Maker's Mark, Wheat, and the Rules of Bourbon

Recorded at Eau at The Oberoi. Aneesh sits down with Blake from Maker's Mark to talk about what sets the brand apart: its taste vision, the hand-dipped wax seal, and a warm, balanced profile.

Blake walks through the rules of bourbon. At least 51% corn, proof limits, new charred oak, no additives. Then the Maker's Mark mash bill: 70% corn, 16% soft red winter wheat, 14% malted barley. Wheat brings texture and baking spice where rye runs sharper. Proprietary yeast and virgin oak do the rest.

Blake holds a PhD in food science and has spent over 15 years in spirits, five of them at Maker's Mark. The conversation moves through cultural relevance, built on experiences and new markets like India, and the brand's sustainability work, including B Corp certification and regenerative agriculture. Then cocktails, mostly whisky sours, and where the category is heading: rye, American single malt, and Star Hill Farm Whisky with its new wheat-focused mash bills and recent award.

00:24 Why Maker's Mark 01:32 Bourbon Basics Explained 02:19 Mash Bill Breakdown 03:16 Tasting Notes Cheers 04:11 Blake's Career Story 05:03 Quality Pressure Mission 06:07 Cultural Relevance India 08:07 Sustainability B Corp 09:32 Versatility Cocktail Ideas 10:40 Future of Bourbon 12:12 Star Hill Wheat Whisky 14:03 Mixology Favorites Sours 14:46 Whisky Sour Reaction 15:12 Closing Tips Farewell

00:40 Dewar's malt lineup 01:41 Whisky world camaraderie 02:13 Pouring Aberfeldy 12 03:44 Dewar family origins 14:49 House style & the honey myth 17:16 Aultmore, a Speyside geek's whisky 22:02 Aultmore's hidden history 30:07 Royal Brackla & the Macbeth crest 33:10 The King's Own Whisky origin 35:16 Sherry cask mastery 39:14 Seasoned casks explained 41:29 Aberfeldy 40 reveal

Matt Cordiner, global brand ambassador for John Dewar & Sons, joins the pod in India to taste three single malts — Aberfeldy 12, Aultmore 12, and Royal Brackla 12 Sherry Cask Finish, plus a rare Aberfeldy 40-year-old single cask from 1978.

Dr. Bill Lumsden on Glenmorangie's 10→12 Shift, Cask Craft, and Ardbeg Secrets

00:46 Deliciousness Campaign Origins

03:09 Tasting the Original 12

06:05 Why 10 Became 12

07:14 Planning Stock and Barrels

09:33 From PhD to Whisky Career

12:34 How Core Expressions Evolved

14:50 The 18 Year Infinita

17:26 Signet and Chocolate Malt

18:53 Chocolate Malt Experiment

19:30 Tasting Notes Chocolate Orange

20:16 Whisky Open Bottles

22:08 Does Whiskey Expire

23:51 Planning An Islay Trip

25:12 Cask Choices For Ardbeg

26:53 Ardbeg Secrets and Badger Juice

29:17 Debunking Scotch Myths

31:26 Wee Beastie Origin Story

33:22 Tales Series And Forest

36:46 Podcast Wrap And Goodbye

Aneesh sits down with Dr. Bill Lumsden — Director of Whisky Creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, and one of the most influential figures in modern scotch. Three decades at the helm, roughly 700,000 casks on his watch, and fingerprints on half the single malts you've ever loved.

They open with Glenmorangie's "delicious and wonderful" campaign — scotch stripped of its gatekeeping, taste first. Then a tasting of the new Original 12: why the age statement moved from 10, what deliberately didn't change in the bourbon-cask recipe, and how a blind sensory panel sealed the call. Lumsden walks through the long-game stock planning behind a shift like this, his 1984 start with a Glenmorangie 10, and the wider range refresh — Lasanta 15, Quinta Ruban 14, Nectar d'Or 16.

Also inside: the 18-year Infinita, Signet's chocolate malt and virgin oak, Ardbeg's cult-era history, the still purifiers, "Badger Juice," the origin of Wee Beastie, and the Tale of series — including Tale of the Forest with juniper, heather, and birch bark. Plus the question every collector asks: does whisky actually go bad once the bottle's open?