Shackleton’s Newly Discovered Scottish Whisky Found in Antarctica

Matching the recently recovered 185 year old cases of Veuve Clicquot Champagne from the Baltic Sea are three crates of whisky found beneath the floorboards of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic hut.

This famed arctic explorer, who earned everlasting fame because he brought all his stranded men safely home, apparently enjoyed a wee sip of Scotland’s best when icy winds blew.

First discovered in 2006, the Antarctic Heritage Trust, which oversees and monitors historic South Pole sites, chose to wait and remove the bottles only when the proper archeology tools became available. 

In November of last year the bottles, still wrapped in insulating straw, were carefully transferred to the nearest museum in Christchurch, New Zealand. 

Slowly ever so slowly the staff there have been defrosting the bottles. The curators are getting excited as they can now hear some of the golden liquid moving within the bottles.

And who created this long-lasting whisky? Why now Charles McKinlay & Company, presently owned by Whyte & Mackay of Glasgow. And here’s where the fun begins.

Richard Paterson, the master blender at Whyte & Mackay, is hoping that the 100 plus year old whisky can be recreated once a sample of this amazing beverage is evaluated.

When reproduced the blend will be made available to the public for purchase.  

Just imagine enjoying the warmth of a whisky that once cheered one of the twentieth century’s most courageous leaders though storm and trials.  That’s not just “liquid courage”, it’s literally a taste of time.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011