Maker’s Mark Taps Pop Art Powerhouse Ashley Longshore for Limited-Edition Label Celebrating Spirited Women

For the third year, the Maker’s Mark label will benefit leading nonprofit Vital Voices 

LORETTO, Ky., February 10, 2026 – Ahead of Women’s History Month, Maker’s Mark today announced a collaboration with acclaimed artist Ashley Longshore to design a limited-edition label celebrating spirited women and benefitting the leading nonprofit Vital Voices. Beginning today through the end of March, bourbon enthusiasts can visit makersmarkpersonalize.com to personalize a complimentary Maker’s Mark label with the name of an inspirational woman in their lives. Maker’s Mark will donate $1 for every personalized label ordered, up to $50,000, to support the organization’s mission of uplifting female leaders.

“When I make art, I go big, I go joyful and I go full color. Collaborating with Maker’s Mark to celebrate spirited women like the brand’s co-founder Margie Samuels felt like pouring that same energy onto the bottle’s label,” said Ashley Longshore. “This design celebrates women who burst into the world with color and courage — fearless women who think big and command attention wherever they go.” 

Ashley Longshore is a Southern-born, self-taught painter, sculptor and entrepreneur celebrated for changing the game—challenging the traditional art gallery business model by building her own pop art empire. Known for her vibrant maximalism and irreverent sense of humor, Longshore designed a label befitting of Margie Samuels and inspired the brand’s Kentucky homeplace. Bursting with bee-pollinating blooms found across Star Hill Farm, nature is at the heart of the label’s design with nods to the jewels—diamonds, pearls and gems—that have adorned Southern women for generations.

“From the very beginning, my grandmother Margie Samuels set a perfectly unreasonable standard that endures today—every bottle still hand-dipped in red wax, every barrel rotated by hand, and every decision guided by the brand’s higher purpose,” said Rob Samuels, managing director for Maker’s Mark and eighth generation whisky maker. “Ashley Longshore shares that same pioneering and uncompromising spirit. We’re thrilled to bring her art to life on a Maker’s Mark bottle while supporting the meaningful causes championed by Vital Voices.” 

While Maker’s Mark co-founder Bill Samuels, Sr. focused on crafting the highest-quality bourbon, his wife Margie shaped the brand; the bottle’s shape, the label, the signature red wax topper and even the name are all her legacy. One of the first women inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, Margie also championed the distillery’s aesthetic and visitor experience, laying the groundwork for today’s Bourbon Trail. Women continue to lead across Maker’s Mark, from product development and farm operations, to brand marketing and sustainability.

Throughout the year, consumers can create a custom Maker’s Mark gift for anyone with the brand’s personalized label program. Labels are currently available for 750mL bottles, which must be purchased separately, and recipients must be 21+. For additional information about Maker’s Mark, please visit  www.MakersMark.com and share your personalized label at @makersmark on Instagram.

About Maker’s Mark 
Maker’s Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world. In 1953, founders Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr. broke from tradition—burning the family’s 170-year-old recipe to create a bold, balanced bourbon made with soft red winter wheat for signature sweetness and creaminess. From the start, the Samuels went to remarkable lengths to craft uncompromisingly delicious bourbon—a perfectly unreasonable spirit that endures today. Every bottle is still hand-dipped in red wax, every barrel rotated by hand and every decision guided by the brand’s higher purpose.

Staying true to its founders’ vision, Maker’s Mark has expanded its portfolio with award-winning, super-premium expressions, including Maker’s Mark 46, Cask Strength, and Cellar Aged, as well as Private Selection, the brand’s custom barrel program. In 2025, the distillery debuted Star Hill Farm Whisky, its first-ever wheat whisky. Award-winning and the first to earn Estate Whiskey certification, Star Hill Farm Whisky inspired the Maker’s Mark Regenerative Alliance, a bold commitment to advance regenerative farming beyond its business, inviting farms, bars and restaurants to join the movement.

Maker’s Mark is proud to be both B Corp and Regenified Certified – milestones driven by the sustainability leadership at Star Hill Farm, home of the Maker’s Mark Distillery, which strives to be the most endearing, culturally rich and environmentally responsible homeplace in the world.

Learn more at www.makersmark.com.

About Suntory Global Spirits
As a world leader in premium spirits, Suntory Global Spirits inspires the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. Known for its craftsmanship of premium whiskies, including Jim Beam® and Maker’s Mark®; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™; and leading Scotch brands including Laphroaig® and Bowmore®, Suntory Global Spirits also produces leading brands such as Tres Generaciones® and El Tesoro® tequila, Roku™ and Sipsmith® gin, and is a world leader in Ready-To-Drink cocktails, with brands like -196™ (minus one-nine-six) and On The Rocks™ Premium Cocktails.

A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in nearly 30 countries, Suntory Global Spirits is driven by its core values of Growing for Good, Yatte Minahare and Giving Back to Society. The company’s Proof Positive sustainability strategy includes ambitious goals and investments to drive sustainable change and have a positive impact on the planet, consumers and communities. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information, visit www.suntoryglobalspirits.com

We’ve got something new on the shelf – they’re small, but perfectly formed. We’re pleased to introduce two age statement whiskies to our 35cl range. Both the Wolfburn 10 Year Old and Wolfburn 12 Year Old are now available in this convenient, smaller size through our online shop and selected retailers, joining our other standard whiskies already available in 35cl bottles.

Whether you prefer a sherry cask-matured whisky or a touch of smoke, we have you covered. These are permanent additions to our range, sitting proudly alongside the full-size 70cl bottles. At 35cl, they’re more than a miniature, easier on the pocket than a full bottle, and an ideal way to explore our core range – or revisit an old favourite.

The 35cl format is also perfect for travellers with limited luggage space, a thoughtful whisky souvenir, a taster before committing to a 70cl bottle or simply enjoying great whisky without overcommitting. In short: the same award-winning single malt, just a little more approachable.

And while you’re with us, we’d love you to catch up on life at the distillery this winter. Fewer visitors, crackling fires, and some of the most atmospheric tours of the year.

Read our latest blog: Winter Distillery Tours at Wolfburn

As always, thank you for being part of the Wolfburn story – whether you’re tasting for the first time or adding another bottle to the cabinet.

The Wolfburn Team

Icons Of Whisky 2026

Distillery Manager Award

Our Production Director, Alice Pearson, has been awarded Distillery Manager of the Year in the Icons of Whisky category of the World Drinks Awards. Having been with the Cotswolds Distillery for nearly eight years, this award recognises Alice’s outstanding leadership, vision and dedication over that time. At 25, she is also one of the youngest distillers in the UK. Under her guidance, the distillery continues to push boundaries while staying true to our Cotswolds roots – championing quality and innovation in every drop that we make.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ALICE

The Brewer’s Coalition: 4 Hands Madagascar Stout Cask Finish — Available Now

We’ve partnered with 4 Hands Brewing Co. to bring you the latest release in our Brewer’s Coalition series — and just six barrels were selected for this limited-edition offering.

Crafted from 100% malted barley, aged over five years in premium ex-bourbon barrels, then finished in Madagascar Stout casks, this expression delivers bold character and layered depth from start to finish.

🍓 Juicy raspberries and lemon curd cookies on the nose
🍫 Dark chocolate raspberry cake, roasted pecans, and warm gingersnaps on the palate
🔥 A lingering finish of dark cocoa and raspberry cola

With only six barrels produced, quantities are extremely limited. Free shipping on orders over $100.

ORDER NOW

ralfy review 1117 – Isle Of Arran 10yo @50%vol: (Optic Local Barley)

ABD Maestro and Speyside Capital Debut Ultra-Rare 34 Year-Old Single Malt with ‘The Collective’ in India

Superstar Ranveer Singh, co-founder of ABD Maestro, unveils a landmark 60-bottle release priced at £9,100 each

Speyside Capital, the Scotland-based whisky asset manager, has played a pivotal role in a historic ultra-rare independent bottling of a single malt Scotch whisky, in collaboration with ABD Maestro, the super-premium and luxury spirits arm of Allied Blenders & Distillers (ABD), the third largest spirits organisation in India.

The release marks a defining moment in the spirits landscape, blending Scottish heritage with the vibrant, high-growth luxury market of India.

This inaugural limited edition release under ABD Maestro’s new ultra-grand ‘The Collective’ service brings together Scottish whisky heritage and India’s growing appetite for the world’s rarest spirits. It reflects Speyside Capital’s growing role as a trusted partner for international brand owners seeking to create bespoke, ultra-premium Scotch whisky releases for emerging high-growth luxury markets.

Distilled at Macallan Distillery in 1991 and matured for over three decades, this 34-year-old single malt whisky balances delicate florals, soft citrus and malty notes with added depth and sherry-led richness, reflecting both time and careful stewardship.

Limited to just 60 hand-filled decanters, each individually numbered, engraved and manually gold-lettered in Scotland, the release is crafted to appeal to seasoned collectors and enthusiasts, with each bottle accompanied by a personally signed letter from Ranveer Singh, Bollywood superstar and co-founder of ABD Maestro.

‘The Collective’ has been custom-created for ABD Maestro with Speyside Capital acting as brand and project partner, supporting the release through cask sourcing, long-term maturation stewardship, and end-to-end advisory across the structuring and delivery of this ultra-rare bottling.

Paul Kopec, CEO of Speyside Capital, said: “This is a landmark project for Speyside Capital, and we are incredibly proud to support such a prestigious and culturally significant release. It demonstrates how far the Indian luxury market has evolved and the growing appetite for ultra-rare Scotch whisky among sophisticated collectors and investors.

“We see this as a major step forward in Scotch whisky establishing a stronger foothold at the very top end of the Indian premium spirits market. Through years of partnership development and strategic groundwork in the region, Speyside Capital is ideally positioned to support this growth, and we expect India to become a key pillar of our international business in the years ahead.”

India is one of the fastest-growing markets globally for luxury consumption, and the upcoming UK- India FTA is expected to further enhance accessibility and competitiveness at the ultra-high-end of the category.

The Collective Limited Edition 34-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky is priced at a consumer retail price of ₹11 Lakhs or £9100 (700ml) in Mumbai and will be available via Travel Retail and select major Indian cities, with access strictly limited and offered exclusively on a pre-order.

About Speyside Capital

Speyside Capital is a Scotland-based whisky asset management firm specialising in rare Scotch whisky casks, bespoke private client bottlings, and ultra-premium whisky ownership strategies. Working with collectors, family offices, and international partners, the firm provides sourcing, maturation strategy, portfolio management, and global exit solutions across the luxury spirits sector.

Macallan is a registered trademark of The Macallan Distillers Ltd. This release is an independent bottling and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the distillery.

Killowen Distillery is proud to present the fourth chapter in the Sagaland journey, Killowen Barántúil: Imbolc.

While whiskey-making is our craft, Sagaland allows us to tell stories that reach beyond the cask, blending Ireland’s mythological, culinary, and artistic heritage into one immersive experience.

For those following since Part 1, this release continues our collaboration with The Irish Mythology Podcast and FabCow / Fran Leavey, uniting story, sound, and visual art to bring Ireland’s ancient legends to life.

Killowen Distillery is proud to present the fourth chapter in the Sagaland journey, Killowen Barántúil: Imbolc.

While whiskey-making is our craft, Sagaland allows us to tell stories that reach beyond the cask, blending Ireland’s mythological, culinary, and artistic heritage into one immersive experience.

For those following since Part 1, this release continues our collaboration with The Irish Mythology Podcast and FabCow / Fran Leavey, uniting story, sound, and visual art to bring Ireland’s ancient legends to life.

The Whiskey

As our first ever Madeira cask expression, this cask was sampled last month as part of a long-overdue routine quality control. We were delighted to announce there and then that this would be the next Sagaland release. Like Bríd and Imbolc, the subtle rose colour reminds us of the brightness of the coming season.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Incredibly aromatic, with notes of strawberry and stewed apple, layered over a background of burnt toffee.

Palate: Custard, followed immediately by dried plum and milk chocolate.

Finish: Orange peel, fresh cream, and red apple skin.

The Story

Imbolc

Each Sagaland release includes an insert card revealing the next chapter in the myth. Part 4 continues the saga with Imbolc, written by The Irish Mythology Podcast.

Scan the barcode on your insert to listen to the story and experience it as it was meant to be told.

The accompanying artwork by FabCow / Fran Leavey captures the energy, darkness, and beauty of Ireland’s oldest tales with remarkable depth.

For anyone who missed earlier chapters, a few of the leather books and previous insert cards are still available on our website, though in very limited numbers.

Release Details

Release Date: Friday 27th @4pm (GMT – Killowen Time)
Price: £120

Purchase Here

N.B. Link will not be live until 4pm on Friday 27th February

A heartfelt thank you to the Irish Mythology Podcast and FabCow for their creative partnership throughout the Sagaland series – and to all of you who continue to share this journey with us.

Sláinte

The Killowen Distillery Team

Purchase Here

N.B. Link will not be live until 4pm on Friday 27th February

World Whiskies Awards 2026

We’ve got some rather lovely news to share.  The Cotswolds Distillery has been recognised at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, celebrating not only our carefully crafted spirits, but the people behind them too. Each award is a quiet nod to the care, patience and passion that goes into every bottle we make – from the first cut of spirit to the final pour. We hope you’ll raise a glass with us this evening to celebrate!

SHOP HERE

£185

Our Xtra Old Particular range carries only aged and rare Single Cask Scotch Whiskies from some of Scotland’s most acclaimed and celebrated Distilleries, including those that are long-closed. Each one a marvel in its own right, XOP is bottled at Natural Cask Strength, exceptionally old and truly spectacular. Packed with extraordinary flavour, our Exceptional Single Cask Whiskies exemplify our ‘As Natural As It Gets’ Philosophy by serving a rich reward for those looking to savour a dram straight from the cask.

Johnnie Walker Red Label 1985 vs 2025

THE VIDEO REVIEW

Johnnie Walker Red Label, a bottle that has crossed all of our eye lines at some point. 

Today we’ll be comparing a 1985 bottling versus a modern day bottling of the blend. What could the differences be? Are older whiskies actually better? Time to find out.

The expression was first released in 1906 under the name ‘Walker’s Special Old Highland’. The expression ran alongside a whisky with a white label and one with a black label. As the whiskies were commonly referred to by the colour of their labels, Johnnie Walker decided to implement a rebrand. As such, in 1909, ‘Walker’s Special Old Highland’ was renamed ‘Red Label’. The iconic Striding Man logo was introduced in the same year.

Johnnie Walker Red Label has been the top-selling blended scotch whisky in the world since 1945, even during the period between 1977 and 1983 when the expression was absent from the UK domestic market.

This whisky can contain up to 35 separate whiskies from both malt and grain distilleries, as well as the 1985 bottling no doubt containing some Paxarette, while the modern bottling definitely has E150A caramel colouring. Comparing them both side by side is quite interesting purely based on colour. The ’85 is a little lighter, but the closeness in colour is still quite a marvel.