Mackinlay’s Shackleton whisky

By now you all know the story: explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew took a few cases of Mackinlay’s whisky to the Antartic in the 1900’s. The bottles have recently been recovered from the ice and were then analysed in the Invergordon lab. The whisky turned out to be stable and has been recreated by Richard Paterson, the Master Blender of White & MacKay who now own Mackinlay’s. Even the bottle and the packaging are closely related to the originals. A great story! The N.Y. Times published a good article in case you’re interested in finding out more.

As a vatted malt, the Shackleton Replica contains malt whisky from several distilleries in Speyside, the Highlands and the Islands. The oldest is Glen Mhor distilled in 1983, their final year of distillation.

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland malt whisky ‘Shackleton’s Replica’ (47,3%, White & MacKay 2011, 50.000 btl.)

Nose: nice example of a rather light and slightly dusty Highlands profile, albeit in a modern disguise. Some grassy notes with grains, vanilla and walnuts. Slightly shy fruits (apple and pear). Some buttery notes and leather. Hints of spices, mainly ginger and nutmeg. Earthy / leafy notes in the background. Echoes of the old-style.

Mouth: delicate balance of sweetness (oranges, honey, caramel) and a bitter grassiness, accompanied by mineral notes. Dry and sweet at the same time really. Again some earthy notes with an elegant hint of smoke. Zesty citrus. Ginger.

Finish: medium long and dry, growing more smoky and gingery with a caramel sweetness in the background.

It’s getting difficult to find traces of this Highlands profile (old-style à la Coleburn, Glen Mhor, Millburn, Teaninich) and the end result is quite enjoyable. Of course you’re paying a premium for the packaging and marketing, but at least it’s good whisky. Around € 125.

Score: 85/100