Shack's whisky

Once upon a time I questioned the motivation of the brave scientists who liberated 3 bottles of MacKinlay's finest  15 year old Scotch whisky, buried in 1907 under antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod base camp.  The plan was to deliver the ancient whisky bottles to MacKinlay's, who over the proceeding 100 years lost the recipe for that particular blend.  MacKinlay hoped they could recreate it.  Foolishly, I only saw party plans.



I now suspect the antarctic scientific community hopes that in a few years MacKinlay will roll out a few barrels of recreated "Shackleton" whisky, bottle it and offer it at prestige auction and whisky sales, proceeds going to Antarctic Heritage Trust.  MacKinlay could bottle water from the river Jordan, call it Shack, since no is likely to open it, nor would anyone have any expectations of what last century's whisky would taste like.  Explorer types would pay heavily for the privilege.  If the scheme worked, aged 10 year and 15 may be in the offing. Might work.

Much to my surprise, the 3 liberated bottles were returned to the antarctic Saturday, the expectation is that the bottles will  returned to Shackleton's cabin in March.  Foolishly, I though it was merely am excuse for a party.  I had forgotten the financial opportunities.

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