Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 is the first release in the Kentucky distillery’s new World Wood Collection, a series sold only in airport duty free. It blends three separately finished whiskies: one with Japanese Mizunara oak staves, one with French oak and one with American white oak. Maker’s Mark says it is the brand’s first whisky finished with Mizunara. It is bottled at 47.5% ABV in a 1-litre bottle with a suggested price of $84.99, and went on sale on 6 October 2026 at Avolta shops in New York JFK, London Heathrow, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, Perth and Bengaluru airports.
Maker’s Mark has spent more than fifteen years showing what a handful of carefully chosen oak staves can do to its wheated whisky. With Maker’s Mark Expedition 01, it has gone looking for wood a very long way from Kentucky.
The release launches the World Wood Collection, a new series built around oak from different parts of the world. The first chapter pulls from three continents: Japanese Mizunara, French oak and the American white oak that Maker’s Mark has always relied on.
There is a catch. You will not find it on a shelf at your local whisky shop. Expedition 01 is a Global Travel Retail exclusive, launched at just five airports.
Key facts at a glance
- Name: Maker’s Mark World Wood Collection Expedition 01
- Producer: Maker’s Mark Distillery, Loretto, Kentucky (Suntory Global Spirits)
- ABV: 47.5% (95 proof)
- Bottle size: 1 litre
- Finish: Japanese Mizunara, French oak and American white oak staves, each finished separately, then blended
- Age statement: None given
- Bottle count: Not disclosed (described as limited edition)
- Price: $84.99 suggested retail
- Availability: Avolta travel retail at JFK, LHR, SAW, PER and BLR from 6 October 2026
What is Maker’s Mark Expedition 01?
Expedition 01 is the opening release of the Maker’s Mark World Wood Collection, a series the distillery describes as a celebration of oak from around the world. It is also, according to Maker’s Mark, the first whisky the brand has ever finished with Japanese Mizunara oak.
The idea is simple to describe and harder to pull off. Maker’s Mark took three batches of whisky and finished each one separately with staves of a different oak species. Only after each batch had picked up the character of its wood were the three blended into a single expression.
That makes Expedition 01 the first Maker’s Mark whisky to combine three oak finishes from three continents in one bottle.
Three oaks, three continents: how the finish works
Maker’s Mark has been using oak staves rather than whole casks to shape flavour since Maker’s Mark 46. Instead of moving the whisky into a second barrel, staves of a chosen wood are placed inside the barrel for a final period of maturation. It gives the blenders precise control over how much influence a particular oak has.
For Expedition 01, each oak was given a specific job. According to Maker’s Mark, the Mizunara brings delicate floral notes and a subtle umami depth. The American white oak supplies sweet vanilla, brightness and a rounded body. The French oak adds warm baking spice, caramel and a longer, more elegant finish.
The distillery has not shared finishing times, toast or char levels, or the proportions of each component in the final blend.
Why Mizunara, and why it matters here
Mizunara (Quercus crispula, sometimes grouped with Quercus mongolica) is the Japanese oak that has become one of the most sought-after woods in whisky. Japanese distillers began coopering casks from it after the Second World War, and it is now closely associated with houses such as Yamazaki and Chichibu.
It is famously awkward to work with. The wood is porous and prone to leaking, its staves need at least three years of drying, and the trees themselves take a very long time to reach usable size. In return, Mizunara has the lowest tannin of any oak commonly used for casks and is prized for aromas often described as sandalwood, coconut and temple incense.
There is a family connection worth noting too. Maker’s Mark is owned by Suntory Global Spirits, the same group behind Yamazaki, the distillery most closely tied to Mizunara in the minds of whisky drinkers. Expedition 01 brings that Japanese wood tradition into a Kentucky house from the same family.
Maker’s Mark is not the first American producer to explore Mizunara. Barrell Craft Spirits, Frank August, Angel’s Envy and Rabbit Hole have all released Mizunara-finished whiskeys in recent years. What sets Expedition 01 apart is that Mizunara is one voice in a three-oak blend rather than the whole story, and that it arrives at a noticeably lower price point than most of those releases.
The official flavour profile
We have not tasted Expedition 01 yet. The notes below are Maker’s Mark’s own description of what each oak contributes. The distillery has not published separate nose, palate and finish notes, so the block below arranges its oak descriptions into that format.
| Japanese Mizunara | American white oak | French oak | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Japan | USA | France |
| Role in the blend | Aromatic lift | Sweetness and body | Spice and length |
| Flavour contribution | Delicate florals, subtle umami | Sweet vanilla, brightness, rounded character | Warm baking spice, caramel richness, lingering finish |
Maker’s Mark Expedition 01: official flavour profile (distillery notes)
Nose: Delicate florals vanilla gentle baking spice
Palate: Sweet vanilla caramel subtle umami depth
Finish: Elegant and lingering warm spice
ABV: 47.5% | Finish:Mizunara, French and American oak staves | Price: $84.99 (1L)
From Maker’s 46 to the World Wood Collection
Maker’s Mark was founded in 1953 by Bill Samuels Sr. and Margie Samuels in Loretto, Kentucky. The family famously burned their 170-year-old recipe and started again with soft red winter wheat in place of rye as the flavouring grain, giving the whisky its soft, sweet and creamy house style. Every bottle is still hand-dipped in the red wax that made the brand recognisable around the world.
Wood has been central to the distillery’s experimentation for years. Maker’s Mark 46 introduced the stave finishing method, followed by the limited Wood Finishing Series and the brand’s Private Selection programme, which lets retailers and bars build their own stave combinations. More recently came the annual Cellar Aged release and, in 2025, Star Hill Farm Whisky, an estate whisky made from grain grown on the distillery’s own land.
Rob Samuels, managing director and eighth-generation whisky maker, frames the new series as a natural extension of that work. In the announcement, he describes oak as one of four natural ingredients alongside water, wheat and time, and positions the World Wood Collection as a way of exploring exceptional oak from around the world while staying true to the distillery’s craft.
The “01” in the name tells you this is the first of several expeditions. We would expect future releases to explore other oak species or regions.
Price and where to buy Maker’s Mark Expedition 01
Expedition 01 has a suggested retail price of $84.99 for a 1-litre bottle, roughly the equivalent of $59.50 for a standard 70cl bottle.
It is sold exclusively through Avolta travel retail outlets, starting 6 October 2026, at five airports:
- New York: John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
- London: Heathrow (LHR)
- Istanbul: Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)
- Perth: Perth Airport (PER)
- Bengaluru: Kempegowda International (BLR)
There is no announced domestic retail release in the US, UK or Europe, and no online sales. For readers in Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, Heathrow is the most practical route. Note that Istanbul’s listed airport is Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side, not the larger Istanbul Airport (IST). Local duty-free pricing in pounds, lira, Australian dollars and rupees may differ from the US suggested price.
Is Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 worth planning a flight around?
No, but it is worth planning a few minutes in duty free around.
At around $60 per 70cl equivalent and a respectable 47.5% ABV, Expedition 01 is one of the more affordable ways to try Mizunara’s influence on an American whisky. Other Mizunara-finished American releases have typically landed well above $100, so the price is genuinely appealing.
The trade-off is that Mizunara here is one component in a blend of three finishes, applied through staves rather than a full Mizunara cask. If you want the full sandalwood-and-incense Mizunara experience, this is not that bottle. If you want to see how a familiar, wheated Maker’s Mark profile changes when three very different oaks each add a layer, it looks like a well-judged and fairly priced experiment.
It is for Maker’s Mark fans, curious travellers passing through one of the five airports, and collectors who want to follow a new series from its first release. It is not for drinkers chasing cask strength power or a single-cask Mizunara showpiece.
If you are flying through Heathrow, JFK, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, Perth or Bengaluru this autumn, keep an eye out for it. We will update this article with our own tasting notes once we get a glass.
Frequently asked questions
What is Maker’s Mark Expedition 01? Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 is the first release in the Maker’s Mark World Wood Collection, a travel retail exclusive series. It blends three separately finished whiskies: one with Japanese Mizunara oak staves, one with French oak and one with American white oak. It is bottled at 47.5% ABV in a 1-litre bottle and launched on 6 October 2026.
Is Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 finished in Mizunara oak? Yes, in part. One of the three components in Expedition 01 was finished with Japanese Mizunara oak staves, which Maker’s Mark says is a first for the brand. The other two components were finished with French oak and American white oak staves, and all three were then blended into one whisky.
How much does Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 cost? The suggested retail price of Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 is $84.99 for a 1-litre bottle, roughly $59.50 per 70cl equivalent. Because it is sold only in airport duty free, the local price at Heathrow, Istanbul, Perth or Bengaluru may differ from the US figure depending on currency and local taxes.
Where can I buy Maker’s Mark Expedition 01? Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 is sold exclusively through Avolta travel retail shops at five airports: New York JFK, London Heathrow, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, Perth and Bengaluru. It went on sale on 6 October 2026, ahead of the holiday season. No domestic shop or online release has been announced in any market.
What does Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 taste like? According to Maker’s Mark, the Mizunara oak adds delicate florals and subtle umami, the American white oak brings sweet vanilla and a rounded body, and the French oak contributes baking spice, caramel and a long, elegant finish. The Daily Whisky has not yet tasted it, so these are distillery notes.
Is Maker’s Mark Expedition 01 a bourbon? Maker’s Mark describes Expedition 01 as a “whisky” throughout its announcement rather than calling it a bourbon. The distillery has not published an age statement, mash bill or legal category for this release. Check the bottle label in duty free if the bourbon designation matters to you. The brand’s core Maker’s Mark is a wheated Kentucky bourbon.
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