I reviewed the original Shackleton whisky back in 2011, and really like it, from the amazing story and history, to the lovely blending work done by “The nose” Richard Paterson. And here we are one year or so later, with another Shckleton expression, this time called “The Journey”. I will not trouble you with much history this time, as I am pretty sure you know the story (and i you dont, just click here).
The Journey Edition of Mackinlay’s takes the same base of single malts used to create the original Discovery Edition and, still inspired by the original recipe, builds on them to create a noticeably different dram – a more elegant and refined interpretation (at least this is what the PR says). This second edition of the replica Mackinlay’s was prompted by a request from the Antarctic Heritage Trust(AHT), the charity which found the whisky, to find ways to raise much needed funds for the conservation of the expedition bases on the Antarctic.
Ok enough about that, let’s cut throught he chase and see how good this baby is.
Mackinlay’s “The Journey” edition , 47.3%, £98
Nose: Faint smoke then some fruit : apple and grassy notes. Vanilla, Ginger, and a faint trace of liquorice.
Palate : Pepper on entry then quite a bit of peat. Not heavy peat but more than a little bit for sure. Grapefruit. Wood and quite dry towards the end, quite creamy to.
Finish: Long. Very dry. Peat. Bitter wood. Smoke.
Lovely elegance and a well balanced blend of olden days. Both batches should have a similar taste profile, but i find the first one a bit nicer IMHO. This is a teriffic looking bottle and packaging, and although it’s not the best BFYB, it would making an amazing present for every whisky lover, and the proceeds go to a very noble cause. If you have a nice whisky collection, then this is a fine addition. Not really recommended for beginners, or those who are on a budget and want to get the best value for money.
Official sample provided by W&M
I won’t be buying it to stand next to the first edition on my shelf. I understand why they released a second batch, but they did promise on release of the first one, that they never would release another one of this malt. I bought mine as a possible investment (sell it later and buy more malt, to enjoy, for that money), and I do feel a tad shanked by this move.
Charity or not.
Aye, i agree with you on that. I suggest you just drink yours 😉 it’s good whisky. expensive, yes, but it’s good. 😉
Aye, it is quite good stuff. Did a taste at the danish whisky faire before I bought a bottle. Surprisingly good actually 🙂
Not a disaster either, as I generally never buy whisky, I don’t intend to drink at some point. This one I did plan on keeping, to see how the price would develop. So I’m gonna have to suffer through the entire bottle instead.
The things I do….:)