Maker’s Mark has recently announced its new master distiller, Blake Layfield, and he’s bringing a variety of education, experience and passion to the position.
Layfield holds a doctorate in food science from North Carolina State University and a general certificate in distilling from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling. He joined Suntory Global Spirits in 2019, and served as the senior director of innovation, blending and quality for Maker’s Mark for two and a half years.
He is also co-chair on the research committee of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association and serves on the board of the James B. Beam Institute at the University of Kentucky.
It’s not every day that one earns their doctorate in food science. Layfield dove into the chemistry, microbiology engineering and sensory sciences behind flavor, creation and more in college, but his interest in food science started as far back as he can remember.
“I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom growing up,” he said. “I’d watch her make everything from sweet tea to pot roast to lasagna, and she was just a really good cook with all the good things that southern cooks use like butter and sugar. It led me to this fascination around why you enjoy certain foods and beverages, and I’ve always been interested in that question of how flavor is formed, how they come together, and how food and beverages create a memorable experience.”
Today Layfield resides in Louisville with his wife and two children. They enjoy taking walks with their dog at Veterans Memorial Park, dining at BoomBozz Pizza as a family, and River House Louisville for date nights.
“We really enjoy Louisville,” he said. “My wife is the PTA president at the school and we’ve really just invested in the community. It’s been fabulous.”
Layfield’s new role as master distiller includes everything from enhancing quality to ensuring environmental sustainability and following the rich heritage Maker’s Mark founders have created.
“I think about it as protecting our past history or culture, as well as leveraging and understanding that history to influence our future,” Layfield said.
Maker’s Mark was recently named by Fast Company as one of the top 100 best workplaces for innovators across the globe, and top five best workplaces for sustainability.
The multigenerational company began with Bill Samuels Sr., the engineer and visionary for what would become Maker’s Mark premium bourbon, in 1953. He wanted to create something warm, approachable and inviting – something customers were proud to share with friends. It was his wife, Margie, who created the famous packaging, from the shape of the bottle to the look of the label and the signature red wax.
The legacy continues with Bill Samuels Jr. and Rob Samuels, and over time the family continued moving forward with innovation, flavors and sustainability on Star Hill Farm’s 1,000-acre property in Loretto, Kentucky.
“For us, everything starts with a taste and vision at Maker’s Mark,” Layfield said. “This has always been a brand that innovates with purpose, so in 1953 Bill Samuels Sr. created his vision for really defined craft and premium bourbon that married substance and style.”
Samuels landed on the perfect combination of red winter wheat, pure limestone water and the perfect yeast strain, and the rest was history. For decades the Maker’s Mark Classic was their well-known product, but in 2010 their portfolio began to expand. Layfield said Bill Samuels Jr. wanted to create his own recipe, Maker’s Mark 46, featuring a caramel and spice flavor with higher proof.
More products were developed, and in the past several years, Maker’s Mark has offered a variety of premium options.
From there, fans of the unique bourbon company saw Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, Maker’s Mark 101, Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, Cellar Aged, and Private Selection, all benefiting from the company’s tried-and-true ways of creating taste, quality and legacy.
“It really set us off on our innovation path and now you see quite a wide variety from the classic 46 to Private Select,” Layfield said. “They all have one thing in common; they start with a flavor vision, and how do we showcase the complexity that exists in our core product in different and unique ways? We’re not a brand that puts a bunch of stuff out, but when we do, we want it to be well-executed and stand the test of time.”
Every drop of Maker’s Mark comes from Star Hill Farm. It’s mashed, fermented, distilled in a barrel and rotated by hand, aged, and then bottled on-site. Every bottle is hand dipped, ensuring quality of preparation and taste with every purchase.
One of Layfield’s responsibilities in his new role is to ensure consistency in the quality of the existing portfolio.
“We are the world’s first and largest B Corp certified bourbon, which upholds our commitment to our community and the environment around us,” Layfield said. “We’re certified in regenerative agriculture where 86% of our grains are certified. You might say, ‘How does that influence innovation?’ Think about bourbon as nature distilled, and it really comprises a few key elements: grain, water and yeast. How you manage those variables creates the huge diversity of products you see on the shelves today.”
The company team cares about its impact on the community, and has committed to creating processes that benefit the environment.
Their environmental work spearheaded by Rob Samuels, Layfield says, sets Maker’s Mark apart.
“We currently have the world’s largest American white oak research repository, and we have a 78-acre natural water sanctuary on the distillery grounds that protects our water soil for generations to come,” Layfield said. “We want to make great whiskey that looks good and tastes good, but we’re also committed to making a positive impact on society and the planet beyond financial gain.”
They’re supporting regenerative agriculture, improving soil health, reducing carbon emissions and using the grain grown on the farm to maximize flavor.
It’s a culture Layfield and others are grateful for. Ideas are welcome, the workplace atmosphere is positive, and employees work alongside the founding family.
“We are still led by the Samuels family and it’s actually one of my favorite parts about working at Maker’s Mark,” Layfield said. “You’ll always have these short-term pressures in order to deliver value to your stakeholders in the market, but having someone that has a real sense of the long-term purpose and a long-term vision for success for the brand, not just from a financial standpoint, but a brand that is iconic – it’s just such an impressive family to work for and a vision we can all really get behind.”