whiskey Archives - Winervana

March 15, 2023November 29, 2025

Proper Whiskey

Proper No. Twelve Irish Apple Whiskey

Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey is a brand founded by Mixed Martial Arts Champion Conor McGregor under his Eire Born Spirits company in September 2018. It has in just under five short years become one of the most successful whiskey brands in the world.

Allegedly, the company’s first production run sold out in just under two weeks due to incredible demand. Tesco stores in Ireland began limiting customers to just two bottles per visit. 213,800 cases were shipped in 2019, a figure which represented a 17.8 per cent increase from the previous year. On Instagram, McGregor claimed after their first year they had raked in over $1 billion in sales. He said: “Over $1 billion generated in Whiskey sales in my first year! Like it or not, there is a new King in town! Proper Whiskey, liquid sunshine!”

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June 6, 2020December 4, 2025

Boondocks Whiskey

Boondocks American Whiskey

Boondocks Whiskey is a brand produced by Royal Wine Corp. / Bardstown Spirit Company — i.e. it is a non-distilling producer (NDP). This means they source whiskey (or mash/spirits) from other producers, then age, finish, blend, and bottle under the Boondocks label.

Since Boondocks doesn’t distill on-site (as far as public info shows) but sources or leases whiskey, if you are a purist you may view it differently than distillery-grown/-made whiskey. This matters especially if you care about provenance of mash, fermentation, and distillation.

Crafted in close cooperation with Dave Scheurich, one of the world’s most respected master distillers and winner of the Whisky Advocate Lifetime Achievement Award, Boondocks American Whiskey Cask Strength 127 is often described as their “flagship” or core offering. The mash bill is undisclosed, but likely high in corn (so “bourbon-like”). Aging is reportedly in American white oak barrels in Kentucky.

It has an ultra-smooth finish, with distinctive aromas of rich caramel and vanilla. A robust and pleasantly aggressive palate is highlighted by fall spices and oak. This expression received a Gold Medal/91 points in the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition 2016 and Best of Category in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2016.

By Spirits Contributor Neal Kotlarek

Boondockswhiskey.com

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December 14, 2019November 26, 2025

Shackleton Whisky

Looking for a good story to tell your house guests over an after-dinner drink? MacKinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malts are re-creations of the original malt whisky shipped to Antarctica in 1907 by explorer Ernest Shackleton on his “Nimrod” expedition.

In 2007, a century after the expedition, three cases of the perfectly preserved whisky were discovered, frozen into the ice beneath Shackleton’s base camp at Cape Royds.

In 2011, three of the discovered bottles were excavated and flown to New Zealand where they were carefully thawed by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust in a purpose-built environment and public gallery at Canterbury Museum. Following scientific analysis and replication, malts from Glen Mhor and Dalmore distilleries were selected and combined with others to create a blend that is, according to the MacKinlay website “light honey in colour with an aroma that is soft, elegant and refined, and a taste that is both harmonious and exhilarating.”

My personal view is that the whisky is as fabulous as the tale behind its presentation. The bottle is raffia-encased, reminiscent of the straw-bound bottles found in the Antarctic. The label graphics are meticulously hand drawn to ensure a perfect match to the original.

By Spirits Contributor Neal Kotlarek

www.theshackletonwhisky.com/

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