Maker's Mark Bourbon Whiskey

Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky No changes, no compromises, no comparison. Full-flavored, yet remarkably easy to drink, Maker’s Mark has a taste that took years to perfect. Then, we spent the next 40 years making sure that taste never changed. The Water The unique bourbon taste of Maker’s Mark can actually be attributed to Limestone-purified spring water — every drop of our water comes from a spring-fed lake right at the distillery. The natural limestone in the water filters out iron, which is good for buildings but can quickly ruin the taste of whisky. Mash Bill With a foundation of red winter wheat rather than traditional rye, we ensure that Maker’s Mark will be full on the palate, yet lack the hot coarseness of rye-based whiskies. This, along with naturally malted barley, and yellow corn, results in a distinctively full, yet mellow taste that hasn’t changed in over half a century. Copper Still Visitors often comment on how attractive our distinctive copper still pots are, but they’re workers, too. An important part of our double-distillation process, they remove impurities to create a more refined sipping whisky. This whole double-distillation thing may not be very efficient, but it sure makes for a better whisky. Cypress Tanks Our cypress fermentation tanks are literally irreplaceable – with some of the planks more than 200 years old. Cypress was chosen for fermentation before modern stainless steel tanks were available. These old cypress tanks still work just fine, and they give our visitors a historically accurate sense of our fermenting process. And, of course, we’ve never liked whisky with a stainless steel aftertaste. Oak Barrels We use only charred white oak barrels to hold our whisky as it ages. Now, we may lose a bit of whisky due to evaporation and absorption during this process, but, rest assured, it’s worth it. Due to the charring of the oak, the natural sugars of the wood are released into the bourbon, enhancing the already wonderfully mellow taste of Maker’s Mark. Barrel Rotation Just one of the many things we still do by hand here at the distillery, our method of barrel rotation is expensive, inefficient and a practice long ago abandoned by most distilleries. But, because each barrel is exposed to consistent temperatures throughout our warehouse, the premium taste of Maker’s Mark never varies from one bottle to the next. It’s just how we roll. Aged to Taste Five years, seven years or eight years – they’re just numbers to us. At Maker’s Mark, we’ve never aged our whisky for any specified amount of time. Instead, our tasting panel, including our master distiller, tastes each batch no less than five times during the maturation process. It’s ready only when they say it’s ready. And we haven’t been wrong yet. AROMA Sweet oak, vanilla, bright fruit and wheat prevail in the nose TASTE Sweet with balance of oak, vanilla and fruity essences FINISH Smooth and creamy with a pleasant soft spice and clean finish 92 PTS WINE ENTHUSIAST. Rich, buttery nose with hints of raisins and honey; flavors include vanilla, honey, oranges, and a well balanced backdrop of leather and spice.