A mark left on a finished product by a craftsman. The name, bottle shape, and red wax seal were created by Marge Samuels.
It is not a distillery name or place name, but the language of craftsmanship, which means ‘taking responsibility and indicating who made it.’
The central grain of bourbon is corn. The difference with Maker’s Mark is that it uses soft red winter wheat as the flavor grain instead of the commonly used rye.
Bourbon must be at least 51% corn in the mash bill. Corns create a sweet, round basic impression.
Maker’s Mark uses soft red winter wheat instead of rye, a common flavor grain. It is a choice that aims for round sweetness and soft texture rather than sharp spices.
The exact role is different. Corn is the centerpiece, wheat has a mild flavor, and malted barley adds the enzyme necessary to convert starch into sugar. After fermentation, it undergoes double distillation using a copper continuous still.
Bourbon is aged in newly made charring oak barrels. Fire caramelizes the wood's sugars and intensifies aromas of vanilla, caramel and toasted oak.
It is hotter above the rackhouse and cooler below. Maker’s Mark evens out the effects of temperature differences by manually changing the position of the barrel during maturation.
Rather than stating a fixed number of years of maturation on the label, the timing is determined by tasting. The finished base product is bottled at 45% and is centered around cherries, vanilla, caramel and mild spices.
Based on Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
The oak and flower/vanilla axes are the longest. Vanilla and caramel from new charred American white oak take center stage.
Wheat softens the texture and appearance of the spice rather than adding a large separate flavor like peat or sherry. The formal notes of bright cherry and gentle spice are topped off.
This is a sensory impression value that maintains the same six axes for comparison with Scotch.
Bill Samuels Sr. wanted to create a drink that he would be comfortable drinking rather than a harsh and spicy bourbon. Rather than wait years to test different mash bills as whiskey, he baked loaves with different grain recipes and chose red winter wheat.
When the inside of the barrel is burned, the wood surface changes into a charcoal layer and a toasted layer. As the spirit passes through the seasons in Kentucky, it moves in and out of wood, gaining color, vanilla, caramel and oak notes. The temperature varies depending on the location in the warehouse, so the barrels are moved by hand to ensure consistency.
The red beeswax is not a flavor-making process, but it visibly completes the brand’s name, ‘the mark left by the craftsman.’ The first bottle was completed in 1958 by hand coating it with beeswax.
Maker’s Mark is an American bourbon, but the official label uses the Scottish-style spelling “whisky,” rather than the “whiskey” more common in the United States. It is not a difference in manufacturing rules, but a notation chosen by the brand.