100-year-old Scotch pulled from frozen crate, opened

[MIKA27]

100-year-old Scotch pulled from frozen crate, opened

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A crate of Scotch whisky that was trapped in Antarctic ice for a century was finally opened Friday — but the heritage dram won't be tasted by whisky lovers because it's being preserved for its historic significance.

The crate, recovered from the Antarctic hut of renowned explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton after it was found there in 2006, has been thawed very slowly in recent weeks at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island.

The crate was painstakingly opened to reveal 11 bottles of Mackinlay's Scotch whisky, wrapped in paper and straw to protect them from the rigors of a rough trip to Antarctica for Shackleton's 1907 Nimrod expedition.

Though the crate was frozen solid when it was retrieved earlier this year, the whisky inside could be heard sloshing around in the bottles. Antarctica's minus 22 Fahrenheit temperature was not enough to freeze the liquor, dating from 1896 or 1897 and described as being in remarkably good condition.

This Scotch is unlikely ever to be tasted, but master blenders will examine samples of it to see if they can replicate the brew. The original recipe for the Scotch no longer exists.

Once samples have been extracted and sent to Scottish distiller Whyte and Mackay, which took over Mackinlay's distillery many years ago, the 11 bottles will be returned to their home — under the floorboards of Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds on Ross Island, near Antarctica's McMurdo Sound.

Whisky lover Michael Milne, a Scot who runs the Whisky Galore liquor outlet in Christchurch, described the rare event as a great experience.

"I just looked at this (crate) and honestly, my heartbeat went up about three paces. It was amazing," he said. "The box was like a pioneer's box with the wood and nails coming out," he said.

Although Milne said he'd give anything to have a taste of the whisky. "It is not going to happen and I am not going to get excited about it," he said. "But if there was ever an opportunity, it could be a wonderful one to have."

Nigel Watson, executive director of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, which is restoring the explorer's hut, said opening the crate was a delicate process.

The crate will remain in cold storage and each of the 11 bottles will be carefully assessed and conserved over the next few weeks. Some samples will be extracted, possibly using a syringe through the bottles' cork stoppers.

MIKA: It would be amazing to sample!

One thing bothers me about this article... "Why have New Zealand confiscated this batch of Scotch!?

[Ken Gargett]

[.

One thing bothers me about this article... "Why have New Zealand confiscated this batch of Scotch!?

given allegations (unfounded) that i have driven kiwi members away in the past, i will make no comment on that (not even to drag up that oldie but goldie, what do you call a kiwi in a suit? the defendant), but i'll agree it would be fascinating to taste.

i'm horrified at the idea of sticking a needle through a 100 year old cork. i would imagine that would be likely to stuff it. better to choose one and open it at a tasting.

[MIKA27]

[.

One thing bothers me about this article... "Why have New Zealand confiscated this batch of Scotch!?

given allegations (unfounded) that i have driven kiwi members away in the past, i will make no comment on that (not even to drag up that oldie but goldie, what do you call a kiwi in a suit? the defendant), but i'll agree it would be fascinating to taste.

Good one mate. Sorry to all Kiwis on FOH, my anger is not vented in your direction but rather NZ customs for nicking my Zacappa XO earlier this year. I will NEVER forget it.

i'm horrified at the idea of sticking a needle through a 100 year old cork. i would imagine that would be likely to stuff it. better to choose one and open it at a tasting.

They have 11 bottles of the stuff, surely they can grab a box of cigars, open a bottle and enjoy. Of course, all in the name of science.

[winelover]

Can anyone help clarify my confusion -

I thought spirits do not age once bottled. An 18 yr old whisky won't be a whisky that was bottled after 10 years and then retained for a further 8 years and then sold as an 18 yr old whisky, rather it can only be a 10 year old whisky.

Therefore if the whisky discovery that the Kiwis have claimed is over a 100 years old, then we are obviously talking about the bottle age and does this then make the whisky contents so special? I imagine some kind of ageing must take place with spirits but people don't buy bottles of spirits to age in the same way that they do with fine wines.

Perhaps if the 100 yr old was cracked open it would be a bit of a let down if it was subjected to a blind tasting. Still that would be a waste as I think people like to taste the past and indulge in nostalgia.

[TMS36]

I call shenanigans on the caretakers not opening a few and refilling them with swill

[thechenman]

Can anyone help clarify my confusion -

I thought spirits do not age once bottled. An 18 yr old whisky won't be a whisky that was bottled after 10 years and then retained for a further 8 years and then sold as an 18 yr old whisky, rather it can only be a 10 year old whisky.

Therefore if the whisky discovery that the Kiwis have claimed is over a 100 years old, then we are obviously talking about the bottle age and does this then make the whisky contents so special? I imagine some kind of ageing must take place with spirits but people don't buy bottles of spirits to age in the same way that they do with fine wines.

Perhaps if the 100 yr old was cracked open it would be a bit of a let down if it was subjected to a blind tasting. Still that would be a waste as I think people like to taste the past and indulge in nostalgia.

I think that it has more to do with the rarity of the bottle as well as the history associated with it. True...the whisky itself does not change like a fine wine, but you can't argue the scarcity or provenance that make these bottles special. On top of that, with this particular distillery having been sold and the whisky out of prodcution for quite a number of decades, I think people would be definitely be interested in tasting it and comparing it to what is offered today. It is a shame that they won't be auctioning off a bottle.

[SnakeHips]

I call shenanigans on the caretakers not opening a few and refilling them with swill

****, right? If I was any of the guys in charge of this, I'd have drank a bottle by now and replaced it with Johnny Walker Red. Nobody would know the difference, particularly the pompous asses who think they know all about it. They'd rate the Walker Red a 102 on account of it being in the 100-year-old bottle!