Originally released in 2010, Maker's Mark 46 starts off as standard Maker’s Mark, which is a wheated bourbon made in batches of less than 1,000 gallons. Then, ten heavily seared French oak staves are placed in just-emptied standard Maker's Mark barrels, which are then refilled and returned to the warehouses to finish aging for an undisclosed amount of time (estimated to be 2-3 additional months).

‍‍Over the years the brand has seen small tweaks, such as going from being called Maker’s 46 to Maker’s Mark 46, and in March 2022, the company released a newly redesigned bottle for the bourbon. According to Maker’s, “the new design puts the uniqueness of the liquid on full display, differentiating itself in the proprietary French oaked process that gives Maker’s Mark 46 its characteristic layers of faceted flavor. While the bourbon inside the bottle remains the same, the new bottle design reinforces consistency of the brand’s visual identity and more tangibly brings to life its premium legacy.”