Our long-awaited tour for our ambassador barrel matured and we got to go fill and purchase our bottles. Chris, our tour guide, was knowledgeable and kept it interesting. The distillery history is very interesting. Even if you are not a bourbon drinker, the visit is well worth it. I love that I got to dip my bottles in the wax and each came with personalized labels. read more

The grounds are amazing. We did the Whisky Walking Tour. The Gold rush drink was amazing.. Even though it rained all of our tour, We made the best of it. Logan our guide was great and so knowledgeable. The gift shop is expensive, But dipping your own bottle is so worth it. read more

We have toured Makers 3 times counting this trip, and this was the best one we have had! Jeremiah was awesome! We had a couple with us that has never been and the 4 of us had a great time. I'll just say that your tour guide can make or break a tour, and this one was great! Truthfully I have never been a huge Makers Mark fan, but the Private Reserve barrel we tasted was REALLY good, to the point we bought a bottle and my wife dipped it. That is a really neat experience that they do not charge extra for once you buy the bottle. The grounds and distillery are beautiful here and well worth stopping at, though it is way off the beaten path read more

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We sure did enjoy our time here! Makers Mark exceeded my expectations! The grounds are super beautiful the staff was amazing, and super good whisky! Our tour guide Cheyenne by far made our experience steller! We really learned a lot from her and we felt a deeper connection with the distillery during and after leaving the tour. The gift shop staff was really friendly Josh was really nice and helped me dip my own bottle. A shout out to him as well. I thought the prices were more than fair.. We are at Star Hill Provisions. The food, cocktails and service were amazing as well! I had the fried chicken sandwich with fries and my wife had the wedge salad. Also what I got out out of the tour is that they take good care of their employees and land which is important to me. This is a company that has good values which I'll remember in the future. Definitely recommend coming here! PS: as you get closer to the distillery follow the signs Makers Mark posted to the roadways, not so much the GPS, the GPS will lead you down some tight roads. In fact check the Makers Mark Web page to see if they post better directions than GPS. read more

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Our Golden Ticket Tour at Maker's Mark was nothing short of exceptional, and a huge part of that experience was our incredible tour guide, Laura. Without a doubt, she is the best tour guide we have ever had. From the moment the tour began, Laura's personality lit up the entire experience. She struck the perfect balance between being informative and entertaining, sharing the rich history and craftsmanship behind Maker's Mark while keeping everyone fully engaged. Her sense of humor and perfectly timed jokes made the day not only educational but genuinely fun and memorable. You can tell Laura truly loves what she does, and that passion comes through in every part of the tour. She made us feel welcomed, valued, and like we were part of something special. The Golden Ticket Tour is already a unique experience, but Laura elevated it to a whole different level. If you're planning a visit to Maker's Mark, we can't recommend this tour enough--and if you're lucky enough to have Laura as your guide, you're in for an unforgettable day! read more

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There are various aspects of this tour that are beyond bourbon: The beautiful grounds, the art, and being able to dip your own bottle in their iconic red wax. The entire tour focuses on how Mrs. Margie has started bourbon tourism with offering tours and creating a brand. The incorporation of the art pieces, all the way from storage to tasting makes the grounds all the more interesting. This distillery is not in the Frankfort area where you can hit more than one on your way. But it is worth a day trip of its own. Just make sure to plan for the restaurant to close on the earlier side, last seating at 5 pm. read more

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Amazing experience today! We had a great in depth tour behinds the scenes. I signed up to be an Ambassador 7 years ago and my barrel finally matured. Hearing the story of Makers Mark was really interesting and we sampled some bourbon in various stages along the way. We finished up getting to hand dip our bourbon bottles with our names on custom labels. Overall a great experience and I'll be a loyal brand ambassador for life read more

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Whiskey Creek tour was better than the standard tour. Very similar information shared but was able to see more of the campus. More intimate experience as well. Enjoyed tasting samples along the tour rather than at the end. read more

First time ever touring a distillery after living in the area over a decade. I was blown away by the guided tour, our guide was Jackie and she was phenomenal! Truly so in depth, informative, fun and made us all feel so immersed in the area. The property was so beautiful and well tended. The aroma of the fermenting room can be strong for some but they do warn people and ask often if people are doing okay. I will also note there are some stairs but other ways to get around are available such as ramps. I will say I'm no bourbon drinker but the tasting was fun and I learned so much about the process and what it meant to the family. The Original Makers was my favorite though everyone else favored the 46 blend. At the end I had a fun time dipping my own bottle to commemorate the memory. read more

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My friends and I visited Maker's Mark during our recent trip to Kentucky. The distillery is tucked away in the countryside, about an hour's drive from Louisville, but the trip is well worth it. We toured the grounds with a large group, and everything was immaculate. The tour itself was very informative and a great way to learn more about the bourbon-making process. After the tour, we participated in a tasting, which was a fun and educational experience. We then decided to eat at the Star Hill Provisions Café on the grounds. There was no wait, and we were seated right away. We ordered pizza, meat soup, lamb meatballs, and a chicken sandwich--all of which were fresh and delicious. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit to Maker's Mark and would absolutely come back again. read more

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On the third day of my bourbon tour, I made it to Maker's Mark Distillery. This is one that I had really been looking forward to, and it was exceptional. I happened to walk in two minutes before a tour was starting. I didn't have a reservation, but they were able to still get me in. Andrew was our tour guide and he was outstanding. He really seemed energetic and enjoyed giving tours. This was a great history lesson of Maker's Mark along with getting to understand their distilling process, seeing one of many barrel rooms, and watching them hand dip each bottle in that famous red wax. The farm that Marker's Mark is on is nothing short of beautiful. Of course, getting to taste four of their bourbons was a highlight. Andrew did a great job of describing each of our four tastings. The smell, the taste, how it sits on your pallet, how it finishes, etc. Maker's Mark has a great gift shop, and they give you the opportunity to hand dip your own bottle of bourbon, should you choose to buy a one. I only wished I had brought a bigger suitcase. If you find yourself in Loretto, Kentucky or someplace nearby take some time and head over to Maker's Mark. You get to see history, see a famous piece of beautiful art, and taste some great bourbon. One thing I would recommend is that they have more signs directing you to the visitor's center. I did get a little lost. But no big deal as the grounds provided such a spectacular view. read more

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Gorgeous grounds! Well worth the drive from Louisville! The bottle dipping experience made for a wonderful souvenir to take home. We didn't take a tour, but we wandered around the beautiful campus and did a flight tasting. Great experience all around! read more

Maker's Mark Distillery - bottle dipping - Tours Near Me - Loretto, Kentucky

We had a great tour! Cheyenne is an excellent friendly and knowledgeable guide. I felt I learned a lot about the company. The grounds are beautiful and you get to see a lot on the classic tour. You get to taste for samples at the end of the tour and my husband loved dipping his own bottle in the red wax. I'd like that they have a small art collection in the visitor center and the glass exhibit was beautiful. I'd love to Chihulily glass. read more

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Before all the craziness of U of K graduation we had a part of a day to ourselves. I booked a typical tour with MM, though I really wanted to do the big tour experience - they told me they weren't offering it for May . Got there with plenty of time and the grounds were so pretty. Made up with the cat who doesn't like to be pet (I call BS on that). Tour was great and "Cornbread" was super entertaining and knowledgeable. We went to another tour later (BT) which wasn't as good in my opinion. If in the area for sure do it! read more

The cocktail and bar staff were great. The grounds are second to none along with our tour guide Lexi, very knowledgeable and personable. I would definitely recommend taking a trip there, from the bourbon, wheated whisky or cocktails to taking a tour. The ambiance of the whole property is awesome. read more

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Awesome distillery with beautiful grounds! I was there picking up my Ambassador bottles that were ready from my Ambassador barrel. The bar there is wonderful, with lots of Maker's bourbon choices. We ended up buying 4 bottles from my barrel, which we dipped, and two more that we bought resulting from our tasting. I highly recommend going here if you have the chance! We throughly enjoyed our visit! read more

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The whole experience was outstanding. What a beautiful setting! Great tour as well and the whisky was our favorite (great Mint Julep)! read more

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Our second time touring the property and actually the same tour, but it has been three years and this time we had Chad, who was awesome and knowledgeable. An overall great time, beautiful property, and some of my favorite whiskies made to date. Got a bit of history about the family an distillery, visited a number of sites and of course, finished it off with some great whiskey. At the end, we dunk a bottle to take home and headed over to their kitchen, which again was amazing. Food was on point, well priced as was the whiskey and a quaint location. I know the drive is a bit out there, but I promise it is worth trip. read more

Maker's Mark Distillery - Limestone cellar. - Tours Near Me - Loretto, Kentucky

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I'm reviewing strictly the tour, more specifically The Oak Experience tour. If I added the gift shop or whisky in my review unfortunately it'd be down a star or two! Our tour started in the garden, the absolute perfect place to start any tour. It sort of didn't have a lot to do with the whisky but our tour guide, Amber (?) gave us the whole history of why it's there, sustainability factors, research and the environment, she was phenomenal! We then got in an off-road van and off we went into the forest! We learned about the lake, the care of the land around the lake but mostly the wood and what it takes to sustain the much needed oak. Along the way, we had tastings like we've never had, lakeside, in the forest and thieving in the rickhouse! The tour was absolutely amazing and unique, exactly what we needed after doing several while in town. I'm not a fan of the whisky and the gift shop is severely, I mean severely over priced, not just a little but a lot! All the staff we met along the way for the tours were fantastic, friendly and welcoming. The gift shop employees need to take lessons from them on how to treat their customers! Great experience for tours! read more

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Far and away one of the best distillery tours I've been on . . . . and I've been on a few. I do have to say that the one Maker's Mark release i have had before this was not my favorite, but I'm so glad i went on this tour. First off, our tour guide, Chad, was the best. It seems like he started in production, and still keeps a hand in it, before becoming a guide. We saw a lot on the tour, and heard more Maker's Mark history than i can remember. I have a new appreciation for the brand and picked up two bottles that I'm looking forward to opening. I even got to dip the bottles in that famous red wax myself. (dip, turn, turn) Apparently they shut down production to clean in August, so we didn't see much activity . . . . but that just made fore a quieter tour. Finally, there was a temporary Chihuly glass exhibition on the grounds and in some of the buildings while i was there, which was pretty cool. In fact there was a lot or art ar Maker's Mark in general. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this tour. read more

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The quintessential bourbon tasting experience! The grounds are stunning, the tour was informative and enjoyable, the staff were charming and friendly, the gift shop 'experience' was incredible and the on site restaurant was one of the best meals I have had in a long time! read more

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The distillery is tucked away in these beautiful rolling hills (not necessarily the greatest for people who get motion sick, but very much worth it). The staff is all so happy to be there, and with the size of the distillery, you would never believe only 70-80 employees used to do everything until a few years ago. Their restaurant, Star Hill Provisions, is amazing and any time you have to enjoy the cocktails is well worth it. We were lucky enough to do a Friends of Makers Mark tour and learn so much - Chet is so knowledgeable and definitely enjoys his job! Star Hill Farm is amazing - did you know there's an Appalachian breed of sheep that's short haired and delicious? Cause they do! read more

Maker's Mark Distillery - Tours Near Me - Loretto, Kentucky

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Great guides, grounds and tour. One of, if not the best distillery tours. They have a way of explaining and show people how to get the most taste out of their bourbon. Always a great experience. read more

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Gorgeous grounds, knowledgeable tour guides, great whiskey tastings, and a fantastic restaurant. Makers Mark Distillery is one you wont want to miss!! read more

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Fabulous bourbon tour covering a very beautiful campus. There's lots to explore even outside of the tour stops that you can do on your own. There was a fair amount of walking but nothing too crazy. The tasting at the end offered four different bourbons. Don't forget to dip your own bottle in the gift shop! read more

Maker's Mark Distillery - Tours Near Me - Loretto, Kentucky

Tour was great! Well worth the trip to see and explore the area. Tour guide Laura was very enthusiastic and informative. I would recommend going to this one for sure! read more

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Had done the tour a couple times and we arrived kind of mid afternoon and decided to get lunch at the restaurant there . We had the waygu burger mine with cauliflower casserole both were best I've ever had . My wife had waygu burger with fresh cut fries . My son and his wife had had chicken thigh sandwiches with the fresh cut fries the both said very good . All the items they serve are grown on there farms and is super fresh . Service was excellent ! Price $$ read more

Maker's is a classic stop on the bourbon trail! Gorgeous grounds with lots of history. We're bummed we didn't have time to do a full tour but we got to walk around, visit the gift shop, dip our own bottles (highly recommended!!!), and eat at their restaurant. Even if you don't have a lot of time, definitely add this as a stop. We enjoyed our food at the restaurant and got a tasting of some of their limited edition and distillery pick bottles! read more

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We went to see the Chihuly exhibits and arrived in the late afternoon, which is a perfect time to go. You can see them all in the daylight hours and stick around and see them at night and how they change when darkness hits. Staff was all very friendly and accommodating. The evening was reserved for Maker's Mark Ambassadors (which we both are) so it was great to be there when there wasn't a huge crowd (also the ticket prices were much cheaper!) Bonus: we got some neat pours and a welcome cocktail. Only downside was I wish there were more new pieces vs returning pieces from the previous exhibit there in 2017. If they do another Chihuly exhibit, I'll make sure to check before making the long drive as to how many pieces are new and how many are returning. Star Hill Farms restaurant, which I've heard good things about, was closed that evening, so that was disappointing as I've been wanting to try it. But there was a food truck on site. Overall a nice night. read more

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The sight of lambs frolicking on a green lawn greeted us as we entered the campus of the Maker's Mark distillery. Pure pastoral bliss, even if expertly designed and manicured, permeates the scene. (The irony of such a bucolic setting for the production of hard spirits was not lost on me, but I digress.) Whether by artifice or nature or a combination of the two, the setting-- buildings and landscaping alike--is beautiful. (The same cannot be said of MM's various other "facilities" in the region, that look like dystopian/Eastern bloc housing complexes.) All encountered staff were likewise pleasant and obviously well trained. The tour was comprehensive, culminating in a generous tasting. Our guide was personable and knowledgeable, though the KY party girl persona verged on overkill. Typical exit through the gift shop where guests can buy a $50 t-shirt or wax their own bottle of MM bourbon for the price of the bourbon and then some. On the day of our visit, the restaurant was closed for renovation; MM pivoted by selling pre-made sandwiches and salads from the bar. We ate on the adjacent porch overlooking the grounds. My salad was excellent, and the view...see the first paragraph of this review. Did they miss the mark on anything? The tour was a bit rushed. I would prefer a less comprehensive tour for more time to observe the actual workings of the distillery. Signature cocktails for $17 at said bar. That price seems high to me. Besides, day drinking makes me nappy. I passed. The bar also sold loaves of sourdough bread that purportedly used the same yeast used for MM's bourbon. We bought a loaf. It was under proofed and under baked. (See photo). Bad crumb make me grumpy. I wish I had passed. "When I read about the evils of drinking I gave up reading." ~ Henny Youngman. read more

Maker's Mark Distillery - Maker's Mark -- waxing on. - Tours Near Me - Loretto, Kentucky

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Type...our bourbon expert was Chad...stupid autocorrect...now i am just typing to get 85 char... read more

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We didn't eat there, but the staff was wonderful and very helpful to us, even though we didn't arrive until 30 minutes before closing. The place is beautiful! As a fan of all Chiluly glass art fan I was amazed to find this in the middle of no where! It was great! read more

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We stopped in here around Covid times. You had to have a reservation for the tour, so we didn't do that. Instead, we chose to go drink a flight. They brought out full bottles for purchase and set them behind each flight glass. We had a good time sitting out on the covered porch tasting. Then we went in and purchased a bottle representing our trip and those times for us together: Somewhere in 2020. I'd go back here again. It was pretty awesome. read more

Maker's Mark Distillery - Tours Near Me - Loretto, Kentucky

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My experience at Marker's Mark was exceptional! Every aspect of the visitor experience is well thought out and top notch! Restaurant is a must stop as the food is delicious. Had a great day and will definitely be in for a second trip! read more

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My wife and I stopped by the distillery on a whim and scored tickets to the Classic Maker's Mark Tour. We were drawn in because of the Dan Chihuly exhibit and were treated, not only to so some amazing art, delicious spirits, but also an intriguing education on the history of Maker's Mark. We learned so much and had a blast exploring the property, dipping our own bottles in wax and enjoying a beautiful day with excellent bourbon. Ask about the ambassador program. read more

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We got to do our Ambassador tour today. Had Laura as our guide and it was great. Purchased several bottles of our batch and dipped them. Had lunch at the restaurant. All together very nice experience. read more

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We just visited yesterday for our long awaited Ambassador golden ticket tour! Laura was our tour guide and she was nothing short of amazing! Prior to the tour after checking in we tried a cocktail in the bar behind the check in and I'm going to tell you the choices were all delicious sounding, but it was very cold and I had the Hot Dr. Pepper. It is seasonal, but it was absolutely delicious and warming and would be a great introduction to those who aren't sure they like bourbon. The buildings and grounds are beautiful and seeing the process and hearing about what goes into Maker's Mark was so interesting and explains so much. This was our second tour- the last being almost 7 years ago. This one was better than the first and included some fabulous tastings along the way. We of course ended up in the gift shop where we purchased bottles from our Ambassador barrel and dipped them ourselves- my husband purchased several other limited edition bottles he also dipped. I highly recommend joining the ambassador program- it is definitely worth the wait! Ask for Laura as your tour guide. She is a wealth of knowledge and humor and has family ties to Maker's Mark. I would also like to say everyone was pleasant and helpful- including the bus drivers who drove us from the gift shop and dropped us off right by our vehicle. There was snow and ice still on the ground and even though it was thawing and the pathways and parking lot were cleared, the trek from the gift shop with a box full of bottles was not something we wanted to try. Kudos to Maker's Mark and the staff. Cheers! read more

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Our tour was informative and entertaining. Matt, our tour guide,was fantastic. This history was very interesting. Overall it was a great experience. read more

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Incredible journey, bottle dip ,tour was awesome. Thank you to Laura for making it a great day.

Maker's Mark was absolutely the most gorgeous distillery grounds. The Maker's Mark Tour was filled with fun facts and we saw everything from bottling production (with their signature red wax dip) to barreling to exquisite Chihuly art. At $26 per person for the tour was definitely worth it! Our tour guide was knowledgeable and his knowledge of the history of the brand was exceptional. A number of us dipped our own bottles in the wax at the end of the tour and that was a super fun experience I highly recommend. We had lunch onsite at Star Hill Provisions (see my review) and it was delicious! Maker's Mark is a must-stop! read more