Maker's Mark Distillery Tour Review

Maker's Mark - Maker's Mark Distillery

Visitor Center - Maker's Mark Distillery

Hardin's Creek - Maker's Mark Distillery

Distillery Entrance

Distillery

Quality Control Lab

1934 Chandler & Price Dye Cutter

Warehouse A

Limestone Cellar

Limestone Cellar - Barrels

Private Selection Tasting Room

Tour Tasting Room

Maker's Mark Tasting

Gift Shop

Star Hill Provisions

Gardens

Chihuly Glass

Art at Maker's Mark Distillery

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Maker's Mark Distillery

3350 Burks Spring Rd.

Loretto, KY 40037

To visit Maker's Mark Distillery at Star Hill Farm is to step back into the past. Maker's story began in 1953, when Bill Samuels, Sr. purchased the dilapidated Burks' Distillery located near the small Kentucky town of Loretto. The original 187 acre purchase sat along the banks of Hardin's Creek. The distillery and the Samuels family both could claim a lengthy history in the business of whiskey making. In 1803, Charles Burk and his family had settled the land in order to set up and operate a water grist mill on the creek. Not long afterwards, around 1805, Charles began to distill. While the mill operated continuously throughout the Burks' ownership of the property, the distillery went dormant with the death of Charles and his son around 1831/32. It was resurrected however by a later generation of the family in the late 1880's. The property, including the distillery, remained in the Burk family for over 100 plus years.

As for the Samuels, Bill, Sr. would become the 4th generation commercial distiller in his family. His great grandfather, T.W. Samuels, along with his son, W.I. Samuels, opened the T.W.Samuels & Son Distillery in 1844. Upon the death of both founders in 1898, Leslie B. Samuels, son of W.I., took the helm. The fates were not particularly kind to Leslie. In 1909, fire destroyed the distillery along with 6 barrel warehouses and their nine thousand barrels of aging whiskey. The distillery was rebuilt but eventually cost Leslie controlling interest in the company. Prohibition brought another devastating blow in 1920; although the company was able to restructure in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, just 10 short years later in 1943, the company, its brands, and trademarks (including the Samuels family name) were sold.

Leslie B. passed in 1936 and his son, Bill, Sr., had taken over the family's stake in the business. He had attempted to secure financing in order to purchase the T.W. Samuels & Son Distillery outright, but came away empty handed. Even though he had no distillery, Bill, Sr. decided to work on a new recipe. He had always thought their family recipe was too harsh. He wanted a smoother, sweeter bourbon. Help came two ways. First, Bill, Sr. sought out assistance from friends. Friends who just happened to be heavy hitters in the bourbon industry: Pappy Van Winkle (Stitzel-Weller), Hap Motlow (Jack Daniels), Jere Beam (Jim Beam), and Ed Shapira (Heaven Hill) to name a few. Together they helped him to formulate his new recipe. Second, Bill, Sr.'s supportive wife, Margie, put the various mash bills to the test by baking each into a loaf of bread. After sampling the lot, Bill, Sr. settled on a mash bill that replaced the spicier rye grain with soft red winter wheat. He put his new mashbill into production in 1954 when distilling commenced once again at the Burks' Distillery.

Taking a tour at Maker's Mark is time well spent. It's a beautiful bourbon oasis that has been welcoming visitors for over 40+ years. The current Maker's Mark Distillery Tour focuses on history and Maker's method of making bourbon. In the wake of COVID at the time of our visit, access to the distillery proper and the bottling line was unfortunately off limits. This however has changed, and the distillery and bottling are once again a prominent feature. The tour covers much of the campus and just a few buildings where production takes place. Tours continue to fill up very quickly so it's important to plan ahead. Reservations must be made online. No tour tickets are sold onsite. Tours are available 7 days a week (visit makersmark.com to view holiday closures) and currently begin at 10:15 am and then every 15 minutes to half hour. The last tour of the day leaves at 3:30pm. The cost is $22 for adults, $17 for military veterans (with ID), free for active military (with ID), and free for Ambassador for Life members (Must have wooden ID card). Due to COVID restrictions, visitors must be 21 years of age or older to tour the distillery. Those under 21 are allowed in the gift shop. The gift shop hours differ slightly from the tour times. Its hours are Monday-Saturday from 9:30am-5 pm and Sunday from 10:00-5:00pm.

Check-in for all tours begins inside the glassed ceiling rotunda entrance. On the way in, or out, as the case may be, don't miss a walk through the extensive raised bed garden. Even though autumn was in full swing, vegetables and flowers continued to abound. Maker's requests that tour guests arrive 20 minutes before tour time. Any extra time also allows for a peek at the garden or the art and Maker's memorabilia inside the rotunda entrance building. We met our guide, Christopher, inside the entrance. After a quick introduction, the tour commenced and we followed him out the back of the entrance area and down the gently sloping walkway towards the distilling campus.

As you might have already noticed, there's a lot of history to Maker's story. Christopher began our tour with some of this history as we headed to our first stop, the distillery. He pointed out that Margie insisted that for every dollar that went into making the bourbon, one dollar would go towards building and ground restoration. It definitely shows. We reached the distillery and although the view was partially interrupted by 2 oversized red screen-like doors, a look inside revealed the cookers and a glimpse of the column stills. Christopher then described their distilling process, which handy signs out front also help to explain. There were a few interesting facts fairly unique to the distillery. First, Maker's uses a 3 roller mill set which gently crushes the grains instead of a hammermill which pulverizes them. Second, today Maker's property now totals around 850 acres. The distillery deliberately purchased the surrounding land in order to control and protect their entire watershed. Lastly, Maker's Mark propagates their own yeast. While some distilleries continue this practice, even more intriguing, is the fact that their yeast strain originates from their old family distillery, the T.W. Samuels & Son Distillery.

Moving on from the distillery we made our way over to the Label Room. Considered part of bottling, this small space houses two 1934 Chandler & Price dye cutters along with some very large copiers in the back. All labels are printed and cut on site. The dye cutters have been in use from the early days of bottling. Christopher explained how packaging was all Margie's genius, from the unique bottle shape, to the hand-torn label (originally), to the world famous and trademarked red dripping wax seal. It was said that Margie is why you buy the first bottle, and Bill, Sr. is why you buy the second.

From labeling, we headed to our next stop, Warehouse A. This 3 story rickhouse was built in 1885 and has approximately a 4,000 barrel capacity. Like all rickhouses, the aroma of aging bourbon filled the air inside with a nose pleasing sweetness. Christopher relayed that warehousing has changed a bit since the old days. New structures are 7 stories tall with a 60,000 barrel capacity. Maker's currently has 45 warehouses in 3 surrounding counties. Before we left the sugary bouquet behind, Christopher explained that unlike most distilleries, Maker's Mark rotates their barrels in the rickhouse. Barrels are stored on the upper floors first for 3 years then moved to the lower floors for the remainder of their aging. For example, in the 7 story warehouses, barrels that start on the 7th floor move to the 1st floor, while those on the 6th move to the 2nd, and barrels on the 5th floor move to the 3rd. Fourth floor barrels remain in the same position for the entire 6-6 1/2 years that Maker's ages their bourbon.

With a little warehouse education under our belt, our final stop on the walking portion of the tour was the limestone cellar. This cave like building is a recent addition (2016) to the distillery campus. The cellar was specifically built to house the Maker's 46 and Marker's Mark Private Select barrels while they are being wood-finished. Maker's 46 was the creation of Bill Samuels, Jr., son of founders Bill, Sr. and Margie Samuels. After 35 years in the family business, Bill, Jr. wanted to leave a legacy of his own before he retired (2011) as President and CEO. Released in 2010, Maker's 46 was the first brand extension the company had ever done. For more than 50 years, Maker's Mark made just Maker's Mark Bourbon. Maker's 46 has 10 seared virgin French oak staves inserted into a fully aged Maker's barrel. The constant year round temperature in the cellar is 50-52 degrees providing ideal conditions for the nine week wood-finishing process to complete. The cellar's 2,000 barrel capacity keeps the Maker's 46 flowing. Also included in this 14,000 square foot cave like expanse is a tasting room dedicated to the Maker's Mark Private Selection program. The space is beautifully modern yet has an old world feel. The room is designed so customers, through hands on experimentation, can create their very own Maker's wood-finished expression. What a fun way to spend 3 hours of one's life!

Our final stroll with Christopher took us out of the cellar and over to the tour tasting rooms. The Maker's Mark Tour comes with 5 bourbon samples. In order, we tasted the Maker's Mark Bourbon, Maker's 101, Maker's Cask Strength, Maker's 46, and Maker's Private Select. Christopher did an excellent job, leading us through each sample and highlighting its characteristics. The tasting wrapped up in just under 15 minutes and we followed Christopher through the short hallway that cleverly leads directly into the enormous and well stocked gift shop. The hallway however requires special attention. To celebrate Maker's Mark's 60th anniversary, Rob Samuels, son of Bill, Jr. and the current Managing Director of the distillery, had an amazing Dale Chihuly glass display installed in the ceiling of the hallway between the tasting rooms and the gift shop. The Washington state born artist is world famous for his glass blown sculptures. It's definitely a piece to stop and admire. We then said our goodbyes to Christopher inside the gift shop and thanked him for a fantastic tour.

The Maker's Mark gift shop is always teaming with eager shoppers. While the store has all the usual clothing, glassware, and of course bourbon galore, it also offers visitors 21 or older the opportunity to hand dip their own bottle of Maker's Mark Bourbon. Purchase an undipped bottle, don the protective gear, follow the distillery expert's instructions and you can create your own red wax drip. If shopping isn't in your wheelhouse, then exit the gift shop left and head down the sidewalk to Star Hill Provisions. This restaurant and cocktail bar occupies the renovated Distiller's House from the days of the Burks' Distillery. While the restaurant has unfortunately been closed for several months, the cocktail business was in full swing. While seating is currently limited to the great outdoors due to COVID, it's not all bad because the view around the distillery campus is quite pleasing to the eye.

There's only really one tidbit left to cover. How did an old dilapidated Burks' Distillery and a family whose brand name had been sold become known as Maker's Mark? Once again the genius of Margie Samuels was at play. Bill, Sr. had begun distilling before his new bourbon even had its own identity. While Margie was planning the new brand's packaging, she was also settling on a name. As a collector of fine English pewter, Margie was well aware that a pewter whitesmith would leave his mark on his best work. After musing upon the maker's mark in her pewter collection, the idea hit: Maker's Mark. Along with the name also came the familiar circle with a star on the border and the S and the IV inside the circle. This was their maker's mark and can still be found on all Maker's Mark products today.

Whether you're a bourbon nerd or history buff, Maker's Mark Distillery has plenty for either interest. It's been a National Historic Landmark since 1980. Fortunately, Bill, Jr., heeded the stern advice of his father and did not "screw up the whisky." Not only did he not screw it up, he played a pivotal role in forging Maker's Mark into the world wide success it has become. Take the tour, enjoy the scenic historic grounds, have a cocktail, and leave with a little historic perspective, and some damn fine bourbon whisky.

Please note that due to COVID Distillery Hours and Tour/Tasting Availability may vary. Please contact the distillery or check their web page or social media for details before you go.

Days of operation	Sunday 10am-5pm Monday-Saturday 9:30am-5pm
Paved Drive / Lot	Yes
Motorcycle Parking	No separate parking, but lot is very large
-Motorcycle unfriendly features	No
Number of tours per day	The Maker’s Mark Tour 18 daily beginning at 10:15 then every 15 minutes to half hour Last tour begins at 3:30pm 1-20 guests per tour
Length of Tour(s)	1 hour 15 minute
Advanced topic tours?	Yes
Advanced topic tour names	Behind the Bourbon MadeAtMaker’s Cocktail Workshop The Oak Experience
Tours by owners /distillers available?	Yes. The Ambassadors Tour when your barrel is ready.
Number of different types of tours	4
On-Line Tour Reservations Available	Yes. Currently must reserve your tour time online.
Advanced Reservations Recommended/Required	Advanced reservations required
Cost for tour(s) in $	$22 for The Maker’s Mark Tour $55-$220 for advanced topic tours
Tasting Included?	Yes
Number of samples included in tasting	5, but may vary by tour
Tasting Only Option?	Yes, at Star Hill Provisions
Tasting Only Option Cost	$30
High-end tasting option?	N/A
High-end tasting option cost?	N/A
Designated Driver Option	No
Handicapped Accessible?	Yes
Souvenirs included with tour?	No
Gift shop	Yes, and well stocked
On-Site bottle sales?	Yes
On-site food: Restaurant/Cafe/Snacks	Yes, but currently closed. Check website for availability.
On-site Cocktail bar	Yes
On-site event space	Not Currently
Should I visit? (Yes, Perhaps, No)	Most definitely
Unique Features	The distillery has been a National Historic Landmark since 1980. Interesting Samuels family history. Beautiful grounds.
Website	https://www.makersmark.com
Date Visited	October 2021, Update September 2022