Just under a hundred years after his legendary expeditions to the South Pole, Ernest Shackleton's stash of Scotch whisky was incredibly rediscovered hidden beneath his Antarctic hut.
Rescued by a dedicated team of New Zealand researchers, the whisky (a case of 15-years-old Mackinlay’s blend which had been bottled in the 1890s) had lain frozen at the base camp at Cape Royds – which lies just under 100 miles from the South Pole – since the famed explorer's 1907 Nimrod excursion to the Antarctic.
According to Scottish drinks firm Whyte & Mackay, who originally owned the now-defunct Mackinlay’s whisky brand, the bottles had been ordered by the experienced explorer as a way to bolster his team's spirits.
Sadly, the bottles were eventually left behind after the explorer was forced to abandon his expedition in 1909 just days from the Pole due to the punishing conditions.
The bottles were found in 2007 among several crates, which also included bottles of brandy, and, even though they were frozen – the New Zealand team were delighted to realise the whisky inside was still sloshing around.
Even more delighted were Whyte & Mackay, who realised the bottles were a true glimpse at whisky of the past and set about asking the New Zealand Government if they could have some of the bottles to study.
They chartered a private plane in 2011 to bring some of the priceless whisky bottles back to Scotland.
The Master Blender (known as the Nose in the industry) and his team were then able to extract some whisky through the cork using a horse syringe.
Over a course of a few years, the company was able to use the sample to create a limited edition run of 50,000 bottles of the recreated whisky, The Shackleton Blended Malt.
This first batch quickly sold out, leading to the firm recreating more and the new whisky going on to become part of their core range.
Dubbed the 'Enduring Spirit', it was named in honour of Shackleton's ship the Endurance, which was recently rediscovered, and the bravery of the explorer and the men who followed him in his bid to be the first to reach the Pole.
The original whisky bottles were eventually transferred back to Shackleton’s restored hut at Cape Royds and placed in their original position in a bid to maintain the legacy of this now legendary adventure.
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