One thing that really surprised me about visiting distilleries in Kentucky was just how massive some of these places are. You know the big names produce a lot of bourbon, but seeing these operations in person is something else. It's almost hard to wrap your head around the size of them.
Maker's Mark was no exception, but what really stood out to me was how beautiful the grounds were. Kaitlin and I were impressed before we even started the tour.
The Tour
We scheduled a tour that lasted about an hour, and our guide, Chad, was awesome. He knew his stuff, shared a lot of the history behind Maker's Mark, and made the whole experience fun.
We got to see quite a bit of the operation, including the fermentation vats, stills, rickhouse, label cutting, and bottling process. Watching everything that goes into making their bourbon was fascinating.
One thing I'll never forget is the smell inside the rickhouse. All that aging bourbon and oak in one building was intoxicating. I could have spent a lot more time in there.
The Whiskey
One of the more interesting things we learned was how Maker's Mark uses different wood staves to change the flavor of their whiskey. They can take their bourbon and create some pretty different flavor profiles just by changing the combination of finishing staves.
We also got to sample several of their products during the tasting, including some we'd never tried before.
One that really stood out was a distillery-exclusive selection called French Toast. It was made using a combination of five different stave types:
1 Baked American Pure
2 Seared French Cuvée
2 Maker's 46 (French oak)
1 Roasted French Mendiant
4 Toasted French Spice
The first time I tasted it, I remember picking up a hint of maple. Not necessarily sweet maple syrup, but something that reminded me of maple. Then again, with a name like French Toast, maybe that was just the power of suggestion.
Either way, we enjoyed it enough that a bottle came home with us.
Dipping Our Own Bottles
We'd heard about being able to dip your own bottles at Maker's Mark before visiting, and it was something we were looking forward to.
In the gift shop, you can purchase bottles without the signature red wax and dip them yourself. You don't even have to take the tour to do it.
Kaitlin and I both dipped our bottles, including that French Toast selection. It's a simple thing, but getting to do it yourself makes bringing home a bottle a little more memorable.
Would I Recommend Visiting?
Absolutely. Between the beautiful grounds, seeing the production process, and getting to sample some different whiskeys, Maker's Mark was a great experience.
Chad made the tour even better, and I'd definitely recommend taking one rather than just stopping at the gift shop.
I'd go back, too. Especially to see what other distillery-exclusive bottles they might have available.
And there's a pretty good chance I'd end up dipping another one.