A case of Scotch whisky left buried in the Antarctic by the intrepid explorer Ernest Shackleton has been returned to Scotland after over a century in the ice.
The whisky is believed to have been bottled in Scotland in 1896 or 1897, making it among the oldest in the world.
Five cases of Scotch whisky were buried during Shackleton’s unsuccessful 1907 to 1909 expedition to reach the South Pole, and were uncovered last year before being painstakingly thawed by museum officials in New Zealand.
As one of these cases contained Mackinlay whisky, Whyte and Mackay, the distillery company who owns the McKinlay brand were eager to bring a bottle home.
Whyte and Mackay’s Master Blender Richard Paterson journeyed to New Zealand to accompany the historic bottle back to Scotland, with Vijay Mallya, the firm’s billionaire owner lending his own private jet to bring the bottle back safely.
Mr Paterson will spend up to six weeks in full laboratory conditions analysing the whisky, learning more about the distillation process of the time and how it compares to whisky made today, before reporting back to the Antarctic Heritage Trust. Visit Mr Paterson’s blog to keep up to date with his progress and find out more.
Mr Paterson added: "It is an absolute honour to be able to use my experience to analyse this amazing spirit for the benefit of the Trust and the whisky industry."
Shackleton's expedition to the South Pole, which set off from New Zealand in January 1908, was part of the heroic age of exploration.
To find out more about Scotland’s national drink and find out where to sample a dram, visit our dedicated
The whisky is believed to have been bottled in Scotland in 1896 or 1897, making it among the oldest in the world.
Five cases of Scotch whisky were buried during Shackleton’s unsuccessful 1907 to 1909 expedition to reach the South Pole, and were uncovered last year before being painstakingly thawed by museum officials in New Zealand.As one of these cases contained Mackinlay whisky, Whyte and Mackay, the distillery company who owns the McKinlay brand were eager to bring a bottle home.
Whyte and Mackay’s Master Blender Richard Paterson journeyed to New Zealand to accompany the historic bottle back to Scotland, with Vijay Mallya, the firm’s billionaire owner lending his own private jet to bring the bottle back safely.
Mr Paterson will spend up to six weeks in full laboratory conditions analysing the whisky, learning more about the distillation process of the time and how it compares to whisky made today, before reporting back to the Antarctic Heritage Trust. Visit Mr Paterson’s blog to keep up to date with his progress and find out more.
Mr Paterson added: "It is an absolute honour to be able to use my experience to analyse this amazing spirit for the benefit of the Trust and the whisky industry."
Shackleton's expedition to the South Pole, which set off from New Zealand in January 1908, was part of the heroic age of exploration.
To find out more about Scotland’s national drink and find out where to sample a dram, visit our dedicated
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