This was in the news January this year - but it still interests me.
Basically five crates of whiskey and two of brandy were found under the floor boards of a hut situated in lonely and desolate Antarctica. The bottles were frozen in ice - apparently some were broken - but some remained intact.
They were left there - 100 years ago - by famous explorer Ernest Shackleton.
The whiskey was made by the defunct spirit made by distiller McKinlay and Co.
The plan is to extract some of the whiskey/brandy and see if it can be reverse engineered - and re-created. All a great marketing story.
It made me wonder just how long does Whiskey last (especially if frozen). I read a few blogs - and basically once opened the think you should quaff it within six months to be safe.
I also found this:
“Moderation sir, aye, moderation is my rule.
Nine or ten is reasonable refreshment,
but after that it’s apt to degenerate
into drinking”
An Old Highland Saying
As for a full bottle hmmm some say 20 years - apparently the alcohol begins to oxidize - but chilled in ice? Google didn't come up with anything conclusive - dam you Google.
It also reminded me of Melbourne's Shannon Bennett (chef/owner, Vue de Monde, Melbourne)- who serves up "Antarctic Cloud Water" - that has been harvested from the cleanest clouds on the planet. It’s called Cape Grim Water - it is chilled in a special fridge.
It did make me think - if the whiskey (and Brandy was still good) - it would make for a real restaurant conversation piece. The sort of meal attended by those in private equity - putting together another huge deal (no doubt sucking $$$$ out of the poor workers down the bottom of the pyramid).
Imagine the conversation - "look you fu$$, we shared Ernest Shackleton's 100 year whiskey last night ... sign the fuc$$$$ paperwork".
Basically five crates of whiskey and two of brandy were found under the floor boards of a hut situated in lonely and desolate Antarctica. The bottles were frozen in ice - apparently some were broken - but some remained intact.
They were left there - 100 years ago - by famous explorer Ernest Shackleton.
The whiskey was made by the defunct spirit made by distiller McKinlay and Co.
The plan is to extract some of the whiskey/brandy and see if it can be reverse engineered - and re-created. All a great marketing story.
It made me wonder just how long does Whiskey last (especially if frozen). I read a few blogs - and basically once opened the think you should quaff it within six months to be safe.
I also found this:
“Moderation sir, aye, moderation is my rule.
Nine or ten is reasonable refreshment,
but after that it’s apt to degenerate
into drinking”
An Old Highland Saying
As for a full bottle hmmm some say 20 years - apparently the alcohol begins to oxidize - but chilled in ice? Google didn't come up with anything conclusive - dam you Google.
It also reminded me of Melbourne's Shannon Bennett (chef/owner, Vue de Monde, Melbourne)- who serves up "Antarctic Cloud Water" - that has been harvested from the cleanest clouds on the planet. It’s called Cape Grim Water - it is chilled in a special fridge.
It did make me think - if the whiskey (and Brandy was still good) - it would make for a real restaurant conversation piece. The sort of meal attended by those in private equity - putting together another huge deal (no doubt sucking $$$$ out of the poor workers down the bottom of the pyramid).
Imagine the conversation - "look you fu$$, we shared Ernest Shackleton's 100 year whiskey last night ... sign the fuc$$$$ paperwork".
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