Chivas Brothers Oldest and Finest Blended Scotch Whisky 43%

Chivas Brothers began as a grocer's shop in Aberdeen selling coffee, spices and a little whisky on the side. This bottle comes from the days when the house still put the word finest on the label and meant it literally.

Please note: The bottle carries a white Danish excise band.

Expert description

Chivas Brothers Oldest and Finest is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 43% in a 75 cl bottle.

The label calls it a blend of the house's oldest and finest Scotch whiskies, and the white Danish excise band places the bottle in a period when spirits were still banded on import into Denmark. Both the 75 cl format and the 43% strength have long since left the shelves. Chivas Brothers was founded in Aberdeen in 1801 and supplied whisky to the British royal household long before Chivas Regal became a name in its own right.

Tasting notes

Nose

Round and mature. Dried fruit, honey and pale caramel, with a dusty, old-fashioned note that only comes from time in glass.

Palate

Soft and oily. Raisin, orange marmalade and malt, with a layer of vanilla and a light nutty dryness beneath. The extra strength carries the flavour further than most modern blends.

Finish

Medium and dry, with malt, spice and a faint wisp of smoke right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Chivas Brothers Oldest and Finest Blended Scotch Whisky 43%
Distillery: Chivas Brothers
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43 %
Size: 75 CL
Edition: Oldest and Finest
EAN no.: 5000299274002

Flavour profile

Soft · Dried Fruit · Malty · Honeyed · Lightly Spiced

Investment potential

High. The release is discontinued, the 75 cl format is out of production, and bottles with an old Danish excise band are sought after precisely because they can be dated.

Did you know?

Chivas Brothers started life as a colonial grocer. James and John Chivas sold everything from French delicacies to exotic spices, and blending whisky began as a sideline because customers asked for something softer than the fierce single malts of the day.

See our full range of Chivas Regal Whisky

Frequently asked questions about Chivas Brothers Oldest and Finest

What is a Danish excise band and why does it matter?

It is the paper strip once applied to imported spirits in Denmark as a duty mark. The system no longer exists, so a bottle carrying a band can be dated to before it was abolished. For collectors that is a useful piece of evidence.

What is the difference between a blend and a single malt?

A blend mixes malt whisky and grain whisky from several distilleries, while a single malt comes from one distillery and from malted barley only. Blends are usually softer and more rounded — see the full spread in our Blended Scotch Whisky.

Do old blends taste different from new ones?

Often yes. Older blends generally carried a higher proportion of malt whisky and were bottled at a higher strength. That gives more body and a longer finish than most standard blends today.

Should I drink it or keep it?

Either is defensible. The whisky is ready to drink if the cork is sound and the bottle has been kept dark. If you keep it, leave the band and label alone, because they carry the history.

How should it be served?

Neat at room temperature in a tulip glass. At 43% it has enough body to take a couple of drops of water, but it does not need them. Avoid ice, which shuts down the ripe fruit notes.

Who are Chivas Brothers?

The firm was founded in Aberdeen in 1801 and received a royal warrant in 1843. Today Chivas Brothers is part of Pernod Ricard and is behind brands including Chivas Regal.