The Story

If you ever imagined a bourbon distillery tucked away within the hilly backcountry of Kentucky, then congrats – you’ve imagined Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. When we made our visit to Starr Hill Farm back in 2019, the trip there got a little ‘white knuckle’. To be fair, it may have been Google Maps giving us the shortest route through the hilly portions (or were these truly mountains?) of the rural landscape. A practically one-lane road with a wall of rock to the left and a steep drop to the right was a memorable part of the journey. Thankfully, the landscape opened up into beautiful green hills with black-painted buildings and we knew the daring trip there had come to an end.

Starr Hill Farm is a site to behold. In our opinion, it’s a must-see if you are interested in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It’s by no means the only distillery that you should visit, but it seems to exude the character that you might expect in bourbon country. It’s replete with beautiful, rural charm and (an upper) southern hospitality. It’s quiet but exciting. And yes, the whiskey is incredible there.

Which is a perfect segue to talk about the bourbon. Maker’s Mark is a storied brand; they’ve been around since 1953 and have been producing whiskey within the same family since that time. Their bourbon is a bit more unique; the majority of bourbon is made with rye in the mash bill, where Maker’s Mark bourbon is made with Red Winter Wheat. To most, the result is a sweeter bourbon with a bit less of a ‘bite’. Some of the most sought-after bottles in the bourbon world replace the rye with wheat, so it’s safe to say it’s in good company.

Alright, enough with the background – let’s get to tasting this one.

Nose

Caramel, brown sugar and vanilla wrapped up in oak wood aroma.

Palate

Starts out with a light pepper spice bite, followed by a touch of oak woodiness that transitions quickly to vanilla and nutmeg mid-palate.

Finish

The finish is sweet, starting out with brown sugar and dry-roasted peanut. The vanilla sticks to the palate and fades out slowly to reveal just a touch of orange peel – leaving the heat of a medium-length ‘Kentucky Hug’.

Verdict

What can we say about a flagship like this? There’s a reason you can walk into virtually any bar in the world and ask for Maker’s Mark whiskey. As a wheated bourbon, it’s predominantly sweet but manages to hit the spice notes in the moments where it counts. It stands as a classic workhorse bottle that lives as a sweet-leaning foundation for many cocktails that call for it.

We’re calling this a solid 7.8 / 10.

Cheers friends!