Three crates of Scotch whisky and two of Australian brandy belonging to the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton have been uncovered in Antarctica this week after more than 100 years in the ice.

Brandy distilled in the Hunter was discovered among five crates of spirit and the theherald.com.au reported Charlton MP Greg Combet, whose great-grandfather Alexandre was a winemaker at the distillery around the time of Shackleton’s voyage, as saying that it would be fitting for the spirits to return to their birthplace.

“It’s an extraordinary discovery,” Mr Combet said. “It’s a really special thing for the Hunter, and it’d be great to get them back.”

Hunter Valley Distillery was based near Harpers Hill and founded in 1903, but unfortunately encountered hardship during World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression. The distillery went into receivership in 1935, with Penfolds eventually buying the name in the 1940s.

The spirits were excavated from beneath Shackleton’s Antarctic hut, which was built in 1908. The crates were first discovered three years ago, but it was previously believed there were only two crates.

“To our amazement we found five crates, three labelled as containing whisky and two labelled as containing brandy,” said Al Fastier of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust.

“The unexpected find of the brandy crates, one labelled Chas Mackinlay & Co and the other labelled The Hunter Valley Distillery Limited, Allandale, are a real bonus.”

BBC news reported Richard Paterson, the master blender at whisky company Whyte and Mackay as saying that the find was a “gift from the heavens” for whisky lovers.

It was Whyte and Mackay who supplied the Mackinlay’s whisky for Shackleton. Paterson said: “If the contents can be confirmed, safely extracted and analysed, the original blend may be able to be replicated.”

“Given the original recipe no longer exists this may open a door into history.”

Some of the crates have cracked and ice has formed inside, which will make a delicate job of extracting the contents.

However, Mr Fastier said the trust was confident the crates contained intact alcohol, given that liquid could be heard when the crates were moved.

Shackleton’s expedition ran short of supplies on its long trek to the South Pole from Cape Royds in 1907-09 and eventually fell about 160 kilometres short of its goal.

The expedition sailed from Cape Royds rather hurriedly in 1909 as winter ice began forming in the sea, forcing equipment and supplies, including the spirits, to be left behind.