Mackinlay's was a brand of Highland whisky in the late 19th and into the 20th century, eventually taken over by Whyte & MacKay and later discontinued. It has recently come to world prominence when a case of this was discovered buried in the ice at Shackleton's hut in Antarctica.

Vijay Mallya, the owner of W&M had some of this flown back to the W&M Headquarters in Glasgow where their master blender Richard Paterson was tasked with reproducing the flavours, style and character of this long-lost whisky.

Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky NAS, 47.3% ABV

Also known as "The Shackleton Replica"

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Dram-atics live review and synopsis of the Antarctica Expeditions

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Pale yellow gold

Nose: Light and fresh with a citrus character reminding me of faint lime and pineapple. It's also slightly farmy with hay and aromatic grasses before more fruit develops after some minutes. It is also very warming at this point with pear, melon and apple alongside the grass and hay.

Palate: Creamy smooth with a delayed bite of fruity pepper. This is followed by slightly bitter star fruit, hay, apricot and crème Brulée with an exceptionally creamy mouth-feel.

Finish: Very long with fruit and pepper.

Overall Impression: A totally unique whisky, unlike any other I have tried. Delightful too.