100 year old scotch whiskey crate found

[alocispepraluger102]

is anything more precious than century old scotch, unless it's centenarian bourbon.

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100-year-old Scotch pulled from frozen crate

August 13, 2010

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In this Feb. 5, 2010 file photo released by Antarctic Heritage Trust on Feb. 8, 2010, one of crates of Scotch whisky and brandy is pictured after they have been recovered by a team restoring an Antarctic hut used more than 100 years ago by famed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. One of the crates of the Scotch whisky that was trapped in Antarctic ice for a century was finally opened Friday, Aug. 13, 2010 but the heritage dram won't be tasted by whisky lovers because it's being preserved for its historic significance. (AP Photo/Antarctic Heritage Trust)

(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 historical significance.

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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 (-30 Celsius) 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 theScotch 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.<br style="clear: both; ">

©2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Tom Storer]

Whisky isn't like wine--it doesn't mature in the bottle, getting better (or worse) over time. What matters is how long it was aged before it was bottled. A 12-year-old whisky remains a 12-year-old whisky no matter how long you keep it around before opening it. Admittedly, 100 years in the ice is outside the usual parameters and who knows what the effect might be... but I don't think it can be assumed that the whisky would taste any better than if it had been opened and drunk a century ago.

[.:.impossible]

I think what everyone is most interested in is tasting a 100 year old recipe that has been lost to time.

[Dan Gould]

This story is way out of date - note that it was August 2010. The NY Times had an article in the Sunday Magazine a week or two ago about the results of the analysis of the scotch, where it came from and how it was made. They are planning to market a duplicate blend so everyone can taste the stuff if they'll pay for it.

[.:.impossible]

It's not that out of date Dan... only a year! This is 100 year old scotch!

[Tim McG]

Whisky isn't like wine--it doesn't mature in the bottle, getting better (or worse) over time. What matters is how long it was aged before it was bottled. A 12-year-old whisky remains a 12-year-old whisky no matter how long you keep it around before opening it. Admittedly, 100 years in the ice is outside the usual parameters and who knows what the effect might be... but I don't think it can be assumed that the whisky would taste any better than if it had been opened and drunk a century ago.

I dunno.

I'd be willing to find out

[alocispepraluger102]

This story is way out of date - note that it was August 2010. The NY Times had an article in the Sunday Magazine a week or two ago about the results of the analysis of the scotch, where it came from and how it was made. They are planning to market a duplicate blend so everyone can taste the stuff if they'll pay for it.

i cant find the article you mentioned. will you help us????

[Dan Gould]

Here you go.

[alocispepraluger102]

Here you go.

thx, dan, for passing on a wonderful fascinating read.