Distillery

Maker's Mark whiskies

Maker’s Mark is a bourbon distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, and one of the most recognisable brands for its red wax seal, applied by hand to every bottle. It belongs to Suntory Global Spirits. Its distinguishing feature is that it replaces rye with red winter wheat in the recipe, which gives a smooth, sweet bourbon. Its buildings, with red shutters, form a protected historic site.

Founded
1953
Owner
Suntory Global Spirits
Origin
Kentucky, United States
In the catalogue
3 whiskies

History, style and where to startSee it on the world mapMaker's Mark official website

  • Maker's Mark distillery, photo 1 of 2
    Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Maker's Mark distillery, photo 2 of 2
    Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)

3 whiskies

Guide to Maker's Mark

History

Bill Samuels Sr., from a family with a long distilling tradition, bought an old distillery in Loretto in 1953 and decided to create a bourbon smoother than those of the time. His wife, Margie Samuels, designed the bottle, chose the name and came up with the red wax seal. The first Maker’s Mark was bottled at the end of the 1950s. The brand grew in the following decades thanks to its style and his son’s promotion. After several changes of ownership, it ended up with Beam and then Suntory. At the beginning of this century it launched Maker’s Mark 46, with French oak staves.

House style

Wheat instead of rye gives a smooth, sweet bourbon: caramel, vanilla, honey, sweet bread and fruit, with little spice and a rounded finish. The house rotates the barrels within the warehouses to achieve an even maturation. Maker’s Mark 46 adds toasted French oak staves, which bring spice, vanilla and more body. It is an especially friendly style for those new to bourbon.

Average flavour profile of its 3 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
3.7
Fresh fruit
1.8
Ripe and dried fruit
1.0
Floral and herbal
0.5
Cereal and malt
1.2
Vanilla and creamy
3.2
Oak
2.3
Spicy
1.8
Toasted
2.3
Smoky
0.0
Maritime
0.0
Body and intensity
3.0

Where to start

Classic Maker’s Mark is the perfect gateway to wheated bourbon: smooth, sweet and versatile. Maker’s Mark 46 adds French oak, with more spice and body, and is a natural step if you like the classic. Both work neat, on the rocks or in cocktails. Trying them one after the other clearly shows what French oak brings. If you like the wheated style, compare it with Larceny.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

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