Chivas Brothers "The Century of Malts"

The rare and collectable "The Century of Malts" Scotch Blended Malt Whisky is best described on the side of the box this precious whisky is packaged in. It reads:

"ONE HUNDRED SINGLE MALTS. This bottle contain 100 single malt Scotch whiskies - an unequalled collection. From the Highlands and the famous Spey Valley, the distant Islands, and the soft, harmonious Lowlands, a hundred ancient oak casks have yielded their treasure. The result is superb, of incomparable richness and age. Only the cellars of Chivas Brothers could produce such an historic tribute to the spirit of SCOTCH MALT WHISKY".

These are the 100 distilleries single malts Scotch whiskies in The Century of Malt: Aberfeldy, Aberlour, Allt a 'Bhainne, Ardbeg, Auchentoshan, Auchroisk, Aultmore, Balblair, Balmenach, Balvenie, Banff, Ben Nevis, Benriach, Benrinnes, Benromach, Blair Athol, Bowmore, (Royal) Brackla, Braeval, Brechin, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Caperdonich, Clynelish, Convalmore, Cragganmore, Craigduff, Craigellechie, Dailuaine, Dallas Dhu, Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Deanston, Dufftown, Fettercairn, Glen Albyn, Glenallachie, Glenburgie, Glencadam, Glen Craig, Glen Elgin, Glen Esk, Glenfarcles, Glenfiddich, Glengarioch, Glenglassaugh, Glen Grant, Glengoyne, Glenisla, Glen Keith, Glenkinchie, The Glenlivet, Glenlochy, Glenlossie, Glen Mhor, Glen Moray, Glenrothes, Glen Scotia, Glen Spey, Glentauchers, Glenturret, Glenugie, Glenury Royal, Highland Park, Imperial, Inchgower, Inchmurrin, Inverleven, Isle of Jura, Kinclaith, Knockando, Ladyburn, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ledaig, Linkwood, Littlemill, Longmorn, Macallan, Macduff, Mannochmore, Miltonduff, Mortloch, Mosstowie, Ord, Pittyvaich, Pulteney, Rhosdhu, Scapa, Speyburn, Springbank, Strathisla, Strathmill, Tamdhu, Tamnavulin, Teaninich, Tomatin, Tomintoul, Tormore and Tullibardine.

There you have it! If you know your distilleries you will notice that some of the distilleries listed have closed down or have been mothballed over time, making The Century of Malt even more special.

You may be wondering why Chivas Brothers have all these other distilleries single malts. All distillers procure other distilleries single malts each year as soon as the new spirit is put into cask. It is brought to their own warehouses to be stored in casks under their controlled and managed conditions to later be blended into their blended Scotch whiskies. There is no single company that owns 40 to 50 different single malts to blend into these blended Scotch whiskies. (Most reputable blended Scotch whiskies contain between 30 and 50 single malts in the blend).

Chivas Brothers hold the oldest stock of aged Scotch malt whiskies in the world today and are uniquely able to bottle many of the oldest expressions of whiskies in the world. This is the reason their whisky ranges are mostly age stated and of the most premium aged stated whiskies in the world. As an example, a brand like Ballantine's, which belongs to Chivas Brothers, has Ballantine's Finest as the standard expression, followed by the various age stated expressions 12 year old, 15 year old, 17 year old, 21 year old, 30 year old and 40 year old age whiskies

Included in the box is a booklet measuring a 95 mm x 75 mm. The booklet is titled " The One Hundred MALTS from Chivas Brothers" and is written by the famous Jim Murray of the Whisky Bible fame.The booklet was published in 1995, the same year this extremely precious whisky was bottled. (Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2013 is available for purchase online at "The Dram Good Book Shop" for GBP12.99). 

I was fortunate to get hold of three bottles of Century of Malt. After giving one away as a present and opening the next at a private whisky tasting, I realised how precious this whisky is. The taste is awesome and 'more-some' but I have resisted opening the third bottle because this is a collectors whisky not realised by serious collectors yet. The photo above is of my last sealed bottle of Century of Malt. It will remain in my collection.