100 year-old whiskey dug up from Antarctic ice

by Sean McLachlan on

Back in November we reported a plan by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust to retrieve crates of whiskey left by Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team after on unsuccessful attempt to make it to the South Pole in 1907-1909. The Nimrod Expedition made it to within 100 miles of the Pole before harsh weather forced the explorers to retreat. They ditched much of their gear along the way, including the whiskey.

In a remarkable feat of icy archaeology, these crates, which have been sitting under a cabin built by Shackleton’s team, have been pried free of the surrounding ice. Whiskey company Whyte and Mackay is elated. The company gave the Sir Shackleton the booze but hasn’t made this particular blend in decades. They’re hoping to sample the blend and replicate it.

The New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust originally thought there were only two crates, so the other three came as a bonus. Three are labeled as whiskey and two as brandy. A few bottles might have broken, however, because the archaeologists smelled alcohol as they dug them up. They still need to scrape off the ice encasing the crates and gently remove ice that has formed inside before they know how many of the bottles are intact.

More ice cold news we’ve covered in the past – Brrrrr!


Whiskey buried beneath the Antarctic ice for 100 year to be recovered

by Kraig Becker on

Ever wanted to try a 100 year old Scotch chilled to perfection? Than listen up, this story is for you!

According to this article from the BBC, the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust has announced plans to retrieve a pair of crates buried in the Antarctic ice following a failed attempted to reach the South Pole more than a century ago. The crates contain bottles of McKinlay and Co whiskey, and were first discovered back in 2006 beneath the remains of a hut built to shelter explorers from the harsh polar climate. That expedition, led by Ernest Shackleton, came within 97 miles of reaching the Pole before turning back, leaving equipment and supplies, including the whiskey, behind to lighten their load and speed their progress.

The Trust hopes to recover the whiskey, and restore the bottles, before placing them in another one of Shackleton’s huts located on Cape Royd. The organization is slowly rebuilding that hut so that it exactly resembles the condition it was in when the famed explorer and his team set off on their epic journey.

Of course, the Trust isn’t the only one interested in recovering the crates from the ice. Whyte and Mackay, the distiller that now owns the McKinlay whiskey brand, hopes to get their hands on a bottle as well. This particular blend has been out of circulation for decades, and they would like the opportunity to recreate it and beginning selling it again too.

Shackleton was one of the foremost polar explores of his day, and at the time of the expedition, he was locked in a desperate race to become the first man to reach the South Pole. He would eventually lose that race to Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, but his exploits in the Antarctic would continue for years to come. In 1914 his ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the pack ice, and Shackleton and his crew spent 10 months at the mercy of the shifting ice. Eventually, the ship was crushed, and all hands were forced to abandon ship. It would be another five months before they were rescued, but not a single life was lost on the expedition, making it one of the greatest survival stories of all times, and cementing Shackleton’s place in exploration history.

Tartan Day with Whiskey and Castles

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You probably don’t know this, but Tartan Day is right around the corner. Drumscot Tours is celebrating with a deal in Scotland that’s good for only one day – April 6 – for its “Whiskey, Castles and The Gathering” tour. You’ll spend a little over $2,700, but it goes a long way.

Seven nights in a hotel with a full Scottish breakfast, dinner for the first five evenings and admission to several Castles (including Dunvegan and Armadale) are included, as well as a ferry crossing from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye and a Loch Ness boat trip. You’ll also score admission to the Gathering 2009 and the Highland Games on July 26 and 27.

Unique to this deal is a 10 percent discount and a free Silver Passport (which normally would set you back $130) that’ll get you into the Gathering’s Clan Parade and Pageant.

To take advantage of this, you need to book your trip on April 6. Not for April 6. Not around April 6. Pick up the phone (1.866.441.9936) or tap out an e-mail (info [at] drumscot.com) and use the code “Tartan Day”.

Whisky School in Scotland

by Neil Woodburn on

I’m afraid whisky is something I’ll never truly understand.

It’s legions of fans, however, wax eloquently about 100 year old bottles and various malts as though this amber liquid was the nectar of the gods. To me, it will always be a drink that wrenches my face into painful contortions any time I try to swallow it.

For those with more sophisticated palates that appreciate the finer attributes of whisky, there is no more holy ground than Scotland, the birthplace of whisky. Travel & Leisure contributing editor Alexandra Marshall recently traveled to the southwestern Scottish town of Bladnoch to visit the famous Bladnoch Distillery and partake in the local $1,000 per person Whisky School.

While there, Marshall learned about all the intricacies of distilling and can now speak knowledgably about such things as mash. She was also pulled over by the local police for erratic driving on the way home one day despite having not consumed any whisky that afternoon; the fumes from within the distillery were enough to do her in.

Even though I’m not a fan of whisky, the trip and school still sounds pretty cool–although when it comes time for sampling, I’d be down the street at the local pub ordering up a beer instead.

(Oh, and before you complain that I’ve left the “e” off of “whisky,” please realize that this is the Scottish spelling.)

Wistful Wishes of Whiskey-filled Weekends

by Iva Skoch on

UK’s The Independent had a good bunch of suggestions for folks who love the sweet, hot, aromatic burning sensation of the world’s greatest whiskeys. Now, distilled spirits may have originated in the Middle East, but the British Isles are the home of fine scotch. And what better for a connoisseur than to stay at or near a fine distillery?

The article lists examples of five lodges where you can stay, close to some of the world’s best distilleries. For example, you can rent small cottages at Scotland’s the Glenmorangie House for as little as 160 pounds ($313 USD) per night, full board.

“Within easy staggering distance” of the Bushmills distillery in Northern Ireland is the Drum Lodge, a 200+ year old drum-shaped, gothic-styled lodge. (Yes, yes, it’s Irish whiskey, but it sounds cool anyway.)

Or try the island distillery of Bowmore, on Islay, where you can bring up to 11 of your friends to rent a cottage for as little as 440 pounds ($860 USD) per week. And there are seven more distilleries on the 25-mile-long Scottish island. It’s a mere four-hour, car-plus-ferry trip west of Glasgow.

Scotch fanatics may recognize the names here, but I can tell you, from the pictures I’ve seen of these places, they look beautiful and worth the trip…even if whiskey’s not your bag, baby.