And now I can answer at least part of that because the whisky is now off the South Pole with pictures and video…

Click here to view the embedded video.

There’s a press release attached to this link and a blog has also been set up – which has up to the date information (and the IT types have put a feed in at the side of the page as well for it I’m told).

There’s also some brand new video footage here and here (sorry I can’t embed them).

So what’s new?

One of the crates – weighing 50 kilos! – has been removed and placed carefully in a cool room, which has been specially constructed at Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand. Now, they’ve done this quite clever in a way that allows the public to see first-hand the process as conservators firstly raise the temperature in a controlled process to above freezing point and then defrost the crate to see if we can get a dram or two out of the bottle – but even that will be done by syringe, no uncorking the bottle (at least that’s the plan at the moment).

This is going to be a bit of a time consuming process. You don’t just whack the temperature up by a degree a day, it’s slower than that. Why is it slower than that? To try and preserve as much of the original flavour, look and texture of the whisky instead of just quickly defrosting it and shredding the whisky.

So it’s going to be in there for a while as it comes back to more normal temperatures.

And all of that is just the first step, but we’re being patient here. The whisky has waited for a while so we can wait a little bit longer. Don’t get me wrong I’d love to have my hands on it tomorrow, but patience is a virtue (so they tell me).

So when are you nosing it, when can I buy it, what will happen to the bottles and the crate?

Easy, easy! The first step is to make sure that it thaws OK – and it’s in good hands at the moment so that should take place smoothly – after that it will be a case of getting down there when possible, taking the time to nose it and sample it properly to try and capture as much of the essence as possible.

Then the company will decide what’s to happen, so hold on to your pennies for now – or go buy a bottle of Whyte & Mackay while waiting! If there’s something to go on sale then the odds are that it won’t be this year.

And once we’ve tested, nosed and sampled, the original crate will head back to the ice.

Trust me, I’m as excited as you – if not more so – on this and I really can’t wait. But I have to. We all will.

Related posts:

1. Whisky at the South Pole – with pictures You may have read the original blog post that sparked...
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And here’s a list of online stores where you can buy Whyte & Mackay globally.

Blogs

Whisky Master Blender Richard Paterson’s blog

Jura Picture of the Day

(our ethical vodka brand Snow Leopard Vodka also has a blog here)

Podcasts

iTunes Link

Non-iTunes link

Facebook

Whyte & Mackay on Facebook

Whyte & Mackay darts on Facebook

Richard Paterson on Facebook

Jura whisky on Facebook

Willie Tait on Facebook

Snow Leopard Vodka

Twitter

The Master Blender on Twitter

Whyte & Mackay on Twitter

Whyte & Mackay darts on Twitter

Jura whisky on Twitter

YouTube

Richard Paterson on YouTube

Main Whisky Sites

Whyte & Mackay

Jura Whisky (don’t forget to join the social club)

Dalmore

Glayva

(and Snow Leopard Vodka and Vladivar)

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Enjoy!

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It’s a chat about the role of the Master Blender, what they do and who some of the more famous Master Blenders have been, including a personal hero of mine, Andrew Usher.

We also have a tasting of the Whyte and Mackay The Thirteen (in other words, the 13-year-old), a drink that went down very well at last week’s blogger and twitter meeting at Dalmore House.

As with other podcasts, there’s an audio and a video version, but bear in mind the audio is just a lift from the video version and as such you may hear me talk about things I expect you to be looking it.

It can be found on iTunes here, off iTunes here or here.

Comments, as always, welcome below.

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A Better Sun came together in 2007, when I moved to the town of Linz and got re-acquainted to Sarah, the band’s voice. Hubert, the guitarist, loves Vienna to much to live anywhere else, so he recorded many guitar parts on his own and sent them to the Linz-based recording studio over the internet.

I think the music we create is essentially pop, as far as genre is concerned. We do try to use different styles, however, to come up with different types of arrangements and sounds in order to keep our music interesting and fresh.

Sarah feels the emotional content is even more important than the songs’ sonic styles. She told me: “Many of our songs deal with topics like love and loneliness, with the longing for something familiar. The human condition is a complex one, and life can be hard sometimes. We try to let that frailty come through in our music.

“Despite that, I also think our music is very powerful. That’s because you have do deal with the problems that life presents you with. You can’t run away from them – you need to find new and innovative ways to live instead. There’s a lot of power in that kind of creativity.

The album is a little bit like a theatre play. In theatre, what makes a play it interesting is the costume changes. On Universal Ones we have tried to take on different musical styles, while maintaining our A Better Sun trademarks, like my singing, Hubert’s guitars, and Thomas’ rather classic approach to songwriting. Changing your musical style during the course of an album is quite like changing your costume during a theater play. It’s a lot of fun.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Universal Ones is A Better Sun’s first studio album. It is available in the iTunes store. You can pre-listen all tracks for free on the band’s website. You can also download A Better Sun’s first single “Shine Your Love On Me” for free here

Share and Enjoy (responsibly):

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