Maker’s Mark Bourbon Distillery

Last Tuesday we and The Mossman’s went to Loretto to visit the Maker’s Mark Bourbon Distillery.  What a fun time we had. Even if you don’t drink the distillery tour is very interesting and well worth it.  The drive brought us down very pretty, narrow and winding country roads. It was only a 27 mile drive from Campbellsville, KY.

All bourbon is whisky, but not all whisky is bourbon. Bourbon whiskey was first made in the central bluegrass region of Bourbon County, Kentucky. Residents had an abundance of corn exceeding their needs. They began converting the excess into whiskey because it didn’t spoil and could be transported more easily than the grain itself. As the distilled spirits were shipped in barrels down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, they were stamped with the county’s name of Bourbon, eventually becoming synonymous with this kind of whiskey.

I always thought I LIKED bourbon, but I found I really don’t like it in a mixed drink…it’s too sweet for me.  But, I do like it straight or “neat” as they say…but, of course, that requires really good bourbon.  Happily, Maker’s Mark is good bourbon….very, very good bourbon. It is called Kentucky Straight Bourbon Homemade Whisky.

The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Here’s a delightful little covered bridge.

The stone work is exquisite here lining the creek bed.

Here’s a small fire department building.

Most of the buildings are painted a flat black with red accents…very fetching and my favorite color combination (well, right after purple and red color combination). The reason for the black paint was to make it as warm as possible in the warehouses where the bourbon is stored in white oak barrels as it helps in the fermentation process.  Also the black paint covers the mold that grows on the wooden buildings caused by the heat and humidity of the area.

The process of making bourbon is long and laborious. If you are interested in what it takes, check out that link. But here are some of the photos I took.

38 foot distillery
Yeast added-fermentation	Double distillers
Only 19 barrels per batch	Barrels hand rolled monthly
Bottles being filled	Supervisor – doing nothing
Getting ready to be dipped	She was experienced.
He was a new “dipper”	Cooling the wax-actually a plastic synthetic now.
Dropping 8 bottles in case	“Maker’s Mark brings the devil out in me” Cute!
Labeling on cartons	Looking back on the line

 

Of course the tour ended in the gift shop (as all factory tours do) but this one also included tasting the product.  Might fine idea, if you ask me.

Maker’s Mark now has a new product called simply “Maker’s 46” – when they were looking for a new product this was the 46th recipe attempted.  It is sooooo smooth!!!

 

So at the end of the tour there is a beautiful bar setting where you got a small sample of each product.

 

Not all of us appreciated the fine qualities of a good bourbon…look at that face!!!

 

 

 

But we all enjoyed the tour.  This was the first distillery on the Bourbon Trail. In the following weeks Jim and I will visit the five others. Unfortunately, this was the only time we are all off work together as The Mossman’s begin working Monday thru Friday and we are off Wednesday thru Friday.

I’ll be buying some Maker’s 46 for Christmas as a special gift to ME!!!!

Remember, you are loved.