Shackleton
Blended Malt | 40% ABV
Score: 5/10
Average. In a good way.
TL;DR
An approachable, easily attainable and flexible blended malt that shows flashes of charm and character.
I’m Starting To Feel Left Out In The Cold
At the time of writing, we are witnessing eye-watering increases to even the most basic of goods and services such as groceries, energy, fuel and public services.
While not in the same dramatic and sudden fashion, whisky has seen a significant jump in pricing over the last decade also. Not always noticeable at the time but with the gift of hindsight, I do sometimes regret not picking up certain bottles at certain prices that, at the time, I felt were extortionate by comparison to similar aged or alternatively bottled peers.
Supermarkets have however always seemingly maintained a Dutch auction when it comes to certain whiskies. A multitude of ‘Morangie, a bushel of Bowmore or a swarm of Singleton. Most of the bottles in question will be no-age-statement expressions from some of the larger distilleries and companies with the occasional curve ball thrown in. There also seems to be a bi or tri-monthly pattern as to when a whisky in said retailers will reduce yet again to the same level as prior. Supermarkets, in the UK at least, will never be the cathedral of the whisky anorak - maybe the place where said person’s introduction and initial expansion started, but never the sole source of whisky exploration once the bug has firmly bitten.
“There are a couple of newer kids on the block that even then have been around for a while, that are starting to provide an alternative to some of the usual suspects.”
They are however, on the whole, a good place to start for many and, as outlined above, when times are getting harder, for many taking a punt on a £20 bottle of Jura Journey starts to not feel like such a bad idea after all. They also remain some of the most competitive places, certainly in the UK, to buy whisky. The ‘big-boys’ such as Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Chivas, Whyte & Mackay etc, all have a solid hold on the wrist of mainstream UK supermarkets. You’ll never be far away from the well-known bottles of Johnnie Walker, Glenlivet, Jack Daniel’s, Jameson etc to the extent where you could be transported from the whisky aisle in your local Tesco, into that of the local Sainsbury’s and you likely wouldn’t realise until the cashier won’t accept your Clubcard.
There are a couple of newer kids on the block that even then have been around for a while, that are starting to provide an alternative to some of the usual suspects. Many from the aforementioned larger companies but still providing alternatives in their own, roundabout way and are now in the supermarket and Amazon discount churn. This includes some single malts, blends as well as the oft-underrated blended malt. Old Pulteney 12 for example is often seen at a reduced price and I’ll happily chug on that until the cows come home.
I don’t always drink my whisky straight and not always out of a nosing glass. Sometimes the heft of a tumbler is a comfort, plus I can usually guarantee that my nose will fit in it. Over the years, I’ve tried many of the weird and wonderful shapes, varieties and fragilities of ‘whisky glass’. However, I always come back to the tumbler. Unassuming and omnipresent, this lump of glass always does what it’s designed to do… hold liquid. A benefit to this is that they also hold other liquids, such as the ginger ale or Coca Cola that I regularly add to whisky in a tumbler of an evening or in the warmer stretches of the year - when they do finally appear. Hell, I’ve even put bottles of whisky in the freezer before now.
“Ginger ale!? Coca Cola!? Freezer! What fresh hell is this? Into the sea with you Logan and begone from mine eyes, you feral brute - and may the crashing waves cleanse you of your sins” I hear you cry. Nay dear friends, do not fret. For this is the field in which I grow my f**ks. Lay thine eyes upon it and thou shall see that it is barren.
I have always been and always will be an advocate of drinking what whisky you want to, and in the way you want to drink it. I don’t always want a whisky to sit and over-analyse, to pick out its faults. Sometimes I just want a whisky. Something that’ll be able to cope with whatever I choose to add to it if required. Which incidentally, sadly cannot be said for the bottle of single malt from a fanatically well-loved Campbeltown distillery that I had to drown in a baptism of Dr Pepper to make it remotely palatable but only with plenty of ice.*
[*We’re gonna need to know more - Ed]
Review
Shackleton Blended Malt, 40% ABV
£35 rrp, widely available for less
Someone else that saw his fair share of ice was iconic Anglo-Irish explorer, Ernest Shackleton.
Some time ago, a New Zealand-based research team made a very exciting discovery of bottles of whisky encased in the ice at Shackleton’s camp in Antarctica from his 1907 expedition. Even more exciting was that some of the bottles were removed and some of said whisky extracted for analysis as the ice had aided its preservation. Assisting with this analysis was industry heavyweight Richard ‘The Nose’ Paterson. For a man who has a penchant for flinging aged grain spirit at walls like a whisky Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, I can imagine there was some initial nervousness in the laboratory when the squeak of mirror-like leather shoes could be heard in the corridor.
The whisky in question was Mackinlay’s Rare Highland Malt. The whisky itself was apparently produced in the late 1890s and at least in part sourced from the Glen Mhor distillery.
Following various scientific testing and analysis, including the use of Mr Paterson’s olfactory canals, Whyte & Mackay, modern day owners of the Mackinlay’s, decided to celebrate by creating their own modern-day replica of this discovery using modern malt whiskies to mimic the characters of the original whisky. Very cool indeed, as was the authentic packing straw packaging, but at the time not everyone could access nor afford the £100+ price tag. This was bearing in mind the similar period mentioned in the opening gambit of this article where whisky was cheap(er) and it was plenty. Once the initial limited-edition whisky was sold out, and after the dust had settled, Whyte & Mackay released a cheaper core range product – Shackleton Blended Malt Whisky. Effectively a way of allowing the masses to try a piece of history.
This 40%, chill filtered and E150 infused dram, is easily discovered in many high street shops as well as online retailers. While the core contents are unknown, it’s quite likely that some of Whyte & Mackay’s own stocks form part of this bottling. The labelling is eye-catching compared to some of its peers, as is the elaborately message-embossed bottle which in more recent batches comes in clear rather than its previously charming and antique-y blue tinged glass.
This was purchased for £18 in my local Co-op. At the time of writing, it’s identically priced at Amazon and Morrisons. While the RRP sits at £35, the fact that this rarely touches the £25 mark on shop shelves shows that this is a mass market product with no presumptions or delusions of grandeur despite its illustrious beginnings.
Nose
Light, but with some depth provided by a golden syrup sweetness. Your atypical vanilla is present and is in this case welcomed. Browned butter and cinnamon sit well alongside ginger, and a slight ozone salty freshness.
Palate
Butterscotch and more of that vanilla eventually make themselves known, but a second or so behind a more exotic and altogether different character that bursts on to the scene. Is that pineapple? Possibly. If it is then it’s the fresher, firmer and more delicate tasting variety compared to its tinned comrades. A pleasant chilli-like warmth carries the sweetness along with earthy and malty notes into a surprisingly long and enjoyable finish.
The Dregs
When I first tried this whisky way-back-when, I was pretty damning of it without any other reason than, quite frankly, snobbery. Quick to judge given its seemingly weakened presentation and use of chill filtering and added colouring, I dismissed this out of hand as a generally inferior product only fit for the unknowing. Like anything, with the passage of time I’ve come to appreciate this for exactly what it is – an unassuming and quite frankly enjoyable blended malt. The fact I’ve so far gone through four bottles of this stuff in recent times is a testament also to the pricing structure and market strategy that W&M have undertaken with this whisky.
Everybody loves a story and how can anyone not be impressed by the circumstances of this whisky’s release? Hopefully many more stories will be made around the bottles of this whisky being consumed by like-minded folk across the globe.
In his own words “I believe it is in our nature to explore. To reach out into the unknown” – Ernst Shackleton
So, with that in mind; maybe we could all do with exploring a little more. Adventures aplenty are still to be had on well-trodden paths that many others have followed before.
Anyway, the mercury is rising yet again, so I’m off to put a bottle of Shackleton in the freezer.
Score: 5/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. LM
Dallas Mhor’s Tasting Notes
This Shackleton bottling is one of my household staples, as a blended malt that undercuts most of the blended whiskies in the shopping aisles at £18. Perfect for easing pouring during the evening or as a palate starter before venturing into more detailed malts.
Nose
Young but tempered nicely, smoked lemon, green apples, a cheap white wine, a wet sponge, and vanilla. Some dampness, new tablet, yeast, and reflux. Almond brittle, olives, mineral water, and pebbles. Delving in again, lime juice, dulled cinnamon and weathered orange.
Palate
Light but retains some body. Again, a touch of youthfulness but not overpowering. Almonds, diluted apple juice, barley drops, bitter lemon on the finish with white pepper and vanilla. Simple, but pleasant.
The Dregs (Dallas)
This release scores big on value because it lacks any grain taint that you experience with many of the major label blends around this price point. The single malts here are young as you’d expect, and yes, there’s no Glen Mhor included in the recipe – you’ll have to fork out for one of the two special editions from a couple of years ago, but there is quality blending on display and the bottle itself oozes quality. And it’s just £18 after all, when on special, which it seems to be endlessly.
The background to this whisky and Shackleton is a great tale and I could wax lyrical about Glen Mhor and all its wonder. Instead, to save regulars from boredom you can check out my ongoing research project. However, it does make me smile that there’s a bottle, generally available, that taps into the legacy of the distillery in a roundabout way. The original Shackleton bottles when discovered and sampled, have surprised the experts and scientists with the quality of the whisky produced in the 1890s. That’s a testament to John Birnie who is one of the great overlooked names of Scotch Whisky.
The biggest compliment I can pay this release (other than inflating the score which is a tactic I’ll leave to the influencers and consultants) is that I’m out of it once again. For all the magical ages, vintages and illustrious names I’m fortunate to pour now, there is always a place for this good value Shackelton edition.
Dallas’ score: 6/10 DM
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