Bill bowed his grey head stepping through the shop doors and there he was - in the whisky paradise. “Fit like?’’ Bill greeted the young lady behind the counter and she answered with a heart-warming smile, ‘’Nea bad, and you? What can I get for you?’’
Bill breathed in the sweet aroma lingering in the shop and couldn’t distinguish if it was the perfume of the girl approaching him or the honey notes of the whisky stocked around. The smell of honey and milk brought back memories of his late wife and children who had long since swarmed away to set their own lives.
The specialty whisky shop is just one hour away from his home – in Dufftown, the whisky capital of the world. There is an abundant choice of whiskies and no chance to buy a bad malt. Today is the day Bill wants to buy a good whisky to leave for the family to enjoy at his funeral. Not that he has any health issues, the opposite way round - he feels like he could still roar among young stags on these dark October nights. But he has reconciled - one day he will die.
Due to the high prices, there are never many customers in the whisky shop, but on this dreich day, Bill is the only customer, and he gets all the attention of the young sales assistant. ‘’She must be just over 18. How could she get this job!?’’ Bill was thinking while looking at the girl’s glossy lips and matching nail varnish on her well-manicured hands. To his surprise, despite her young age, she was very knowledgeable about the whisky notes and aromas and she had a story or two about each of the single malts.
Showing the old man the best of its kind, the girl was smoothly moving along a lit-up display of single malts. Bill followed her and his longing eyes kept switching from the bottles to the girl, and back to the bottles.
“What is your name, young lady?’’ he asked,
“Skye,’’ she answered.
“What a heavenly name!’’ Bill’s eyes were radiating kindness, and he noted to himself, ‘’What an angel!’’. It seemed that Bill was staring at the girl’s sensitive lips, but at that point, there was only one thing on his mind, ‘’It’s time for the dram!’’
Skye was already holding the next high-status Scotch in her gentle hands. That was Shackleton which is named after the great explorer of Antarctica at the beginning of the 20th century, Ernest Shackleton. On the last expedition Shackleton’s ship “Endurance” got stuck in the ice. After many months of camping next to the ice-seized ship, the team set off for a long journey back to civilization. A hundred years later a few bottles of whisky were found at Shackleton’s abandoned camp in Antarctica. That was the fiery drink that boosted the spirit of Shackleton’s team while going through the hardship of the expedition. Since the original whisky wasn’t in production anymore, samples from the old bottles were taken and a new Scotch named Shackleton was developed with the same aroma and note composition.
Bill always had been fascinated by Ernest Shackleton’s bravery, and there it was - Shackleton was basking in the wooden box laid out with wood shavings looking straight from the shipwreck. An idea ran through Bill’s mind, ‘’That’s perfect! After the funeral, the family can use the box to bury my ashes’’. It was exactly what he was looking for – his love of outdoor activities, endurance, and woodwork skills were all presented in this one box holding the precious single malt.
Bill paid for the bottle and being happy with the purchase went straight home. On his way home, he already had some doubts, “How can I be sure that whisky is really good and to the liking of my family and friends?’’ A week passed and every time he looked at the box on the shelf he thought, ‘’I need to try it!’’
He opened the bottle and had a dram, then another one, and then ‘’one for the road’’. A third of the bottle had gone and that wouldn’t look good at the funeral. The very next day Bill travelled back to Dufftown, back to whisky heaven and its angel.
The charming girl recognized the stately old man and looked forward to topping up her commission. She passed Bill another box with Shackleton.
While he was paying the girl asked, ‘’Is it for a special occasion?’’
“Yes,’’ he said, ‘’That’s for my funeral.’’
Skye immediately replied: “Well, I hope you enjoy it!”