In 2008, while aboard the ship of fellow Kentucky native and OCEARCH founder Chris Fischer, Jefferson's Master Blender Trey Zoeller got a wild idea. As he and Chris watched the whiskey swirl in their glasses, compelled by the constant rock of the waves, they pondered: what might happen to a barrel of bourbon if it were aged at sea? The rest, as they say, is history. The constant movement of the ocean and extreme temperature fluctuations as the OCEARCH traversed the globe completely transformed the whiskey. The result is a hyper-aged, darker, richer and caramelized bourbon with incredible depth and complexity. Since this discovery, Trey has sent hundreds of barrels around the world, with each voyage seeing (on average) over 25 ports, 5 continents, and 2 equator crossings.

This one changed the way we think of bourbon, all because one man changed the way he thought about making it. Bill Samuels, Sr., simply wanted a whisky he would enjoy drinking. Never bitter or sharp, Maker's Mark is made with soft red winter wheat, instead of the usual rye, for a one-of-a-kind, full-flavored bourbon that's easy to drink. To ensure consistency, we rotate every barrel by hand and age our bourbon to taste, not time. Each and every bottle of Maker's is still hand-dipped in our signature red wax at our distillery in Loretto, Ky., just like Bill, Sr., would have wanted.