Maker's Mark Bourbon

As I took a breather from a rather hectic week, I went to the cabinet and got out a heavy leaded crystal rocks glass. I put exactly five cubes of ice in it and strolled over to the liquor cabinet. I look for the distinctively red wax dipped neck of Maker’s Mark. I treated myself to a rather generous pour of this Kentucky nectar and thought to myself, this is something that has not been properly introduced to my friends across the pond.

...proper American Whiskey, the first thing you will notice is that true to the American bastardization of the English Language, we spell Whiskey differently than do you. Like the Irish, we refer to it as Whiskey, not Whisky. The American Whiskeys can be split into a few classes; there is Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey and Blended Whiskey.

Tennessee Whiskey is a whiskey that contains at least 51% of one grain; this grain is usually corn ... more

As I took a breather from a rather hectic week, I went to the cabinet and got out a heavy leaded crystal rocks glass. I put exactly five cubes of ice in it and strolled over to the liquor cabinet. I look for the distinctively red wax dipped neck of Maker’s Mark. I treated myself to a rather generous pour of this Kentucky nectar and thought to myself, this is something that has not been properly introduced to my friends across the pond.

For those of you that have never had a proper American Whiskey, the first thing you will notice is that true to the American bastardization of the English Language, we spell Whiskey differently than do you. Like the Irish, we refer to it as Whiskey, not Whisky. The American Whiskeys can be split into a few classes; there is Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey and Blended Whiskey.

Tennessee Whiskey is a whiskey that contains at least 51% of one grain; this grain is usually corn mash, if not it designated otherwise, like rye whiskey. An additional step in the process is the filtering of the whiskey through maple charcoal in large vats after it has been distilled. Examples of these whiskeys are George Dickel and the very popular Jack Daniel’s.

Blended Whiskeys did not exist as a designation until after Prohibition (a terrible time indeed). These whiskeys are very similar to Canadian Whiskies. A Blended Whiskey must contain a minimum of 20 percent straight whiskey. Many blends contain as many as 75 different straight whiskeys and grain neutral spirits. Examples of these whiskeys are Seagram’s 7 and Kessler. These whiskeys are almost always used for mixing, usually with coke or citrus flavored sodas like Seven-Up (e.g. 7&7).

Bourbons, like Maker’s Mark, do not have to necessarily be from Kentucky. For an American Whiskey to be a labeled as bourbon it must be made from a mash that contains between 51% and 79% corn. If the corn content is higher, it must be designated corn whiskey which is better known as moonshine. It must be distilled at 160 proof (80 percent alcohol) or less and must be aged a minimum of two years in new charred oak barrels. No blending is permitted and there can be no additives but water to reduce the proof. In order to be a “Kentucky Bourbon” it must be distilled and aged in Kentucky for one year.

Maker’s Mark is made in Loretto, Kentucky. This quaint little town outside of Louisville is set in the lovely woods of Kentucky on the shores of a ten-acre limestone lake which is the water source for Maker’s Mark. The home of Maker’s Mark is on the site of a gristmill distillery that was built in 1805. This distillery has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is the oldest operation distillery on it’s original site.

Against that quick primer on American Whiskey making, let’s get to the product itself. Marker’s Mark comes in a squat rectangular bottle with a long neck. The bottle itself is clear so that you can see the rich caramel colored liquid inside. The label itself is a plain manila label that states simply Maker’s Mark Whisky. Did you catch that? In a salute to their Scotch roots, they are one of the few American Whiskeys spelled in the Scottish tradition. In 1780, Robert Samuels started the family’s whiskey making tradition by making whiskey for himself and a few friends. You will also note the red wax hand-dipped neck which seals the bottle. This is a salute to the fact that is whiskey is considered handmade. That is that it is made in batch of 1,000 gallons (about 19 barrels) or less at a time.

Once poured, you will immediately recognize that it has a deep caramel color. On the nose you will find rich vanilla from the oak barrels it is aged in. I also find smoke and honey. A sip will bring you a nice sweet caramel taste on the tip of the tongue. The alcohol content is rather high at 80 proof (40% alcohol) so you will also get the warming sensation of the alcohol. I always find smoke, maple and honey in the finish. Noticeably, absent is the normal “bite” that you will get from most whiskeys. I attribute this to the fact that they use wheat instead of rye with their barley to complete the blending process. This is a very mellow whiskey indeed.

If you drink your whiskey neat, it would be best to drink this in a snifter like a cognac. However, most southerners would suggest just a normal rocks glass with two or three fingers poured. Very similar to the way you would drink a good Scotch whisky. It is whiskey for God’s Sake, not some sissy French liqueur. After all, bourbon has been designated the only official American spirit.

I prefer it on the rocks. It cools the whiskey and mellows it even more and it can be quite refreshing on a hot Texas day. The only drawback to this method is that the whiskey does dilute some as you drink it, but it would be criminal to stick the bottle in the freezer as you might do with vodka. Whiskey can be served cold but should never be as cold as vodka.

Another popular way to drink this is called “bourbon and branch”. Branch water is the cool water pulled from streams in the mountains of Kentucky. In most cases people just use non-carbonated mineral water. If you really want to try authentic branch water, cut the end off a pine branch and stick it in a gallon jug with water and let it set for a week. Remove the branch and you are left with branch water. This will add a hint of peat and pine taste to the drink. I suggest just a splash. A side benefit of this is that branch water is rich in Vitamin C and was used in Civil War to help avoid scurvy. And who says drinking is not healthful?

Some people do mix this with coke or tonic, but I would not suggest it. Canadian whiskies and Jack Daniel’s are better for this. Mixing this would be like mixing MacCallan with tonic. I suppose you could, but isn’t that why they make Cutty Sark?

If you are going to mix this drink with something beside water, why not try a classic southern cocktail? I have tried to order this drink in bars and I have only found a few bars that really know how to make this cocktail. It is called an Old Fashioned and is made in the following manner: Get a rocks glass and put a sugar cube on the bottom. Sprinkle a dash or two of Angostura bitters onto the sugar cube. Put an orange slice and a Maraschino cherry on the cube and muddle them all together with a bar spoon. Add three large cubes of ice and pour a double shot of Maker’s Mark over the top. You can add a splash of soda, but I usually skip it. This is quite refreshing during the hot summer months.

You can purchase Maker’s Mark in the US for about $15 for a 750 ml bottle. It is my understanding that is about £20 for a 75cl bottle in the UK. And here I thought the 100% sin tax mark up that we had in the US was exorbitant. For more information see their website at www.makersmark.com.
 

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