Shackleton's Whisky: Mackinlay's "Rare Old Highland Malt",
 
Style & Origin
styleScotch Blended (Vatted) Malt Whisky
strength47.3% (94.6 proof)
price$130-230
availabilityavailable
blender Whyte & Mackay
Bar Log
Fri., Jul. 8, 2011bottle #429 added to stock
Fri., Jul. 8, 2011feature presentation of bottle #429 by Jim Leuper
Fri., Nov. 11, 2011bottle #429 killed
Release Notes
A faithful replica of Ernest Shackleton's whisky, which was discovered under the Antarctic explorer's abandoned hut after being buried under the ice for a century. Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt has been painstakingly recreated by Whyte & Mackay's Master Blender Richard Paterson at the original strength of 47.3%. A real collector's item, this whisky has been one of the most interesting whisky stories of the last few years and pre-release anticipation has been huge. We're delighted to report that the recreation of this historic brand is a fantastic success: elegant, yet powerful and incredibly tasty.
The Whisky Exchange
Topic at hand, Shackelton's Replica, also known as Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland malt. I bet you've heard the name Shackelton quite a few times these past few months, and if you haven't than you are indeed living in another galaxy or stranded on some island with no TV, Internet and phone... For the five people out there who have not heard about Shackelton's whisky, here is a quick recap: Last year a case of whisky that was buried for more than 100 years under the arctic was excavated and returned to Scotland. The whisky belonged to the polar explorer Ernst Shackelton and had been buried under snow since his unsuccessful expedition which took place from 1907 to 1909, attempting to reach the southern pole. All in all five cases of the Mackinlay's whisky were dug, and a case of those was flown to W&M HQ in Glasgow by their Indian Billionaire and owner Vijay Mallya, using his private jet. After arriving in Glasgow, Richard Paterson, Master blender extraordinaire for W&M spent weeks in full laboratory conditions analysing the whisky before reporting back to the Antarctic Heritage Trust, then he set on a challenge of his own : To recreate this blend based on his analysis and after having tasted it himself. Sounds like a movie? It certainly can be made into one. I was lucky enought to get a wee sample of the Replica whisky, which i was very excited to be able to sample. The Shackleton replica will cost £100, with 5% from every sale being donated back to the Antarctic Heritage Trust, the New Zealand charity responsible for finding and uncovering the original whisky. If all 50,000 bottles sell out the Trust will receive £250,000.
Connosr.com
3rd Party Tasting Notes
Nose: Quite light, with some apples, toffee, and some smoked leaves, crisp and lovely, also some apricots dipped in rose water.
Palate: Wham! the palate is much smokier, and powerful than the nose suggests. We dive into a wave of smoke mixed with sweeter malt, some dark tea leaves with a smoky twist,which then develops into more fruitier flavours :Big prunes, some dark chocolate and the fruit suggested by the nose.
Finish: Fruit (prunes,apricots) mixed with lingering smoke...
Bottom line: this is splendid stuff, and the profile is much more smoky than i had in mind, a grand surprise. the melange of flavours with the fruits, especially the plums is wonderful. Great job by Richard Paterson. I did not sample the "original' version (Dave, i wish i were you!) but this one is a cracking dram. classy!
Score: 85/100
Connosr.com
Colour - Light honey, straw gold with shimmering highlights.
Nose: Soft, elegant & refined. Delicate aromas of crushed apple, pear and fresh pineapple arouse the senses. The spirit is exciting and vibrant with attractive notes of oak shavings that release hints of buttery vanilla, creamy caramel and nutmeg. A whisper of marmalade, cinnamon and even a tease of smoke, ginger and muscovado sugar completes this spectrum of delight.
Taste: With a generous strength of 47.3% this gives the spirit plenty of impact on the palate but in a mild warming manner. Harmonious and exhilarating. Whispers of gentle bonfire smoke slowly give way to spicy rich toffee, treacle and pecan nuts. These enticing flavours linger lovingly on the palate but are soon combined by a sensual, complex array of creme brulee, orange rind and freshly baked bread. It is a remarkable tapestry of tantalising taste sensations which truly rewards the palate.
Whyte & Mackinlay
Regular Tasting Results
# Taster Date Nose Taste Finish Balance Total
1 Alex Gurevich 8 9 9 8 34
2 Andy Romine 7 8 8 8 31
3 Anthony Lanni 7 8 7 7 29
4 Dan Bunn 7 8 8 7 30
5 David Drell 8 8 7 8 31
6 David Lawson 6 7 8 8 29
7 Doug Seiden 7 7 9 8 31
8 Jason McDade 7 7 6 7 27
9 Jim Leuper 7 9 8 9 33
10 Josh Richards 6 6 6 7 25
11 Kolja Erman 8 8 8 8 32
12 Kyle Milardo 5 6 7 5 23
13 Lorenzo Bambino 3 6 2 4 15
14 Robert Crawford 4 5 4 4 17
15 Stuart Campbell 5 8 7 7 27
Nose: caramel, cork
Taste: smokey, lightly salty, slight oily texture
Finish: cumulative, longish
Balance: well put together!
Alex Gurevich
Nose: sharp + almost smoky (at first) but sweet + delicate after
Taste: really smooth + mellow (?) but complex - like it a lot
Finish: long + pleasant with a wee burn at first, but mellow + tasty right away. Hint of burnt toast + spice
Balance: this sips better + better. Really nice + it opens up beautifully
Andy Romine
Nose: warm, smooth, but not strong enough. What there is smells nice though
Taste: nice, warm and flavorful, some peat and mild sweetness, vanilla I think
Finish: awww... where did it go? It finishes too quickly with a faint remnant that teases the throat. Oh! As the glass is drunk, as it grows on the tongue, it gets better.
Balance: More finish would have been lovely but over all pretty good
Anthony Lanni
Nose: ?
Taste: lovely, satisfying
Finish: nice long and comfortable
Balance: well balanced
Dan Bunn
Nose: sweet, caramelly, a little spice, a little hint of orange
Taste: a bit of unobtrusive smoke, not as sweet as expected. Smoothed out over time
Finish: nice finish, all the pleasantness sticks around
Balance: balanced very nicely
David Drell
Nose: faint oak, bit musty, notes of thawed xenomorph
Taste: bold, bright, burly. With rough edges. Sweet, yet subtle. Kurt Russell sans flame-thrower
Finish: unassuming, yet grows muscular but nimble legs. Or maybe tentacles.
Balance: sprightly and refreshing, with unexpected dimensions. So glad it clawed forth and reached civilization
David Lawson
Nose: pretty, spunky, fruity fun
Taste: bright, clean at first, then more complex on finish
Finish: woodsy, spicy, butterscotchy, very warming, cinnamon, a touch of bitterness lowers it from awesome to excellent
Balance: nice, a good mix of delicacy and subtle power plus it's my style!
Doug Seiden
Nose: somewhat medicinal caramel, confusing - it keeps opening up more with time (in a good way)
Taste: long smooth burn, creamy, effervescent vanilla
Finish: builds with successive tastes - warming my body - this must have been an amazing treat in Antarctica
Balance: well balanced, this is great - I really like it
Jim Leuper
Nose: mellow, mild, boozey
Taste: mild
Finish: smooth
Balance: nice + easy
Josh Richards
Nose: grassy with a bit of smoke, some fermented fruit, vanilla
Taste: strong hit but fades almost instantly to finish even if kept in mouth. Start to build if left alone for a while
Finish: faint cola, watery edges, nice burn deep down in the back
Balance: this one suddenly begins to wake up after 5-10 minutes in the glass
Kolja Erman
Nose: sweet maple, oak, but subtle, breathing brought out a little smokiness in the nose
Taste: sout, tart, not what I was expecting from the nose. Water took away all the flavor
Finish: that tartness rides out. Holds well and builds steady. Water leaves the alcohol build gets rid of the nice tart
Balance: Heaver on the backend
Kyle Milardo
Nose: little alcoholy, sweet maple
Taste: wow! lots of flavor, caramel cream
Finish: burn ruins flavor, leaves one bitter
Balance: wish it had a better finish
Lorenzo Bambino
Nose: mild clove
Taste: (?) a real dram
Finish: long but unremarkable. Wish I had let it stay longer
Balance: rated as a blend and honest wishes, I'm glad I tried
Robert Crawford
Nose: not much in this, very alcoholy, maybe a notion of leather in there
Taste: very strong, tangy flavor that has a spicyness to it. Hint of chocolate at end
Finish: keeps going and going
Balance: lovely setup, each note seems to come and go nicely
Stuart Campbell
The Blender: Whyte & Mackay
Established: 1844
Silent since: False
Address: Dalmore House, 310 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland G2 5RG
→ website
March 2009 saw John Beard, former chief executive of Bacardi Brown Forman, replace Ashwin Malik as chief executive.
In October 2009, Whyte and Mackay Master Blender Richard Paterson announced on his blog site that the 30 year old Whyte and Mackay whisky had been voted the best blended whisky in the world in two different prestigious whisky competitions.
Whyte and Mackay were sponsors of the English football team Leeds United from 2003 to 2006, but their backing did little to save the club from a financial crisis which cost them their place in the Premier League. The brand currently sponsors Edinburgh club Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League, the PDC Premier League Darts and the Force India Formula One racing team (also owned by Dr Vijay Mallya).
In 2009 the company expanded into Social Media setting up Twitter accounts for Whyte and Mackay whisky and Jura Superstition. It also launched an online and offline game comprising of Twitter and GPS updates called the Whyte and Mackay Safari Hunt.
Charles Mackay and James Whyte started a company as whisky merchants and bonded warehousemen in Glasgow in 1882. W&M Special was their first blended whisky and it was successful in the United Kingdom and other English speaking countries around the world (particularly Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States). After World War II they focused on the home market and now sell more than 1 million cases a year.
The company transcends markets including Single Malt and Blended Scotch Whiskies, Liqueurs, and Vodkas. Their brands include the W&M 13/19/22/30/40yr old blends; Dalmore, Isle of Jura, and Fettercairn Single Malts; Glayva liqueur; and Vladivar Vodka.
Whyte & Mackay Ltd is a Scottish company producing alcoholic beverages. It was founded in 1844 and is based in Glasgow, Scotland. Since May 2007 Whyte & Mackay has been owned by United Breweries Group, a large Indian conglomerate.
from Wikipedia
The Owner: Emperador
Established: 1990
Silent since: False
Address:
→ website
Emperador Inc. (EMP) is a holding company which operates an integrated business of manufacturing, bottling and distributing distilled spirits and other alcoholic beverages from the Philippines and Europe.

Through Emperador Distillers, Inc. (EDI), EMP has established its identity in the Philippine alcoholic beverages business with steady growth and production of high quality liquor. EDI is the Philippines’ largest liquor company and the world’s largest brandy producer.

The consolidated product portfolio is comprised of domestic and foreign brands led by Emperador Light, Emperador Deluxe, Andy Player Whisky, Smirnoff Mule, The Bar, The Dalmore and Jura Scotch single malt whiskies, and Fundador.

In 1990, Emperador Brandy was launched as Philippines’ first brandy label. This brandy was produced through a delicate blending and aging process. The result is a brandy of distinctive aroma flavor and consistent mellow quality. One look, one sip and it becomes clear to all that Emperador is a world-class product that is easily affordable.

Through dynamic marketing and by establishing a reputation for product quality, EDI created demand for brandy in the Philippine spirits market. Emperador Brandy has now started to expand its brand footprint outside the Philippines. It holds its position as the world's largest brandy by volume and it is now being distributed in 40 countries across Asia, North America, Africa, Middle East, and Europe.

In 2010, Emperador Light was introduced in response to a growing market for alcoholic beverages with lower alcohol content and targeted the younger alcoholic beverage consumers. In 2014 and 2015, the company acquired Whyte and Mackay, and Bodegas Fundador, respectively. Through Whyte and Mackay Group Limited (WMG or Whyte and Mackay) of United Kingdom, EMP has entered the global Scotch whisky business.

WMG has a rich heritage of a Scottish spirits company, which is the fifth largest Scotch whisky manufacturer in the world, and its products are distributed in over 50 countries. And with EMP’s most recent purchase of the brandy and sherry business from Beam Suntory (Bodegas Fundador, completed in February 2016), EMP has fortified its brandy and sherry business, and has strengthened its overall liquor business.

As a global company, Emperador Inc. is now able to capitalize on its worldwide distribution network catapulting its full range of brandy and whisky products led by Emperador and Fundador brandy as well as single malt whisky The Dalmore and Jura plus Whyte & Mackay and John Barr blended whiskies.
from Emperador
The Owner: Alliance Global Group
Established: 2006
Silent since: False
Address: Quezon City
→ website
Alliance Global Group, Inc., styled on its logo as AllianceGlobal and also known as Alliance Global, Inc. (AGI), is a large holding company with business activities spanning the food and beverage industry (including both production and restaurant operations), gambling, and real estate development.

It is one of the largest companies based in the Philippines, and is controlled by the family of its chairman and CEO Andrew L. Tan. The company headquarters is in the Bagumbayan area of Quezon City in the Manila metropolitan area (the national capital region of the Philippines) on the island of Luzon.

Alliance Global Group is composed of several companies, including:
  • Emperador, Inc. – A beverage production company best known for its Emperador brandy. As of December 2015, Emperador is also the owner of Fundador Pedro Domecq, Spain’s largest and oldest brandy, as well as three other brands, Terry Centenario, Tres Cepas, and Harveys, having acquired them from Beam Suntory. In 2014, Emperador, Inc. purchased the Scottish whisky company Whyte and Mackay from India-based United Spirits Ltd for 430m.
  • The Bar Vodka
  • Megaworld Corporation, the Company's Main Real Estate Arm.
  • Empire East Properties / Megaworld Central Properties
  • Travellers International
  • McDonald's main Franchise in the Philippines.
  • Global Estate Resorts Inc
from Wikipedia