KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL DAY 2 - MAKER'S MARK

The Maker's Mark distillery is in the middle of nowhere, part of a huge farm.  The GPS took us on roads only 1 1/2 lanes wide with no center line and no shoulders making it a little scary.  Sure glad Joe was driving his truck and I wasn't driving the RV!  

The visitor center had a gorgeous ceiling installation of chihuly glass

Although some of the distillery building's foundation dates to the early 1800's, the brand Maker's Mark is relatively recent - 1953!  The Samuel's family bought the farm and the distillery and while Samuel developed the techniques for mash ingredient recipes, and oak barrel aging for making premium bourbon, his wife, Margie was a marketing genius, coming up with the name and even the iconic red wax seal - perfecting her technique in her chicken fryer!

Beautifully landscaped grounds

Most buildings are black

Copper stills

A small creek running through the property

Can you see the bottle?

We toured the mash bubbling in the huge wooden vats.  The yeasty smell was wonderful, although overly strong at times.

A gorgeous ceiling of chihuly glass in a warehouse

My biggest learning of the day was that the higher the proof, the smoother the taste.  Huh!  I always thought it was the opposite.  There are many bourbons that are not readily available anywhere else, so we bought a couple of bottles of those...

In the gift shop, Jack, Melinda and Joe had the opportunity to hand-dip their purchased bottles of bourbon in the red wax. 

 

After our visit to Maker's Mark, we stopped at the historic Talbott Tavern in Bardstown for lunch.  Melinda and I tried the local dish called Burgoo -- a spicy, hearty stew of chicken, beef, pork and vegetables.  It was delicious.  

On our way out, we stopped for a look at the bar area, and spoke with the manager - this is the most historic part of the Inn where Benjamin Franklin and George Washington once enjoyed a glass of ....um mead?  beer?  And above the back of the bar was Jesse James rifle.  

We returned to the campground and enjoyed happy hour, just as some rain showers subsided.  Melinda brought over a wonderful appetizer tray with boiled fresh kielbasa with horseradish, nuts, cheese and crackers.

A fabulous day.