Founded: 1953 (ESTABLISHED FACT) Location: Loretto, Kentucky, USA Founder: Bill Samuels Sr.
Bill Samuels Sr. purchased the Burks Distillery (dating to 1889) and developed a wheated bourbon recipe, deliberately using red winter wheat instead of rye for a softer, sweeter profile. His wife Margie designed the iconic hand-dipped red wax seal and the name. The distillery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1980. (source: Wikipedia)
Signature style: Wheated bourbon — soft, sweet, creamy, with vanilla, butterscotch, and gentle wheat sweetness. No age statement on the flagship.
Famous expressions: Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Maker’s 46, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength.
Trivia: The Samuels family famously burned the family’s old rye-based bourbon recipe to signal a clean break. — WELL-KNOWN BUT UNVERIFIED (widely told anecdote; sourcing is mostly from the company itself)