Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky Question

[Unregistered]

I am not a big Whisky drinker but have a question about something I found today. My Grandfather passed away 23 years ago. While looking around in his old bar which has been untouched for that long, I found a couple bottles of unopened liquor. One of the was a 12 year Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey. Given that he has been dead for 23 years plus it's 12 years aged, it's a least 35 years old.

Can anyone tell me if this is worth anything and what the quality night be like if I opened it

Thanks

[powderhound]

I hate to burst your bubble, but Whisky doesn't age in the bottle, it's pretty much going to be exactly the same as any Chivas 12 year you can buy at your local liquor store.

There may be some increased value due to the age, but this is one of the more common blends you can buy.

If there's any sentimental value, I'd hold on to it, or better yet drink it to his honor.

[p_froes]

I hate to burst your bubble, but Whisky doesn't age in the bottle, it's pretty much going to be exactly the same as any Chivas 12 year you can buy at your local liquor store.

There may be some increased value due to the age, but this is one of the more common blends you can buy.

If there's any sentimental value, I'd hold on to it, or better yet drink it to his honor.

This is totally untrue. Apart from the fact that according to many experts whisky does change in the bottle, no blend made 25 years ago will contain exactly the same malt and grain whisky as today. Put this one next to a new one and I guarantee they will be very different, and the older one will probably taste nicer.

[505Gibbs]

This is totally untrue. Apart from the fact that according to many experts whisky does change in the bottle, no blend made 25 years ago will contain exactly the same malt and grain whisky as today. Put this one next to a new one and I guarantee they will be very different, and the older one will probably taste nicer.

Whiskey does not age in the bottle like it did in the barrel! Any change would be due to exposure to light or the bottle was opened and partially consumed and the air trapped inside would, over time, have some impact on the freshness of the spirit.

[p_froes]

I never said that it ages the same way as it does in the barrel. What I'm saying is that it changes in the bottle.

Anyway, here is an interesting comparison of a 60's red label with a recent one.
http://whiskyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/145-johnnie-walker-red-label-1960s-v.html

[Beist]

I agree that an unopened bottle of Scotch will not change (I will concede prolonged exposure to light may effect it though, but most bottles are kept out of direct sunlight over their lifetime, and I'm sure no one has boiled or froze the bottle... lol). I am no expert; I could be wrong. But I think we can all agree it does not get better with age like a wine, which I think is what our Guest is getting at. So your 12yr is not a 35yr, it is just a 12yr. And seeing it's an inexpensive, readily available 12yr blend, I would doubt it'd fetch any real money at auction which'd be worth your effort, and worth your Grandfather's memory.

The quality shoud be good. It won't get skunky like a beer. It won't get better like a wine. It should be 'just about' the exact same as if you're Granddad had opened it 23yrs ago. That's the beauty of Scotch. You could even open it, have some, cap it, and let it sit for years, give it to your kids, and it still won't change much. However when you do eventually make a decent dent in the bottle, air will play a factor. It will oxidize. Not like as bad as a wine, but over time it'll lose it's flavours. To combat this, just put the remainder into a smaller bottle. Or just polish it off...

I do agree whole heartedly in drinking it to his honour. Get some good friends, the family you and he liked, lol, and opener then. Drinking your Granddad's bottle, telling stories about him... isn't that what Scotch is for???

If you do drink it (and IMHO I think you should) absolutely go to the shop and get a new bottle of Chivas Regal 12yr. It's inexpensive. Drink 'em side by side. It will be an entirely different drink, yet still familiar. Blends like Chivas are made to be consistent. To taste and smell the same over the years. But they can only do so much with the supplies on hand, so change is inevitable. I (and I bet everyone else that's replied thus far) wish we could taste both and tell you the differences, but we can't. So please, if you keep it and drink it, compare it, and tell us.

[firedogut]

I never said that it ages the same way as it does in the barrel. What I'm saying is that it changes in the bottle.


No whiskey DOES NOT change in the bottle. What changes is the newer whisky. The barley or other grains are the not same as the grains used back then.

If you opened the bottle in question 23 years ago and then opened the same bottle today it will be the same.

However a 2009 bottle of a Macallan 12 yr will have slight differences when compared to a 2010 bottle of Macallan 12yr because the different years.

[p_froes]

No whiskey DOES NOT change in the bottle. What changes is the newer whisky. The barley or other grains are the not same as the grains used back then.

If you opened the bottle in question 23 years ago and then opened the same bottle today it will be the same.

However a 2009 bottle of a Macallan 12 yr will have slight differences when compared to a 2010 bottle of Macallan 12yr because the different years.

Do you have proof for this?
In my experience, and many experts agree, whisky does change in the bottle (See for example this article (http://www.maltmaniacs.org/malt-111.html#09-02)). I have sampled many whisky bottled in the 70's and 80's, and they all have something similar, what some call Old Bottle Effect.

Silvano Samaroli, a legendary independent bottler, even states on the labels of his whisky: "refined in the bottle".

All I can say is, go find out for yourself, and don't believe everything the marketing departments of the whisky industry tell you.

[powderhound]

I never said that it ages the same way as it does in the barrel. What I'm saying is that it changes in the bottle.

Anyway, here is an interesting comparison of a 60's red label with a recent one.
http://whiskyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/145-johnnie-walker-red-label-1960s-v.html

Thanks, now I have a new youtube poster to follow, and that was very interesting and informative!