maker s mark distillery

Makers Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky- This one changed the way we think of bourbon, all because one man changed the way he thought about making it. Bill Samuels, simply wanted a whiskey he would enjoy drinking. Never bitter or sharp, Maker's Mark is made with soft red winter wheat, instead of the usual rye, for a one-of-a-kind, full-flavored bourbon that's easy to drink. To ensure consistency, we rotate every barrel by hand and age our bourbon to taste, not time.

Each and every bottle of Maker's is still hand-dipped in our signature red wax at our distillery in Loretto, Kentucky just like Bill would have wanted. Maker's Mark Bourbon is a wheated bourbon made with a mash bill recipe of 70% locally-grown corn, 16% red winter wheat, and 14% malted barley. This recipe was created by Bill Samuels, Sr. who baked bread with different grains to settle on his mash bill rather than trial and error with distillation. His wife, Margie Samuels, is responsible for the shape of the bottle, the signature label, and the red wax topper. Maker's Mark is aged in char #3 new American oak barrels for 6-7 years. Regardless, the Samuels family ignored bourbon's low status—they wanted people to think differently of the spirit.

In an era when bourbon was considered a rough drink, Maker's substituted red winter wheat instead of some of the rye that gives most bourbons their spicy kick. Maker's certainly wasn't the first wheated bourbon, but the change gave it a smooth texture that made it distinct from much of its competition. Maker's also used a unique bottle, dipped in red wax just like a fine cognac, and charged a premium price.

At the time, a lot of other bourbon brands charged whatever they thought people in motorcycle gangs would pay for a bottle. Maker's Mark is a small-batch bourbon whiskey produced in Loretto, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory. It is bottled at 90 U.S. proof (45% alcohol by volume) and sold in squarish bottles sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Distillery tours are offered every day except for major holidays and every hour on the half hour. Visitors can dip their own bottle in the iconic red wax in the distillery gift shop.

The gift shop offers visitors a variety of Maker's Mark merchandise including clothing, artwork, souvenir items, specialty bottles, and of course bourbon. Makers Mark is a small-batch bourbon whisky that is distilled in Loretto, Kentucky, by Beam Inc. It is sold in distinctively squarish bottles, which are sealed with red wax, and bottled at 90 U.S. proof Makers Mark Special Edition.

Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon is highly distinct from the majority of other bourbons on the market which are made from a mash of malted barley, rye, and corn. This 'wheated' bourbon, is crafted from red winter wheat, and bottled at 90 proof. The distillery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1980. The actual "makers" of Maker's Mark still rotate the barrels in the distillery's warehouses, bottle the whisky and dip the bottles in wax — all by hand. The Maker's Mark Distillery itself was founded by Bill, Sr. in 1953 when he purchased the old Burk's Springs Distillery in Happy Hollow, Kentucky for $35,000. It was Bill's wife Margie who named the new bourbon after one of her favorite hobbies.

She collected fine English pewter and loved the markings that the silversmith placed on their handcrafted work. It was Margie that came up with the idea of dipping each bottle into red wax as well as the shape and label for the bottle. Margie actually heated up her electric deep fryer on the kitchen table to hand dip the bottles.

Margie also authored the iconic star and SIV logo which has won countless awards. She took the star from the name of the family farm, "Star Hill Farm," the "S" from the surname Samuels and the IV because Bill was the fourth generation in his family to distill whiskey. Maker's Mark started distilling small batch Bourbon in 1954 with the first barrel being ready for consumers in 1958. The unique red wax dripping dipped square bottles became an instant success. The house is positively brimming with family heirlooms and memorabilia like that. Numerous historic photos line the walls, weaving the story of the Samuels family legacy.

Easily one of the most recognizable bourbon bottles in the world, Maker's Mark Distillery brings its iconic red wax to life at its Loretto, Ky., distillery. Generations of the Samuels family have kept Maker's Mark Distillery going since 1954. Learn the secrets of the brand's distinctive wheated mash bill and the work that goes into each bottle. In April 2011 after Bill, Jr. retired his son Robert Samuels took over the distillery and promptly introduced Maker's Mark Cask Strength in 2014. Cask Strength is a version of Maker's that comes straight out of the barrel, uncut and unfiltered at 108 to 114 proof. Then just a year after that Maker's launches a variation called Maker's Mark Private Select in 2015.

Private Select is a Single Barrel Top Shelf bourbon release based on different stave constructions of the vessel it is aged in. There are five different stave pieces that include a Baked American Pure Stave, a Seared French Cuvee Stave, a Maker's 46 stave, a Roasted French Mocha stave and a Toasted French Spice stave. Consumers can choose any ten staves to intermingle in the barrel and with 1,001 possible stave combinations, participants can create a customized finish and taste profile that is uniquely their own.

Maker's Mark also makes a Black Seal variation that is made and shipped exclusively to Japan. Maker's Mark is also one of several distillers that makes dozens and dozens of commemorative or limited edition bottles, these do contain the same flagship Maker's Mark in them for consumers to enjoy. In 1954, at a small Victorian distillery in Loretto, Bill Samuels Sr. made the first 19 barrels of whiskey, which after they matured some years later would herald the modern era of bourbon.

Using limestone water from the distillery's spring-fed lake and a mash consisting of corn, barley and soft, red, gentle winter wheat, Mr. Samuels created a bourbon that brought "good taste" and "taste-good" together. An illustration of the Maker's Mark distillery appears on its bottles; the label invites you to visit "any time you're in the neighborhood," so you know the place must be special. Just as Bill Samuels Sr. wanted to create his own distinctive bourbon by using gentle winter wheat instead of rye, he wanted to restore a historic distillery complex into the home of Maker's Mark.

It's hard to believe that, in this one room, the bottling process for Maker's Mark bourbon happens – from empty bottle to packed up and ready to ship out! Every bottle is hand dipped with the Maker's Mark signature red wax, making sure that no bottle is the same as the next. One step inside the Still House and you'll swear you are in a bakery, not a distillery.

That oaty aroma emerges from the still as it brews and distills Bill's carefully planned recipe. The mash bill, as the recipe is called, is heavy on the corn (70%) with hints of malted barley and red winter wheat. A few elements have been added to the experience since Margie's days, like the "Spirit of the Maker" hand-blown glass ceiling created by artist Dale Chihuly. "The artwork is comprised of over 1,000 unique, multicolored glass pieces that hang overhead as guests exit our tasting room. Maker's Mark promises a truly unique, intimate experience that sheds light on the specialness and tradition of making Kentucky bourbon.

Maker's Mark bourbon has earned solid marks at international Spirits ratings competitions. Its primary bourbon earned a gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirit Ratings Competition and a score of 90–95 from Wine Enthusiast in 2007. The Maker's Mark 46—which benefits from longer aging and exposure to toasted French oak staves—has earned similar ratings. These limited edition single barrel batches from Maker's Mark are both one of the first of its kind and an exclusive to The Whisky Shop.

Taking inspiration from the process used to create Maker's 46, this Kentucky bourbon is crafted from a barrel made from a bespoke selection of different wooden staves, chosen by a team from The Whisky Shop. The final stave selection used five French oak staves cooked at high temperature in a convection oven, three French oak staves seared in an infra-red oven, and two more of the same but with ridges cut into the surface. The signature red wax topper that Maker's Mark is known for comes from when Margie hand dipped the very first bottles in her kitchen using the home fryer. Every sip of Maker's Mark tastes just like the sip that came before it, however the way the red wax sets down the neck of each bottle ensures no two bottles are the same.

After accidentally setting the family recipe on fire Bill sought to find his own mash bill by experimenting with different flavouring grains. Given that Bill had burned the only copy of the family recipe, he didn't have years to wait on the aging process to see which experiments produced the best results. Maker's Mark Handmade Kentucky Straight Bourbon On October 1, 1953, William Samuels Sr. purchased Burks Distillery, which was situated in Loretto, Kentucky, for $35,000.

Five years later, the distillery released the first bottles of Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky, which featured the distillery's distinctive red wax seal. We're the only distillery I know of that rotates every single barrel through the maturation process. We print and hand tear every single label for every bottle.

Your tour of Maker's Mark Distillery extends across the bourbon-making gamut. See new make flow through stills, watch as sour mash bubbles in massive vats, and learn about the grains that go into every glass. Get an introduction to labeling and walk down the bottling line. A highlight of the Maker's Mark Distillery tour, especially for diehard Maker's Mark Ambassadors, is the part where each bottle is hand dipped in red wax.

Maker's Mark is the only bourbon distillery producing just one Brand of Bourbon. The original 'premium' bourbon, Maker's Mark has been lovingly built by three generations of the Samuels family. However, the family's distilling roots stretch back eleven generations. At the time of its launch, Maker's Mark was sold at a premium price to other bourbons then on the market. Initially, as an extended age statement did not justify its price position, it was a difficult sale. It might not flaunt it, but Maker's Mark is aged for around a year longer than the four year minimum and it is no overstatement to say that Bill Samuels Senior established the premium bourbon category.

Maker's Mark is one of the few American whiskeys to be spelled, 'whisky' without an 'e'. Apparently the official American spelling is 'whisky' but the historic American spelling of 'whiskey' is tolerated and practically all other American distillers spell theirs with the "e". Marker's Mark spelling without the 'e' celebrates the Samuels family's Scottish heritage. Maker's Mark maintain that they distil their bourbon to the lowest proof of any US whiskey distillery. Developed by Bill Samuels Sr, he replaced rye with red winter wheat to reduce the burning sensation from the whiskey.

Generations of the Samuels family distillers have carried forth a recipe from prohibition to become one of the most beloved Bourbon brands in the world. The red wax on the bottles is every bit as recognizable as the Maker's Mark® name. Every bottle is still hand-dipped today, and when you visit the distillery, you can dip your own. Maker's Mark is sold in squarish bottles that are sealed with red wax. William Samuels' wife, Marjorie "Margie" Samuels, gave the whiskey its name, drew its label, and thought up the wax dipping that gives the bottle its distinctive look.

The first new product was the Maker's Mark 46, which is the standard whisky finished for three or four months with 10 staves of French oak inserted into the barrel. In 2014, the limited release Cask Strength Bourbon was introduced, and the line-up now includes a white dog and a seasonal pre-mixed Mint Julep, as well as various special editions. However, co-founder Margie Samuels was also pioneering and had her own influence on Maker's Mark. The flavour of Maker's Mark would differentiate it from its competition and Margie ensured that the bottle itself would do the same when placed on a shelf next to other bottles.

From the shape of the bottle, the label, the signature red wax and even the name 'Maker's Mark', these are all components of the Maker's Mark product that came from Margie. It's said that Margie is the reason most buy their first bottle of Maker's Mark and Bill is the reason they buy their second. This is why Maker's Mark use soft red winter wheat as this imparts the front-of-palate sweetness that Maker's is known for.

And whilst this red winter wheat is a very important ingredient in the recipe, it only makes up 16% of the mash bill. Locally grown corn makes up 70% of the mash bill whilst the rest is rounded out with malted barley. Browse 98 makers mark distillery stock photos and images available, or search for bardstown to find more great stock photos and pictures. After being rebuffed Bill decided to create a new better recipe and burned the only copy of the family recipe in a trash can in the living room almost burning down the house after the curtains also went up in flames. Bill, a meticulous person and craftsman believed through trial and error he could figure out the best tasting bourbon.

Over a period of six and a half years, he continued to experiment with different variations of recipes. Not having the money or luxury of being able to distill each recipe into bourbon and wait five years to try the result, he baked many recipes into loaves of bread and had his family try them with him. Once they decided on the perfect combination of corn, wheat and barley Bill decided to buy a distillery.

Expanding and growing in whisky today isn't all that interesting. There are a lot of bourbon and scotch whisky distilleries that are expanding. We have kept the sanctity of the place, which is the soul of the company and the product. In the still house you'll smell corn, wheat, and malted barley cooking. The bubbling yellow mash ferments in century-old cypress vats.

Vaporization of the mash in the shiny copper still separates out the whiskey, which is placed in charred oak casks for aging. When you enter the aging warehouse's ground floor, the aromas alone tell you what's in the barrels. Barrels reach maturity only after completing a rotation system in which the newest barrels are placed on the warehouse's hot upper floors and are rotated to the cooler lower levels after about three years. Your tour of this National Historic Landmark distillery begins near the stonewalled creek that runs through the peaceful, landscaped grounds, where you'll hear a brief history of the distillery. Its black buildings feature bright red shutters with a Maker's Mark bottle cutout.

Unlike larger distilleries' 600-barrel-per-day production, Maker's Mark crafts its bourbon in 19 barrel batches. We made a detour into the vault where Maker's 46 is laying in wait. Bill Samuels, Jr., the son of the original Bill Samuels, created the first product from Maker's Mark in over 50 years. Taking cask strength Maker's Mark right from the barrel at 108 to 114 proof, he then opened the barrel and placed ten seared virgin French oak staves into that barrel. After only nine weeks, a completely different flavor profile emerges and Maker's 46 is born ready to be enjoyed. Kentucky distiller Bill Samuels, Sr., founder of Maker's Mark, set out to make a better-tasting bourbon whisky.

He discovered that if you use winter wheat in the mash instead of the traditional distiller's rye, your bourbon whisky is smoother and less bitter – and that made the difference. Bill Samuels, Sr., transformed bourbon from a "commodity" into a premium spirit, and today Maker's Mark continues to be made with care in exactly the same way. Since the first bottle sold in 1958, each iconic bottle is still hand-dipped with a red wax by people, not machines. Before cask filling using spring water, which has been demineralised by reverse osmosis. And it is believed that the 55% used by Maker's Mark is the lowest barrel proof of any bourbon. This obviously means more barrels and rickhouses are required so is more costly but the Samuels believe a lower maturation strength gives better extraction of the sweet, flavoursome vanillin in the oak.