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Shackleton Whisky is a brand of whisky distilled and sold by Scottish distillery Whyte & Mackay as part of their Mackinlay whisky label. It is intended to honor explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and was created from a blend carried by Shackleton during his early Antarctic expedition.
On 1 January 1908, Sir Ernest Shackleton departed New Zealand in his ship Nimrod, headed for Antarctica in an attempt to find a route to the South Pole. In similar fashion to other polar expeditions of the day, Shackleton ordered 25 cases of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky, as well as other alcoholic spirits, to help maintain crew morale during the long, arduous journey. Some of these were left behind, along with other supplies that weren't needed for the return journey home, when the team left Antarctica in 1909.
Richard Paterson, the lord master blender at Whyte & Mackay, carefully studied the taste and chemical profile of the preserved whisky and crafted a recipe to create a whisky with a similar flavor. The first two versions of this recipe, released in 2013 and 2017, were branded as "Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malts" and sold for over £100 per bottle.