Mackinlay's Shackleton Whisky The Journey
47.3% ABV - Blended, Scotland
Nose: Green fruits, baked apple, grape flavouring (think juice boxes) with slight rose florals. It’s a bit underwhelming, although I didn’t have much of an idea what to expect. There is a bit of astringency (heat), and some melon or pear that came later or with water.
Taste: On to a different experience! Black cherry, ripe plum, spices, and other red fruits - enough to make you wonder if there is more than ex-Sherry involved. Surprisingly a bit of charcoal smoke, and then moving into the finish with black tea.
Finish: As "discovered" on the taste, this whisky ends with a sherried character, spices, dark red fruits, with candied fruits (sweetness) and then a lasting green fruit tart. This is my favourite part of the experience.
If you are looking for a whisky with a story - this is it! There are plenty of resources that go into more detail, but the short story is that in 1907 Sir Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to Antarctica carrying cases of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt. The purpose to get to the South Pole. However, they did not make it and turned back – and some of the whisky was left behind. Fast forward to 2011, the cache had been discovered decades later, and a bottle of this whisky was brought back for testing! Using the results of this analysis, the infamous Richard Paterson helped to recreate the blend using what was available in modern times.
I may as well have tasted this blind because I had little to no preconceived notion of what this whisky would taste like. Okay, I knew that Richard Paterson was involved in the blending process to make this - and that made me figure there is likely some Dalmore or Jura inside. (If we step back, Whyte & Mackay also have the Claymore, Fettercairn, John Barr, and Tamnavulin brands. High chance there are the likes of one or more of those, but I also recognize that it’s possible other single malts are present.)
I brought this bottle along for a (mostly) annual backcountry hiking trip that I do with some of my best friends. This year we chose to tackle the Cape Scott Trail at the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. It’s a very beautiful trek that takes you from coastal forest through meadows and eventually right the beach itself! (Highly recommend to check out photos others have posted.) We logged the better part of about 52km over four days, and The Journey was open and shared each evening while we rested our tired legs. Suffice to say, all I brought back was the empty bottle! It will serve as a token of our journey… until I recycle it.
Details: Promotional video (YouTube) describes the whisky having Glen Mhor and Dalmore in the blend with others from "Speyside and beyond", and whiskies ranging from 8 to 30 years old.
Tasted 13 July 2019. (Posted 17 July 2019.)
