Raise your glass to one of history’s great explorers, with a whisky inspired by the adventures of Sir Ernest Shackleton.
In the circles of Arctic and Antarctic explorers, there is one name that resonates: Sir Ernest Shackleton. Famed for his polar exploits, as well as his epic journey of survival after becoming stuck in pack ice in 1917, Shackleton is known simply as The Boss and his grave on remote South Georgia Island remains a place of pilgrimage for those in search of the “naked soul of man”.
If a sojourn to Antarctica isn’t on the books just yet, you can always toast The Boss in style with a specially blended malt whisky created by Whyte & Mackay – owners of Jura and The Dalmore – in the adventurer’s honour.
In 1907 Ernest Shackleton ordered 25 cases of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky to accompany his expedition to the South Pole. However the explorer never completed his voyage – just 97 miles away from his destination, but faced with certain death if his team continued, he took the decision to turn back for home. Left behind at their base camp at Cape Royds were three crates of Mackinlay’s containing 11 intact bottles, discovered frozen in the ice in 2007, almost a century later.
The original Mackinlay’s was a single malt distilled at Glen Mhor in Inverness, and scientific analysis of the salvaged bottles revealed the whisky to have been matured in American oak sherry casks and bottled at 47.3% ABV. The whisky had a smoky note from the use of Orkney peat to dry the barley.
Shackleton Blended Malt is a no-age-statement blend of Highland malt whiskies inspired by the Antarctic explorer and his love of Mackinlay’s Scotch whisky. The 40% ABV whisky has been created by Whyte & Mackay master blender Richard Paterson, who worked with the Mackinlay’s salvage team to profile Shackleton’s favourite dram. Paterson built upon the original spirit using handpicked Highland malts, allowing them to marry over a long period to create a contemporary and enigmatic blended whisky.
In addition to a great touch of history, proceeds from the sale of the Shackleton whisky will go to the Antarctic Heritage Trust to preserve Shackleton’s Antarctica base camp, as well as to other projects that embody the explorer’s pioneering spirit.
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