Maker’s Mark Begins 2026 Bold & Straight from the Barrel: Premiering A New Premium Look for Maker’s Mark Cask Strength

LORETTO, Ky., January 21, 2026 – Maker’s Mark®, the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon, today announced a new look for its Cask Strength expression, featuring a premium glass bottle and label with its precise age statement.

Blended and bottled straight from the barrel, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is considered the truest expression of Maker’s Mark’s distillation and aging process, and it is the starting point for all the brand’s innovations, including Maker’s Mark 46, Cellar Aged and Wood Finishing Series releases.

Aged to taste not time, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is bottled in small batches when the barrels reach a perfect balance of flavor, so each batch and corresponding bottle varies slightly in proof and age – between 7 and 8 years and between 107 and 114 proof – reflecting a lower entry proof than most in the category and offering a surprisingly smooth and approachable whisky.

“In many ways, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is where it all begins for us – straight from the barrel with the inviting warmth and velvety mouthfeel Maker’s Mark is known for, only amplified with notes of dark cherry, toasted oak, salted caramel, plenty of warm vanilla, and a harmonious finish of dark chocolate and soft spices,” said Dr. Blake Layfield, Master Distiller, Maker’s Mark.

“We’re thrilled to showcase Cask Strength in a new premium glass bottle, and adding the age statement underscores that our spirit is precisely aged to taste and  meticulously blended, while also delivering the transparency and batch specific details bourbon lovers are looking for,” he concluded.

The newly redesigned Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is already arriving on shelves and will continue to rollout through 2026. At an ABV between 53.5% and 57%, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is available at U.S. retailers for a suggested MSRP of $49.99.

For more information, please visit makersmark.com.

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.

The Bruichladdich Octomore 12 Year Old 2012 is an exceptionally rare and powerful Islay single malt Scotch whisky, drawn from a single 2nd fill Rivesaltes wine cask and bottled exclusively for the United Kingdom market. Distilled in 2012 at Bruichladdich Distillery and peated to an immense 156ppm, this remarkable Octomore expression was bottled at 56.3% ABV, with just 300 bottles released. Long maturation and distinctive wine-cask influence bring unexpected elegance and depth to Octomore’s famously ferocious peat profile.

£464.94 GBP

Nose Explosive peat smoke layered with red berries, smoked citrus, earthy notes, and hints of wine-soaked oak and leather. Palate Intense yet refined, delivering waves of bonfire smoke, dark fruits, charred oak, liquorice, sea salt, and subtle sweetness from the Rivesaltes cask. Finish Long, powerful, and complex, with lingering peat embers, dried fruit sweetness, maritime salinity, and warming spice.

• An incredibly rare single cask Octomore from Bruichladdich Distillery

• Peated to a formidable 156ppm, balanced by extended maturation

• Matured in a 2nd fill Rivesaltes wine cask for added depth and complexity

• Bottled at 56.3% ABV for full flavour impact

• Limited to just 300 bottles, exclusive to the UK market

The Bruichladdich Octomore 12 Year Old 2012 Single Cask is a thrilling showcase of how extreme peat, careful cask selection, and time can combine to create a whisky of astonishing power and sophistication. A must-have for Octomore collectors and lovers of bold, uncompromising Islay single malts.

Gifts For Your Valentine

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, have you thought about what to gift your loved one yet? For the whisky lover in your life, a bottle from the Cotswolds Distillery is a thoughtful way to mark the occasion – rich in flavour, beautifully crafted, and chosen with care. A gift to enjoy together, long after the day itself.

SHOP HERE

Wilderness Trail 5 Year 10 Month K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #767560 Cask Strength High-Rye Bourbon Whiskey

(750ml)

$69.99

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Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

ralfy review 1114 – Lindores Friar Jon Cor Chapter Three @60.2%vol:

Jura 12

Know your loved one enjoys whisky, but not sure what to gift them for Valentine’s Day? Jura 12 Year Old – the UK’s number one ^[1], award-winning Single Malt ^[2] – makes finding your perfect match easy.

Each bottle features Jura’s pioneering taste scale, designed to take the guesswork out of gifting by clearly showing the strength of its three key flavours (rated from 0–6): ripe peach (4), bright citrus (3) and lightly toasted walnut (3). It’s a whisky designed to help you discover what you love – before you’ve even cracked open the bottle.

Crafted since 1810 at Jura’s beachside distillery, it’s a dram made for slowing down and enjoying unhurried moments with loved ones.

However you toast your nearest and dearest this Valentine’s Day,  Jura 12 Year Old fits the bill – enjoy it neat, or in a Jura Scottish Island Iced Tea:

• Add 40ml Jura 12 Year Old, 50ml peach tea, 15ml lemon juice and 10ml sugar syrup to a shaker with cubed ice.
• Dry shake, then wet shake, and fine strain into an Old Fashioned glass or Jura tumbler filled with fresh ice.
• Top with ginger ale and garnish with a sprig of thyme and a slice of apricot.

Pick up Jura 12 Year Old from ASDA, Co-op, Morrisons, Tesco and specialist retailers including Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange, RRP £41.

Fettercairn 16 Year Old

For the one who loves to discover something new, Fettercairn 16 Year Old offers a refined escape to brighter, more tropical flavours.

Shaped by over 200 years of whisky-making expertise, Fettercairn’s pioneering copper cooling ring creates an exceptionally smooth Highland Single Malt. Expect vibrant layers of mango, passionfruit, Madagascan vanilla and soft spice, brought together with effortless elegance.

For an evening to remember, why not try the Fettercairn 1824 Martini? Ideal for candlelit dinners or a celebratory toast for two. To make it at home, simply combine:

• 37.5ml Fettercairn 16 Year Old
• 12.5ml kumquat liqueur
• 10ml Fettercairn honey syrup
• 15ml lemon juice
• 4 dashes banana & coffee bitters

Shake briskly with ice, fine strain into a chilled Champagne coupe, then top with Crémant sparkling wine. Garnish with a fresh lemon twist for a final touch of finesse, and serve well chilled in your most elegant glassware.

Fettercairn 16 Year Old is available from a range of retailers, including The Whisky Shop, RRP £87.

[1] Nielsen 2022, by Volume and Value [2] World Whiskies Awards Scotland 2026

CELEBRATING THE BICENTENNIAL YEAR

OF AN ICONIC HIGHLANDS DISTILLERY!

Rooted in the Valley of Forgue near the boundary between the Highland and Speyside regions of Scotland and along the Dronach Burn, The Glendronach was founded by a partnership of local farmers headed by James Allardice in 1826 as one of the country’s first licensed distilleries. Allardice was an early pioneer in the use of fine sherry cask maturation to impart richness, complexity and intensity in its whiskies Over the last 200 years, while The Glendronach’s ownership has changed several times, that sherry-rich character continues to distinguish its offerings. Today, as part of the Brown-Forman portfolio and under the skilled guidance of Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie, the company crafts a broad portfolio of offerings that harmoniously marry robust Highland spirit with a combination of Spanish Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks to create the complex depth and flavor for which The Glendronach is so well known. In honor of this being its bicentennial year, we are delighted to cast our spotlight on our current collection of releases from this iconic distillery.

Cheers!

SHOP GLENDRONACH

Little Book “Edition II: The Infinite” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $219.99 View

Josh Gelfand ~ Seeing an official release of an “infinity bottle” is still a fairly new concept in the bourbon world. The practice, much like a personal solera, involves a never-ending bottle or barrel that is partially emptied and then topped back up with new whiskey. The spirit is constantly evolving while always retaining some portion of the original liquid. Pour some out, top it off, lather, rinse, repeat. I have one at home, I started one at a former bar I lead that is still going strong eight or nine years later, and I encourage any whisk(e)y fan to try it as a fun experiment and a living ledger of your liquid legacy. Here we have the second edition of the legendary Noe family’s take on the concept. This blend brings together some of grandfather Booker’s bourbon, some of father Fred’s, and some of current master distiller Freddie’s. The combination differs from the first edition and offers a tasting of both the Noe family’s lineage and the history of the Jim Beam company in a single, stellar bottle. Blending young and mature whiskies can be tricky. Older liquid can overwhelm with woody tannins, while younger, brighter spirit can overpower the more rounded notes of age. This one comes together beautifully. It is deep, robust, and far spicier than expected, especially considering Booker’s typically high-corn mashbill. Cinnamon leads the nose, followed by dense wet oak, burnt caramel, stewed peaches, and a potpourri-like bouquet. On the palate, it moves gracefully between sweet and dry, opening with rich blackstrap molasses and dried plum before shifting into weathered mahogany and leather. The finish brings black cherry compote and dense barrel char, with baking spices weaving from start to finish. A small splash of water unlocks fresh roasted peanuts and blackberry jam, along with softer spices and a note of toasted pumpernickel, a welcome settling of the 120.4 proof. Overall, this is a dense, spicy, and complex bourbon that celebrates the infinite legacy of three generations from one of Kentucky’s most important bourbon families. 

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Edinburgh’s Whisky History by Iain Russell (Part 2)

The inimitable Iain Russell discusses Edinburgh’s Whisky History, this time chronicling the Blenders, Brokers, Brands and Bars. See how many of the names you know and catch up with Part 1 here (on distilling) if you missed it.

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Welcome this week’s episode of the show which is goverend by the random nature of chaos theory! Which is a bit of a fancy way of saying that it’s a random selection! The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 622 – A Philosophical Episode of the Show.! Filmed in The Study Nottingham 

Featuring

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Inchgower 2016 (5 year old) 47.5% Carn Mor

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Arran 2011 (5 year old) 57.3% A.D. Rattray

Thompson Brothers Balmenach 2013 (10 year old) ‘Sherry Train’ 48.5% Thomson Brothers Distilling

Chorlton Whisky Glen Ord 8 year old 58.6% Chorlton Whisky 

Woodrow’s of Edinburgh Warehouse Reserve Deanston 2008 (16 year old) 49.8% Woodrow’s of Edinburgh

Douglas Laing Provenance Bowmore 2015 (8 year old) 46% Douglas Laing

Disclaimer The views, thoughts, or opinions expressed during this episode are solely those of the individual involved (me) and do not represent those of my employer. Music Krepuskule – Betrayal  Filmed & Edited by Chris Goodrum