He Says, Maker's Hits the Mark

On Saturday, we met our friend Nate outside Frankford, KY and headed to Buffalo Trace Distillery. Hitting the distilleries was really something I was dragging Courtney to, and Buffalo Trace got us off to a slow start. Really slow.

Our tour guide, Don, was a self-proclaimed scotch drinker who ambled and rambled and the 45 minute tour took at least a half hour longer than that. In fact, Donnie was so boring I stepped outside to call Woodford Reserve to make sure they would still be open when we finished. (That’s really part of the difficulty. You can’t do the Bourbon Trail over a weekend because the distilleries are not open on Sunday—some are but do not offer tastings or dippings.) So here we are, approaching 4:00 pm on Saturday and Donnie Longwind still has made no move to the tasting room.

After a disappointing tasting, we rushed over to Woodford Reserve where we had just missed the last tour of the day but were still in time to sample their fantastic signature bourbon. The distillery is located in a beautiful wooded area and the grounds are immaculate. Our spirits were buoyed—get it, “spirits”—and we even stopped at a few wineries before finding a campground and calling it a night.

Today, after waking up in Clarksville, IN (just across the river from Louisville, KY) to find our car had been broken into, calling the police, waiting for the police, calling the insurance company, calling the glass repair companies, waiting for the police, talking to the hotel—no one there seemed the least bit interested, by the way—and taking the car to two different shops, we were on our way in Nate’s car to Maker’s Mark in Loretto, KY. Loretto, is quite a haul from Louisville and the Maker’s Mark Distillery is way out there.

It is definitely worth the trip. I must confess that I am a Maker’s Mark drinker so this may seem a little biased, but the tour was fantastic. Our guide was witty and knowledgeable and most importantly, he kept the tour moving. We heard about the history of the land, the varying qualifications for bourbon, the Samuels family history, and the importance of Kentucky to producing quality bourbon. We got to see all of the steps in the process, learn about the “angel’s share,” and sample Maker’s Mark straight from the still and then straight from the bottle. Even better, we had the opportunity to buy bottles and hand-dip them into the signature red wax that tops every bottle. I have done few things that have been more satisfying than dipping my own bottle and having it look right (I’ll try to get out more.).

Next time you find yourself caught between Louisville and Lexington, KY with nothing to do stop in and visit one of the many bourbon distilleries in the area. Next time you find yourself caught between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains, make sure you make your way to the Mark.