Jack Daniel’s unveils McLaren-inspired Halo MK1

Brown-Forman-owned Jack Daniel’s has released a limited edition whiskey fitted with custom-engineered McLaren Formula 1 packaging.

Jack Daniel’s Halo MK1 Tennessee Whiskey is part of the brand’s partnership with the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team and is described as the most premium and limited global release in the distillery's history. Its design mirrors the 'halo' shape of a McLaren Formula 1 race car. The bottle features hand-finished cork and custom medallions. Metal, micro-suede and carbon fibre print, which McLaren uses for its Formula 1 cars, also features in the packaging, Louise McEwen, chief marketing officer at McLaren Racing, said, “Jack Daniel’s Halo MK1 is a great expression of what our partnership represents: precision, craftsmanship and a shared respect for heritage. “By drawing inspiration from our racing innovation, and honouring the legacy of Bruce McLaren, this release brings together McLaren’s racing DNA and Jack Daniel’s whiskey-making tradition in a way that feels both authentic and truly collectable.” The liquid comprises Jack Daniel’s signature mash bill of 80% corn, 8% rye, and 12% malted barley. The whiskey was aged in handcrafted new American white oak barrels that Jack Daniel’s said were built from staves aged in the open air for a prolonged period. The whiskey's tasting notes, as described by Jack Daniel’s master distiller Chris Fletcher, include ‘sweet maple, fruit and toasted oak’ on the nose, and ‘sweet caramel, chocolate, pipe tobacco and baking spice’ on the palate. The finish is ‘bold with lingering notes of barrel spice and brown sugar candy’. It was bottled at 58.7% ABV as an homage to the number of McLaren Racing’s founder Bruce McLaren's first race car (#58), an Austin 7 Ulster. The whiskey is available in select global markets in limited quantities for US$599.99. Mark Bacon, global managing director of Jack Daniel's, added: “Halo MK1 Tennessee Whiskey embodies our shared values of innovation, excellence and ambition. “We are thrilled to continue to celebrate many fantastic years of partnership with McLaren with the debut of our most exciting collaboration yet – a remarkable bottle that is destined to become a collector’s item for Formula 1 fans and whiskey drinkers alike.” Over the past month, Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman has been at the centre of a merger tug of war between Sazerac and Pernod Ricard. However, talks with Pernod Ricard ended last week. Net sales for Brown-Forman fell by 2% to US$3 billion for the first nine months of its fiscal 2026 year. Last week, the company named four new distributors across 11 US control states. Jim Peters also joined as chief financial officer.