Few bottles are as instantly recognizable as the red-wax-dipped Maker’s Mark, and few are as easy to love. This wheated Kentucky straight bourbon is a soft, approachable workhorse, and it earns its spot on our West Seattle back bar by being equally good neat, on a rock, or holding down a cocktail. Friendly, sweet, and dependable; the bourbon that wins people over.
About the Distillery
Maker’s Mark is distilled in Loretto, Kentucky, where the Samuels family launched the brand in the mid-1950s. The distillery is known for its picture-perfect grounds, its hand-dipped red wax seal, and its decision to swap the traditional rye in a bourbon mash for soft red winter wheat, a recipe choice that has defined the brand ever since.
Style & Mash Bill
This is a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon. The mash bill is roughly 70% corn, 16% soft red winter wheat, and 14% malted barley, with the wheat standing in for the rye most bourbons use. That choice softens the spice and pushes gentle, front-of-palate sweetness forward. It is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV), and every bottle is finished with the signature hand-dipped red wax in Loretto.
Tasting Notes
The nose brings rich vanilla, caramel, and honey with soft baked apple and toasted oak. The palate is smooth and mellow, leaning into caramel, vanilla, and a touch of raisin over that wheated softness. The finish is gentle and warm, easy and rounded rather than sharp or hot.
How to Enjoy It at Camp West
We pour Maker’s Mark at $12. It is lovely neat or over a single rock when you want something easygoing. It is also a fantastic cocktail bourbon, its wheated sweetness shines in an Old Fashioned, a Whiskey Sour, or a Manhattan. Tell your bartender how you like it and we will pour accordingly.
FAQ
What does “wheated” mean? Maker’s Mark uses soft red winter wheat instead of rye as its flavoring grain, which makes the bourbon softer and sweeter rather than spicy.
Is Maker’s Mark good for cocktails? Absolutely. Its smooth, sweet profile and approachable 90 proof make it a versatile, reliable cocktail bourbon.
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