Maker’s Mark has unveiled the World Wood Collection, a new Global Travel Retail (GTR)-exclusive series, with its inaugural release, Expedition 01, debuting this month through a partnership with Avolta. The limited-edition bourbon will roll out across five airports worldwide ahead of Holiday 2026, with a wider GTR launch set for February 2027.
Expedition 01 is the first Maker’s Mark whisky to feature three oak finishes sourced across three continents: Japanese Mizunara, French oak and American white oak staves.
Whisky is individually finished in each cask type before being blended into a single expression.
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“Expedition 01 represents the kind of premium, story-driven whisky experience that resonates with today’s global travelers,” said Vanessa Widmann, Managing Director, Global Travel Retail at Suntory Global Spirits.
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Widmann added that the expression “celebrates craftsmanship, exploration and the influence of exceptional oak.”
The release will first be available at New York (JFK), London (LHR), Istanbul (SAW), Perth (PER) and Bengaluru (BLR), at a suggested retail price of $85 (£64.30, ₹8,185) for a 1L bottle at 47.5% ABV.
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READ THE STORYThe launch marks another step in the brand’s strategy to grow in the ultra-premium whisky segment. It builds on the Maker’s Mark Artist Series – City Edition, introduced exclusively for GTR earlier this year.
According to the official notes from the brand, Japanese Mizunara oak contributes delicate floral notes and subtle umami complexity, while American white oak delivers sweet vanilla, brightness and a rounded character. French oak introduces warm baking spice, caramel richness and an elegant finish.
The World Wood Collection extends a wood-finishing philosophy that began with Maker’s Mark 46. The first bourbon in the brand’s wood-finishing series, Maker’s Mark 46 starts with fully matured Maker’s Mark at cask strength, then inserts seared virgin French oak staves into the barrel and finishes it for nine weeks in a limestone cellar.
Rob Samuels, Managing Director and eighth-generation whisky maker, said the brand celebrates bourbon “as an agricultural product.”
“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,” Samuels added.
Maker’s Mark is owned by Suntory Global Spirits. Japanese drinks group Suntory completed its US$16 billion acquisition of Beam Inc in May 2014, creating Beam Suntory , which rebranded as Suntory Global Spirits in May 2024.
The packaging draws on the grain of each oak species. A dedicated in-store activation program will support the launch.
