whyte and mackay

Priceless Shackleton's Whisky Uncrated. Will Not Be Sold.

Filed under: Spirits

A crate of Scotch whisky that was trapped in Antarctic ice for a century was finally opened August 13. It is perhaps the most sought after dram in the world right now.

But, according to officials of Whyte and Mackay, would-be bidders and tasters will be left wanting and dry-mouthed. Only the master blenders [and we're guessing top management] will be tasting it in order to try and replicate the recipe using today's whiskies.

The crate, recovered from the Antarctic hut of renowned explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton after it was found there in 2006, has been thawed very slowly in recent weeks at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island.

The crate was painstakingly opened to reveal 11 bottles of Mackinlay's Scotch whisky, wrapped in paper and straw to protect them from the rigors of a rough trip to Antarctica for Shackleton's 1907 Nimrod expedition.

The crate was frozen solid when it was retrieved earlier this year. Antarctica's minus 22 Fahrenheit (-30 Celsius) temperature was not cold enough to freeze the liquor, dating from 1896 or 1897.

Once the whiskey samples have been extracted and sent to Whyte and Mackay, which purchased Mackinlay's distillery many years ago, the 11 bottles will be returned to Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds on Ross Island, near Antarctica's McMurdo Sound.

The whisky was labeled as a highland malt and the label also referred to Shackleton's ship Endurance, which he used in a 1914 expedition, and not the Nimrod on which he sailed in 1907.

It isn't known if the whisky is a single-malt or a blended malt. That will be part of the task of the chemists and blenders at Whyte and Mackay, which are believed to be drawing on experts outside the company's own talent. The hope is that the company will be able to replicate the taste for a special issue whisky expression in the future.

Tags: Shackleton, Shackleton whisky, whisky, whyte and mackay

Shackleton's Whisky Unearthed For Testing Not Tasting

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Last year I mentioned that a trove of spirits crates left by Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton under the floorboard of Shackleton's small wooden shack at Cape Royds in Antarctica had been unearthed. A crate of the Charles Mackinlay & Co. whisky has now been recovered and is being slowly thawed in New Zealand. Four crates were left in the ice and the one labeled Mackinlay's whisky is now at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island.

Handling 100-year-old whisky that has been subjected to such harsh conditions is no easy task. The crate has been carefully thawed in a controlled environment. Whyte & Mackay, the Scottish distillery that now owns the Mackinlay's brand, was behind the push to recover the whisky after it was discovered in 2006. It hopes to obtain for samples to test and potentially use to relaunch the defunct Scotch label. Although the whisky may be drinkable it will probably not be tasted. The museum has created a special website to keep the curious informed on the state of the project.

Tags: antarctica, charles mackinlay, shackleton, sir ernest shackleton, whisky, whyte and mackay

Whyte & Mackay Presents Special Blends to Force India F1 Drivers

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Being an F1 driver undoubtedly has its perks, from the jetset lifestyle to the million-dollar salaries. Add to that list a specially crafted scotch and it's looking even better.

To celebrate its sponsorship of the Force India F1 team, Whyte & Mackay's master distiller Richard Paterson created a special blend for each of the team's drivers: Adrian Sutil, Tonio Liuzzi and Scottish test driver Paul di Resta. Each blend was matched to the drivers' personality, specially bottled and presented during this past weekend's British Grand Prix.

Gallery: Whyte & Mackay Scotch for Force India

Source

Tags: f1, force india, force india f1, formula 1, formula one, richard paterson, scotch, whisky, whyte and mackay, whyte mackay

Will Vijay Mallya Sell Whyte & Mackay?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wealth

Earlier this week my colleague Ariel Adams mentioned that the Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya spent $2 million on some of Mahatma Gandhi's personal possessions. Mallya may be doing some selling as well. His Bangalore-based United Spirits could put Scotch whiskey distiller Whyte & Mackay up for sale. Mallya's United Spirits bought the company for £595 million (around $838 million) in 2007 at the peak of the market. Word is that he was originally thinking of divesting a 49 percent stake in the company but has found that there are no takers.

The London Times reports that Mallya's empire, including the Kingfisher airline, is feeling a bit of financial strain. They quote an analyst who says that Mallya would be lucky to raise more than £200 million from the sale of Whyte & Mackay both because no one is buying anything right now and because the price of bulk Scotch is expected to fall by 15 to 20 percent in the next few years.

Mallya is known for his extravagant spending and has earned the nickname the "Bangalore Branson." He owns the Force India Formula 1 team and throws parties on his large yacht the Indian Empress. He came in at 962 on the Forbes billionaire list last year with a worth of $1.2 billion. It will be interesting to see how he ranks this year.

Tags: bangalore branson, BangaloreBranson, meet the billionaires, MeetTheBillionaires, vijay mallya, VijayMallya, whiskey, whyte and mackay, WhyteAndMackay