I used to hate whiskey, until a friend bought me a hot toddy containing Maker's Mark. So, while I was in the bourbon hub of our country, I decided to visit the distillery, which is located on a beautiful stretch of land with a spring-fed, limestone-filtered lake.

I learned lots of interesting stuff about the distillation process and saw (and smelled) the giant Cyprus fermentation vats, some of which are 100 years old. The distillery also uses stainless steel and my tour guide said it doesn't produce a taste difference. The vats are empty because the plant is on its annual mandatory shut down period, which lasts about a month.

Maker's Mark produces 850,000 barrels of whiskey each year, compared to 10 million at Jim Bean. Its largest consumer demographic this year has been Australia; last year it was most popular in Japan.

I got to watch factory workers hand dip the bottles with the brand's patented dripping red wax.

And a taste test, of course. The paler liquid is called "white dog" and it's what the whiskey looks like before it's been aged for several years in white oak vats — before it may officially qualify as bourbon.

They say it's sharper and more bitter, and they would never put it on the shelves. Maybe I've had too much Italian desert wine, because I still thought it was drinkable, either way!