Sent to me by a certain Andy H, much thanks...WELLINGTON, New Zealand – A crate of Scotch whisky that has been frozen in Antarctic ice for more than a century is being slowly thawed by New Zealand museum officials — for analysis, not to be tasted.
The crate of whisky was recovered earlier this year — along with four other crates containing whisky and brandy — beneath the floor of a hut built by British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton during his 1908 Antarctic expedition.
Four of the crates were left in the ice, but one labeled Mackinlay's whisky was brought to the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island, where officials said Wednesday it was being thawed in a controlled environment.
Nigel Watson, executive director of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, said the whisky might still be liquid.
"When the guys were lifting it, they reported the sound of sloshing and there was a smell of whisky in the freezer, so it is all boding pretty well," he said.
An Antarctic Heritage Trust team that was restoring the explorer's hut found the crates in 2006 but couldn't immediately dislodge them because they were too deeply embedded in the ice.
Drinks group Whyte & Mackay, the Scottish distillery that now owns the Mackinlay's brand, launched the bid to recover the whisky for samples to test and potentially use to relaunch the defunct Scotch.
Watson said the whisky may still be drinkable but would probably not be tasted.
"This was a blend so they are hopeful if there is enough alcohol left and it is in good condition they may be able to analyze and hopefully replicate the liquid so in fact everyone could partake in this," he said.
"It has been put on ice for 100 years so I don't think it is too unromantic a suggestion. The reality is that it is very limited quantities and our focus is on the conservation and not the drinking."
Shackleton's expedition ran short of supplies on its long ski trek to the South Pole from the northern Antarctic coast in 1907-1909 and turned back about 100 miles (160 kilometers) short of its goal.
The expedition sailed away in 1909 as winter ice formed, leaving behind supplies — including the whisky and brandy.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100722/ap_ ... NldW10aGF3
Well aged whisky
Well aged whisky
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Well aged whisky
Personally I would like to taste that particular brew.How about you Gob?
I expect to go straight to hell...........at least I won't have to spend time making new friends.
Re: Well aged whisky
Anything in the cause of science, of course...
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@meric@nwom@n
Re: Well aged whisky
They should use it as a fund raiser, sell it by the tiny glass at auction.
Re: Well aged whisky
You're right Miles, I'd crawl on my hands and knees over a mile of broken glass for a sip of that!!
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Well aged whisky
How wonderful ---I'd want my sip as well. Can you imagine working with it and being disciplined enough *not* to take a sip!
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Re: Well aged whisky
No!
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Well aged whisky
By the thimble full!@meric@nwom@n wrote:They should use it as a fund raiser, sell it by the tiny glass at auction.
Re: Well aged whisky
If it was embedded in ice it would have been insulated from the (much lower) air temperatures so I think it should be ok. 40% alcohol (80 proof) freezes at -23C so if it was on the surface it might have frozen and then damaged the containers so it could leak out.
Scotch is aged in wood not glass. Once it is bottled I don't believe it changes.
yrs,
rubato
Scotch is aged in wood not glass. Once it is bottled I don't believe it changes.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Well aged whisky
I was thinking the same thing.rubato wrote:If it was embedded in ice it would have been insulated from the (much lower) air temperatures so I think it should be ok. 40% alcohol (80 proof) freezes at -23C so if it was on the surface it might have frozen and then damaged the containers so it could leak out.
Scotch is aged in wood not glass. Once it is bottled I don't believe it changes.
yrs,
rubato
However I defer...
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
Re: Well aged whisky
Only one way to know for sure ... just have to try it and see.
yrs,
rubato
yrs,
rubato
Re: Well aged whisky
Wine also ages first in wood. But after it is bottled, it continues to age (change) while in glass. Is that not true of Scotch?rubato wrote:Scotch is aged in wood not glass. Once it is bottled I don't believe it changes.
Reason is valuable only when it performs against the wordless physical background of the universe.
Re: Well aged whisky
From Wiki:
Angel's share links to:The ageing process results in evaporation, so each year in the cask causes a loss of volume as well as a reduction in alcohol. The 0.5–2.0% lost each year is known as the angel's share.
Maybe that's what they're going to test...Angels' share
"Angels' share" is a term for the portion (share) of a wine or distilled spirit's volume that is lost to evaporation during aging in oak barrels. The barrels are typically French or American oak. In low humidity conditions, the loss to evaporation may be primarily water. However, in higher humidities, more alcohol than water will evaporate, therefore reducing the alcoholic strength of the product. In humid climates, this loss of ethanol is associated with the growth of a darkly colored fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis, on the exterior surfaces of buildings, trees and other vegetation, and anything else that happens to be nearby.
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
Re: Well aged whisky
I think having access to something that was part of that heroic, but ill fated expedition would be a major thrill. I read and reread the story of their trial and tribulations as a kid, it enchanted me.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Well aged whisky
I think the components of wine which allow it to age in the bottle are removed by distillation. But I'm not an expert on wine chemistry. Next time I see Phil Crews I'll ask him.Andrew D wrote:Wine also ages first in wood. But after it is bottled, it continues to age (change) while in glass. Is that not true of Scotch?rubato wrote:Scotch is aged in wood not glass. Once it is bottled I don't believe it changes.
yrs,
rubato