Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series Bourbon Review – FAE-02, BRT-01 & BEP Tasting!

Jul 18

🔥 Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series Review – FAE-02, BRT-01 & BEP

Three Bourbons, One Wheated DNA, Infinite Stave Possibilities

🥃 Welcome Back to Tortured Bourbon

In this Tortured Bourbon episode, we’re diving deep into the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, tasting three of their most popular experimental releases:

FAE-02 (2021)
BRT-01 (2022)
BEP (2023)

If you’ve ever wondered how much wood finishing can change a bourbon’s flavor without altering its mash bill—this one’s for you. And no, we’re not talking about Private Selection picks. These are the distillery-designed national releases, and they are anything but basic.

🪵 What Is the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series?

The Wood Finishing Series is Maker’s Mark’s innovative playground where custom toasted staves are added to fully matured bourbon for extra aging. Each expression is built from the same base bourbon—70% corn, 16% red winter wheat, 14% malted barley—but finished with different stave types to create unique profiles.

Think of it like the bourbon version of Pokémon breeding: nerdy, slightly chaotic, and always ending with a flavor monster.

🔬 Meet the Bottles – Proof, Staves, Tasting Notes & More

🧈 2021 FAE-02 –

The Texture Titan

Proof: 109.1
Staves: 10 Virgin French Oak
Treatment: Double heat-treated (infrared + flame toasted)
MSRP: ~$60
Tasting Notes:
- Nose: Pecan pie, butterscotch, brown sugar
- Taste: Spiced nuts, vanilla, caramel
- Finish: Buttery wheat warmth, candied nuttiness

This one is all about mouthfeel—thick, oily, rich. A dessert pour that leans into texture like no other Maker’s release we’ve had.

🔥 2022 BRT-01 –

The Rickhouse Ruler

Proof: 109.4
Staves: American Oak
MSRP: ~$70
Tasting Notes:
- Nose: Caramel, baking spice, butterscotch
- Taste: Bright brown sugar, stone fruit
- Finish: Toasty warmth, a touch of honey

“BRT” stands for Barrel Rotation Technique, and it honors barrels that matured up high where the heat lives. This bottle brings the spice and the rickhouse character in full force.

🍫 2023 BEP –

The Barrel Entry Finale

Proof: 110.7
Staves: 10 Toasted American Oak
MSRP: ~$70
Tasting Notes:
- Nose: Toasted sugar, cocoa, stone fruit
- Taste: Maple, brown sugar, spice
- Finish: Creamy, chocolatey, long and silky
“BEP” refers to Barrel Entry Proof, with this expression celebrating the softer taste achieved by entering the barrel at 110 proof instead of the typical 125. It’s elegant, balanced, and dangerously drinkable.

⚖️ Final Thoughts – Which One Wins?

Each of these bourbons highlights a different dimension of what wood finishing can achieve:

FAE-02 = texture and body
BRT-01 = heat and intensity
BEP = balance and finesse

And somehow, they all still taste like Maker’s Mark—just amplified and transformed.

“It’s wild how a few toasted staves can create three completely different bourbons from the same base spirit.” – B

💬 Tell Us What You Think

Have you tried any of the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series? How would you rank these three?

Drop your thoughts in the comments or send us a message—we love seeing how others react to these bourbon experiments.

📺 Watch the Full Episode Now

👉 Click here to watch the full tasting and review on YouTube

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🧠 Learn More

Looking for a deeper dive into the science of toasted staves, barrel entry proof, or Maker’s Private Selection picks? We’ve got episodes and blog posts coming your way—don’t miss out.