Maker's Mark is a wheated Kentucky bourbon from Loretto, known on sight for its square bottle and hand-dipped red wax. Using wheat instead of rye gives it a soft, sweet, rounded style at 45% ABV.
About This Bourbon
The mash is 70% corn, 16% soft red winter wheat and 14% malted barley, with no rye at all. The spirit matures in new charred American oak and is bottled when the tasting panel judges it ready rather than at a fixed age. The strength has stayed at 90 proof; a 2013 plan to lower it to 84 proof was reversed within days after drinkers objected.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Sweet oak, vanilla and red fruit, with a soft bready wheat note.
- Palate: Creamy and even, with caramel, cherry and vanilla, and only light spice.
- Finish: Smooth and clean, fading on butterscotch and a gentle warmth.
Serving & Food
Lightly chilled over a large ice cube works well on a warm evening, or shake it into a Whisky Sour with fresh lemon and egg white. Match with Southern-style fried chicken, peach cobbler or a mild blue cheese.
How to Enjoy
People who find rye-heavy bourbon too sharp, and cocktail makers who want a soft, sweet base.
Product Details
Category: Bourbon / American Whiskey
Producer: Maker's Mark (Suntory Global Spirits)
Distillery: Loretto, Kentucky
Mash Bill: 70% corn, 16% soft red winter wheat, 14% malted barley
ABV: 45% (90 proof)
Country: USA
Volume: 750mL
About the Distillery
In October 1953 T. William "Bill" Samuels Sr. bought the old Burks' Distillery at Loretto, in Marion County, and set out to make a gentler bourbon than his family's earlier recipe. Production began in 1954 and the first bottles came out in 1958.
His wife Margie Samuels shaped how the whisky looks: she chose the name, drew the label and came up with the red wax dip. The Samuels family still runs the distillery day to day, while ownership sits with Suntory Global Spirits.
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