Maker's Mark Bourbon Whiskey 750ml
Maker's Mark traces back to 1953, when T. William "Bill" Samuels Sr. purchased the old Burks' Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, and set out to build a bourbon with a gentler character than the norm at the time. His wife, Margie, is credited with two of the brand's signature touches: the hand-dipped red wax seal and a recipe philosophy shaped in part by her taste for cognac. Today the distillery, now part of Suntory Global Spirits, remains a National Historic Landmark and a fixture on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, with the Samuels family still connected to daily operations.
Maker's Mark departs from most bourbons by using soft red winter wheat rather than rye as its secondary grain, alongside corn and malted barley. The whisky is distilled and matured in new charred American oak barrels at the Loretto distillery, aged not to a fixed number of years but to taste, typically landing around six to seven years in the cellar. It is bottled at 90 proof, or 45% alcohol by volume, in the brand's recognizable squared bottle.
On the nose, expect soft, sweet aromas of vanilla and caramel layered with light baking spice and toasted oak. The palate carries that same caramel and vanilla core, joined by notes of bright cherry, butterscotch, and a touch of cinnamon, all wrapped in a smooth, velvety texture without the sharper bite common to rye-forward bourbons. The finish is warm and moderate in length, closing on gentle oak and lingering sweetness.