barley.

The first release used soft red winter wheat in the mashbill, the same that’s used for the bourbon, but as mentioned before this version uses hard red and white wheat to showcase different flavors. The final blend resulted in a composite mashbill of 27 percent wheat, 62 percent malted wheat, and 11 percent malted barley, and the whiskey was bottled slightly stronger than the first release at 58.2 percent ABV (116.4 proof).

“The first release of Star Hill Farm Whisky was bright, approachable and straightforward; this year we’ve dialed up the complexity,” said master distiller Dr. Blake Layfield in a statement. “The 2026 release is a balanced blend of seven and eight-year whiskies bottled at cask strength, evolving from first sip to finish.” That evolution starts and ends with a bit of heat because of the relatively high proof, but the journey between is full of rich flavors like milk and dark chocolate, black and red berries, cinnamon, ripe stone fruit, cherry pie, vanilla, and a just hint of overripe citrus.

As we reported last year, the inaugural release of Star Hill Farm Whisky (Maker’s Mark spells it with the “e” like the Scots) was the distillery’s first to earn Estate Whiskey certification as part of the new Estate Whiskey Alliance. The qualifications for that are that all steps of production must be done onsite, and at least two-thirds of the grains have to be grown on land owned or controlled by the estate. This year’s release also qualifies as an Estate Whiskey, and regenerative agriculture is still part of the production process. “As a proud B Corp and Regenified-certified distillery, we’re helping to define leadership in sustainability for the industry,” said Rob Samuels, eighth-generation whisky maker and managing director for Maker’s Mark, in a statement. “[We’re] working to make Star Hill Farm the most endearing, culturally rich and environmentally responsible homeplace in the world.”

Star Hill Farm Whisky (SRP $100) is available starting this month at retailers around the U.S., as well as in the U.K., Australia, Japan, and duty free shops.