Maker's Mark

Maker’s Mark bourbon is the oldest distillery in the United States and was my second stop on the bourbon trail. The scenic drive and remote location makes the trip very special. The warehouses are painted a deep brown, almost black, for two reasons. One is to increase the heat of the warehouses and the second is to hide the moss that grows on the outside. This moss is what got the moonshiner’s busted in the prohibitions era. Maker’s Mark is known for its distinctive red wax sealing on its bottles. Another brilliant American marketing gimmick. The Maker’s wife stole it from a French cognac bottle.

I bought a bottle in the gift shop and dipped my own in the hot red wax. I was going to make a few inappropriate comments about the uses of the hot wax to the girl working there but decided to keep it to myself.

Okay. Did I mention that the labels are still made from hand on their original printing presses? Another thing I learned is that limestone fed water is the best for whiskey because it removes the iron. Too much iron in the water causes the whiskey to become undrinkable. I’ve heard that used bourbon casks are sent to Scotland and this is true. Maker’s Mark sells their used barrels to Laphroigh. There’s only one Scotch like Laphroigh. You either love it or hate it. But that’s another story too.