Maker’s Mark has launched its newest Wood Finishing Series – the City Series – a travel retail-exclusive range designed to capture the character of multiple destinations around the globe for travelling whisky fans.
The Wood Finishing City Series kicks off with two offerings – the New York Edition and the Sydney Edition. These are the first two Maker’s Mark expressions in a series intended to honour the unique taste profiles of cities around the world over coming years.
Maker’s Mark, owned by Beam Suntory, said that to truly experience a city you have to know its insiders. To kick off the series, the brand recruited “aesthetes and tastemakers” who became its city spirit guides.
“With every Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing City Series whisky, there’s an established taste vision and flavour goal in mind to ensure that the bourbon evokes the essence and nuances of the city they live in and love,” the brand company said.
The City Series is described as the culmination of more than a decade of wood-science innovation and expertise, exploring the influence of oak and agriculture on bourbon’s wide-ranging taste profiles.
The Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series celebrates the inherent uniqueness of different wood types, celebrating individuality through flavour, just as each city’s individualised signature whisky now does, the brand said.
New York Edition
The taste vision for the New York Edition was created with the goal of capturing the excitement of a first trip to the city that never sleeps. Flavour experts Erina Yoshida and Justin Ottevanger created a whisky that is “big, bold and complex”, with layers of spice, oak and rich dark chocolate. At 107.8 proof, the limited-edition bourbon has a long finish.
The Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series New York Edition is available through International Shoppes at John F. Kennedy Airport Terminal 1 (RSP US$95).
International Shoppes Co-CEO Scott Halpern said: “International Shoppes is very proud that our JFK Terminal 1 property is home to this one-of-a-kind experience for the customers. The unit was quickly turned into a Maker’s Mark iconic location. As the terminal continues to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, this added terminal experience is reminding customers why NY is such a great place.”
Sydney Edition
With the help of Sydney insiders Sam Egerton and Jordan Toft, this herbaceous expression of Maker’s Mark pays homage to the city’s vibrant people, culture and “dynamic palate”. Meant to be enjoyed outdoors, the 107.3 proof spirit is ripe and fruit-forward.
The Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series Sydney Edition is available from Heinemann at Sydney Airport Terminal 1 (RSP A$140).
The immersive space features designs which pay homage to Sydney, while also offering whisky fans a tasting experience from brand ambassadors.
Heinemann Australia Managing Director George Tsoukalas said, “Heinemann Australia is very proud to have partnered with Beam Suntory on this experiential activation to offer the exclusive Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing City Series Sydney Edition for our American whisk(e)y shoppers.”
Rob Samuels, Chief Distillery Officer at Maker’s Mark and grandson of the founders, said: “It’s incredibly rewarding to bring a taste of our distillery in Loretto, Kentucky to the global travel retail market through the new City Series.
“Just as my grandparents sat down with a taste vision in mind when creating Maker’s Mark, partnering with Erina and Justin in New York and Sam and Jordan in Sydney to create bourbons that embodied their cities resulted in delicious new whiskies that are a true adventure of their own.”
Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail Global Marketing Director Manuel González commented: “With Maker’s Mark, we are excited to announce the new Wood Finishing City Series with the launch of two new whiskies, the New York Edition and the Sydney Edition, available exclusively to global travel retail.
“Travellers will now be able to get their hands on liquids which capture the character of the world’s most iconic cities, while getting a chance to experience the handmade nature that makes Maker’s Mark so special. We remain committed to offering our customers incredible collectible opportunities across our portfolio.”
