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Maker's Mark
launches World Wood Collection with
Global Travel Retail exclusive.
Expedition 01 brings together Japanese
Mizunara, French and American oak in the
first Maker’s Mark whisky finished with
three oak types across three continents.
Maker's Mark has
unveiled the World Wood Collection, a
new Global Travel Retail (GTR)-exclusive
series exploring the influence of
exceptional oak from around the world on
its Kentucky bourbon.
The inaugural release, Maker's Mark
World Wood Collection: Expedition 01,
brings together three different oak
finishes from three continents. It is
the first Maker's Mark whisky to combine
Japanese Mizunara, French oak and
American white oak in a single
expression, with each component whisky
finished separately before being
blended.
Expedition 01 makes its global travel
retail debut in October 2026 through a
partnership with Avolta, initially
launching in five international airports
ahead of a wider GTR rollout from
February 2027.
The limited-edition bourbon will first
be available at New York JFK, London
Heathrow, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, Perth
and Bengaluru airports, with a suggested
retail price of $85.
Bottled at 47.5% ABV and presented in a
1-litre format, Expedition 01 is
designed to showcase how different oak
species can influence the flavour and
character of bourbon while retaining the
distinctive Maker's Mark house style.
Japanese Mizunara oak brings delicate
floral character and subtle umami
complexity, while American white oak
contributes sweet vanilla, brightness
and a rounded texture. French oak adds
layers of baking spice and caramel
richness before leading into a long,
refined finish.
The three individually finished
components are brought together by the
Maker's Mark whisky-making team to
create a bourbon intended to balance the
contrasting characteristics of each oak
type.
Vanessa Widmann, Managing Director,
Global Travel Retail at Suntory Global
Spirits, said: "Expedition 01 represents
the kind of premium, story-driven whisky
experience that resonates with today's
global travelers,” she said. “With its
exclusive availability in Global Travel
Retail, distinctive oak-forward story
and premium presentation, it offers
travelers a rare opportunity to discover
a truly unique expression from Maker's
Mark — one that celebrates
craftsmanship, exploration and the
influence of exceptional oak."
Maker's Mark continues its wood
finishing tradition
The World Wood Collection builds on
Maker's Mark's long-standing interest in
the role of oak in bourbon maturation
and wood finishing. That approach was
notably demonstrated with Maker's Mark
46, which used oak staves to introduce
additional layers of flavour while
retaining the character of the original
bourbon.
For Maker's Mark, oak is regarded as an
active ingredient in the whisky-making
process rather than simply the vessel in
which bourbon matures. The brand has
also invested in the management and
long-term stewardship of American white
oak at Star Hill Farm, reflecting its
broader focus on sustainable forestry
and the future of bourbon production.
Rob Samuels, Managing Director and
eighth-generation whisky maker, said:
"At Maker's Mark, we celebrate bourbon
as an agricultural product and the
universe of flavor that can be unlocked
through nature—water, wheat, oak and
time," said Rob Samuels. "That belief
has long guided our commitment to
sustainable forestry and to protecting
the future of American white oak.
Through intentional wood finishing, The
World Wood Collection explores
exceptional oak from around the world to
create a whisky that expands the
boundaries of flavor while staying true
to our craft."
The launch of the Maker's Mark World
Wood Collection follows the introduction
of the Maker's Mark Artist Series – City
Edition, another Global Travel Retail
exclusive launched earlier in 2026, as
the brand continues to expand its
presence in the premium and
ultra-premium whisky sector.
Maker's Mark Expedition 01 Global Travel
Retail release
Initially available exclusively through
Avolta Global Travel Retail outlets
ahead of the 2026 holiday season,
Expedition 01 is presented in premium
packaging inspired by the distinctive
grain and character of the three oak
species used in its creation.
The packaging and in-store activation
have been designed to emphasise the
collection's themes of craftsmanship,
exploration and oak, giving
international travellers an opportunity
to discover the latest development in
Maker's Mark's approach to wood
finishing.
Following its Avolta-first launch at the
five selected airports, Maker's Mark
World Wood Collection: Expedition 01 is
scheduled for a wider Global Travel
Retail rollout beginning in February
2027.
If you have no travel plans in the near
future you will find the current Maker's
Mark whisky range available from specialist online whisky
shops such as
The Whisky Exchange
and
Master of Malt
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