Which whiskey brand is famous for its red wax bottle seal?

Maker’s Mark is the whiskey brand famous for its distinctive red wax bottle seal. The seal is applied by hand, so individual bottles can show small differences in the wax coating and drip pattern.

The Kentucky bourbon brand was developed by Bill Samuels Sr. and his wife, Marjorie Samuels, at the Burks’ Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. The first Maker’s Mark bourbon was produced in the 1950s, and the brand became known for a rounded bottle, cream-coloured label and red sealing wax.

Maker’s Mark uses wheat instead of rye as its flavouring grain. That makes it a “wheated bourbon,” a category often associated with a softer, less peppery taste than bourbons using rye. Its mash bill is not publicly stated in exact percentages, although the brand identifies corn, wheat and malted barley as ingredients.

The red wax is a brand signature, not a legal requirement for bourbon. Other whiskey producers may use wax or similar closures, but Maker’s Mark’s hand-dipped seal is especially recognizable.