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Mackinlay’s Shackleton Scotch whisky: Inspired by polar expedition |
INDIA. Delhi Duty Free has become the latest retailer to stock Mackinlay’s Shackleton Scotch whisky from Whyte & Mackay.
The rare spirit is a replica of the century old whisky found under the ice at Sir Ernest Shackleton’s hut on the Antarctic. Three crates of the spirit were discovered by the Antarctic Heritage Trust 2010.
Wrapped in straw, just as the bottles found under Shackleton’s hut were, Mackinlay’s Shackleton is available in a 70cl size at Delhi Duty Free for US$160. It is kept in a box designed to look similar to the packaging used by museums to ship precious artefacts.
A percentage of sales from every bottle is being donated back to the Antarctic Heritage Trust to help fund conservation projects. Over £250,000 has been raised so far which has been used for the conservation of the Antarctic Hut and to fund a web based education programme about the great explorer.
Delhi Duty Free Services CEO Steve O’Connor said: “Always first to explore and introduce some of the rare and unique malts in the country, we are proud to introduce Shackleton’s Whisky at our duty free shops.
“Understanding the palate of Indian travellers and their affinity for rare malts, we are confident that this whisky will find much fervour with the global Indian travellers, especially with its added historical significance that creates such a fantastic story.”
The story behind the whisky
Affectionately known as “˜Shackleton’s whisky’, the rare spirit is a replica of the century old whisky found under the ice at Sir Ernest Shackleton’s hut on the Antarctic. Created over 100 years ago for Shackleton’s dramatic 1907 Nimrod Expedition, the original bottles were among three crates of Scotch and two of brandy discovered by the Antarctic Heritage Trust 2010.
After a careful excavation and subsequent thawing out of this special whisky, three original bottles were flown back to Scotland to be analysed by Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender Richard Paterson. By drawing a sample with a syringe through the cork Paterson was able to recreate the same nose and taste of the original using slightly different malts.
