Production places
Connections to water sources, peat places, maltings, cooperages, warehouses and maturation sites. Uncertain connections are labelled.
No documented production places are linked to this distillery yet.
Maker's Mark Distillery, PBC
About the Distillery
Maker’s Mark lies at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky, and is a family-owned bourbon distillery famous for its hand-dipped red wax. The distillery's identity rests on soft red winter wheat in the mash bill, hand-rotating of barrels, and an aging philosophy that prioritizes flavor over fixed aging years. At the same time, Maker’s Mark blends traditional craftsmanship with a targeted commitment to regenerative agriculture and sustainability.
History
The history of Maker’s Mark is the history of the Samuels family and an active pursuit of a softer bourbon. In 1953 the distillery began production, and Bill Samuels, Sr. experimented extensively to create a whiskey without sharpness. Margie Samuels developed the bottle shape, label, and the red wax, and she played a central role in opening the distillery’s doors to visitors. Later, Bill Samuels, Jr. contributed innovations such as wood-stave finishing, while Rob Samuels, as a leading figure, has placed sustainability and Star Hill Farm at the center. Star Hill Farm has its own spring-fed, limestone-filtered water source and a broad commitment to protecting and regenerating the landscape around the distillery.
Raw Materials and Production
Maker’s Mark bases its production on a mash bill with soft red winter wheat as a central element, combined with corn. The water for production comes from a spring-fed, limestone-filtered lake at Star Hill Farm, and the distillery uses a 60+ year-old heirloom yeast strain in fermentation. Distillation takes place in copper column stills in a double-distillation process, and the company highlights Vendome as the supplier of its copper equipment. After distillation, emphasis is placed on cask craftsmanship: new American white oak barrels seasoned outdoors for nine months plus a Kentucky summer, hand-rotated 525-pound barrels, and an aging strategy that prioritizes 'age to taste' over fixed years. Hand-dipped wax seals and printing labels on a 1935 Chandler & Price press are part of the artisanal craftsmanship visitors can still experience.
Maturation and Barrel Types
Aging takes place primarily in new American white oak barrels, where finishing and a controlled toasting process open the wood's pores and caramelize natural sugars. Coopers season the barrels outdoors to reduce bitter tannins, and the barrels are rotated manually to ensure even exposure in the aging warehouse. Several experiments use finishes with oak staves (up to ten staves in Private Selection) and French oak in editions such as Maker’s Mark 46. The aging buildings are powered partly by solar energy, and a LEED-certified cellar is used for special cellar-aged releases.
Whiskies
The range runs from the core expression Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon to premium and special releases such as Maker’s Mark 46, Cask Strength, 101 Special Proof, and a number of limited series: Wood Finishing Series, Cellar Aged and Private Selection. The distillery also works on special project releases such as Star Hill Farm Whisky, an Estate Whiskey-certified wheat whiskey, and offers distillery-exclusive bottles and wood finish experiments that can only be purchased on-site.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Alcohol | Cask and Style | Flavor profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maker’s Mark® Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Bourbon; Premium Bourbons | 45 % | New American white oak barrels | Core expression from Maker’s Mark; characterized by its use of soft red winter wheat in the mash bill and hand-dipped red wax. | Current; Core range |
| Maker’s Mark® 46 French Oaked Bourbon (Maker’s Mark 46) | Bourbon with wood finish; Premium Bourbons | French oak finishing (finish); finish: French Oaked | A finishing variant in the Maker’s Mark family, known as Maker’s Mark 46 with French oak finishing. | Current; Core range | |
| Maker's Mark Cask Strength | Cask Strength Bourbon; Premium Bourbons | Cask Strength base in new American white oak barrels | Cask Strength edition, often used as the base for distillery-exclusive Private Selection variants. | Current; Core range | |
| Maker’s Mark® 101 Special Proof | Bourbon (Special Proof); Premium Bourbons | Special proof edition in the Maker’s Mark bourbon series. | Current; Core range | ||
| Maker’s Mark® Wood Finishing Series — The Stewards Release | Wood-finished Bourbon (limited); Limited Release Bourbons | Annual, distillery-exclusive release in limited quantities; typically available from September through the end of the year. | Limited; Distillery-exclusive, limited | ||
| Maker’s Mark® Cellar Aged Bourbon | Cellar-aged Bourbon; Limited Release Bourbons | Aged in LEED-certified cellar; finish: Cellar-aged | Cellar-aged edition; the cellar housing Maker’s Mark 46 is LEED-certified. | Limited | |
| Maker’s Mark® Private Selection Bourbon | Cask Strength base finished with oak staves (distillery-exclusive); Distillery Exclusives | Cask Strength base finished with up to ten oak staves; finish: Finish with a combination of up to ten oak staves | Hand-picked, distillery-exclusive variants created by finishing the Cask Strength base with selected oak staves; available only on-site. | Limited; Distillery-exclusive, limited | |
| Star Hill Farm Whisky | American wheat whisky (Estate Whiskey certified); Estate Whiskey / Special Release | 58.2 % | Maker’s Mark’s first American wheat whisky, certified as Estate Whiskey. Annual blend exploring different wheat and regenerative agriculture from Star Hill Farm.; Nose: dark and dense with notes of molasses, fig and delicate spice; Taste: vibrant and complex with notes of tart citrus, ripe pear and shortbread; Finish: long and harmonious with rich sweetness and soft cinnamon | Current; Current / Estate Whiskey certified |
The Style and Flavor of the Whiskies
Common traits in Maker’s Mark whiskies include a forward sweetness from soft red winter wheat, which gives roundness and softness. The oak-aging with new American oak typically adds vanilla and wood notes, and in special releases such as Star Hill Farm Whisky, fruity directions come forward clearly (citrus, pear, fig/molasses). A spicy balance in the form of soft cinnamon or delicate spice is also noted with newer wheat expressions.
Visiting the Distillery
Star Hill Farm in Loretto offers guided tours (Maker’s Mark Tour), tastings, a shop, bar, and the Star Hill Provisions restaurant. The Distillery & Gift Shop are normally open 09:30–17:00; the restaurant 11:30–15:30 and the bar 10:00–16:00. Visitors can view production areas, experience hand-dipping, and participate in special distillery experiences; tours and special activities require booking.
The stated opening hours are Distillery & Gift Shop: 09:30–17:00; Restaurant: 11:30–15:30; Bar: 10:00–16:00.
Philosophy and Craft
Maker’s Mark combines a flavor-driven approach with a strong commitment to sustainability. The company is B Corp-certified, has achieved Regenified™ Tier 3 for Star Hill Farm, and focuses on regenerative agriculture, local sourcing, and circular initiatives such as zero landfill, glass recycling into sand, and the use of solar energy in aging buildings.
Sustainability
B Corp certification (January 2022) with a score of 87.2.
Star Hill Farm is Regenified™ Tier 3 certified.
86% of corn and wheat come from ten selected growers who practice aspects of regenerative agriculture.
Solar-powered aging buildings.
Zero landfill programs: recycling, composting, glass pulverization into sand, reuse of wood for chips and bedding.
White Oak Research Forest project in collaboration with the University of Kentucky.
LEED-certified cellar for Maker’s Mark 46.
Prizes and Recognitions
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WORLD’S BEST WHEAT WHISKY (2026, Winner, Star Hill Farm Whisky)
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DOUBLE GOLD (2025, Double Gold, Star Hill Farm Whisky)