Few bourbons have left their mark quite like this one. In 1953, a man named Bill Samuels Sr. decided to make an approachable, easy to drink bourbon. Seventy years later, his bourbon is one of the best selling and most recognizable bourbons in the world.
Today, Maker’s Mark is a third-generation company that’s owned by Beam Suntory – a spirits giant known for Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, Baker’s, Booker’s, Legent, and the expanded Maker’s Mark line. Unlike most of its competitors, Maker’s Mark hasn’t expanded their whiskey offerings to include rye, Scotch, or the new American Single Malt. Nope. The modern Maker’s Mark collection is still focused on bourbon and includes a full array like Maker’s Mark 46, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, Maker’s Mark 101, and a few other limited releases. It might be a small line-up compared to a few other bourbon giants, but even this number of offerings is impressive for Maker’s Mark. In fact, it wasn’t until 2010 (a full 52 years of operation) that the distillery released a new expression. For the Samuels family, it’s always been about the original Maker’s Mark.
So what exactly is Maker’s distinguishing mark? Well, for starters – the famous red wax seal. When the distillery was first getting started, Bill Samuel Sr.’s wife, Margie, creatively designed the shape of the bottle and label and decreed that each bottle would be hand dipped in red wax. A practice that’s still in place today. But Maker’s Mark isn’t just about the red wax flash. The distillery’s secret lies in its mash bill and aging process.
When most whiskies are left to age in a rickhouse, they’re placed on one level of the warehouse structure and left. Yet, Maker’s Mark is one of the only distilleries who rotates the bourbon barrels throughout the levels of the rickhouse to evenly age each one. Then of course, there’s the mash bill. To legally be called bourbon, a whiskey must contain a mash bill of at least 51% corn. The other 49% is fair game, but usually split between malted barley, rye, wheat, or more corn. The Maker’s Mark mash bill claims to be 70% corn, 14% malted barley, and 16% red winter wheat. That specific wheat choice was made by Bill Sr. himself in the hopes of creating a soft and smooth bourbon. And most would agree, that’s exactly what he got.
Maker’s Mark lures you in with a sweet aroma of oak and vanilla with an underlying punch of alcohol. The oak and vanilla flavors carry all the way through the flavor and into the light finish. The whiskey is both light in texture and flavor and admittedly, rather uncomplicated. In other words – What you see is what you get with Maker’s Mark. It’s a soft, mildly sweet, mildly hot bourbon that’s approachable and very easy to drink. This combination is probably why it’s many people’s first experience with bourbon and why you can spot it at virtually any bar.
Maker’s Mark is never going to be the most complicated, mind-blowing bourbon you ever have the pleasure of opening. It’s a consistent, easy to drink bourbon that’s easily earned its place in history and on bourbon shelves around the world.
STATS: Maker’s Mark Bourbon
- Price for us: $35 for 750 mL
- Proof: 90
- Aged: 3 Years
- Distillery: Maker’s Mark, owned by Beam Suntory
- Recommendation: Neat
