LORETTO, Ky. — Maker’s Mark is taking its Kentucky bourbon on an international flavor expedition with the launch of its World Wood Collection, an airport-exclusive series exploring the influence of oak from around the globe.
The inaugural release, Expedition 01, is the first Maker’s Mark whisky finished with Japanese Mizunara oak staves. It combines whiskies individually finished with Japanese Mizunara, French oak and American white oak before blending them into a single expression.
The limited-edition release launches Oct. 6 at select airport retail locations ahead of the 2026 holiday season. Bottled at 95 proof, or 47.5% alcohol by volume, Expedition 01 comes in a 1-liter bottle with a suggested retail price of $84.99.
For the Loretto distillery, the collection builds on a wood-finishing approach established with Maker’s Mark 46. That expression demonstrated how oak staves could develop additional layers of flavor in bourbon, setting the foundation for further exploration of wood’s influence on the brand’s wheated whisky.
The World Wood Collection extends that philosophy across three continents, bringing different oak characteristics together while maintaining the distillery’s Kentucky roots.
“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, managing director and eighth-generation whisky maker.
“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.”
Each oak contributes a distinct element to Expedition 01’s flavor profile, according to Maker’s Mark. Japanese Mizunara introduces delicate floral notes and subtle umami complexity. American white oak adds sweet vanilla, brightness and rounded character, while French oak contributes warm baking spice, caramel richness and an elegant, lingering finish.
Rather than applying all three finishes to the same whisky, Maker’s Mark individually finishes the whiskies before blending them. The approach brings the separate oak influences together in what the distillery describes as a complex, balanced expression.
The collection also reflects Maker’s Mark’s broader emphasis on oak as an ingredient in whisky production. At Star Hill Farm, the brand has invested in wood-finishing research and the stewardship of American white oak, connecting flavor development with efforts to protect the resources essential to bourbon production.
Expedition 01 will be sold exclusively through Global Travel Retail, giving travelers access to an expression created specifically for that market.
“Expedition 01 represents the kind of premium, story-driven whisky experience that resonates with today’s global travelers,” said Vanessa Widmann, managing director for Global Travel Retail at Suntory Global Spirits.
“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.”
The release’s packaging draws inspiration from the distinctive grain of the oak species used in the finishing process, carrying the collection’s wood-focused theme through to its presentation.
Initial availability begins at Avolta retail outlets in New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Perth Airport and Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.
For bourbon enthusiasts traveling through those airports, Expedition 01 offers a new interpretation of Maker’s Mark: a Kentucky-made whisky shaped by oak influences from Japan, France and the United States.
For more information, visit www.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. Named World’s Best Wheat Whisky 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.
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.
