Say what you will, but age matters

“There’s a special rung in hell reserved for people who waste good scotch.” — Lt. Archie Hicox, Inglorious Basterds.

MANILA, Philippines - For those of you who have seen the movie, you’re probably familiar with how the scene plays out: Lt. Hicox, played by Michael Fassbender, downs the 33-year-old single malt Scotch whiskey from the Scottish highlands (“I must say, damn good stuff, Sir.”) before biting the bullet. Long live the Queen, indeed.

Because Tarantino hates product placement (ever had a Big Kahuna Burger? Didn’t think so.), the brand of scotch featured in the film is never revealed, though that hasn’t stopped fans of the film from pausing that specific scene ad nauseum in the attempt to uncover it. Some valuable clues are left, though. For instance, single malt whiskeys, or whiskys, as the Scots spell it, are traditionally distilled in Speyside, northeastern Scotland. Not ringing any bells? Well, this might.

“For more than 500 years, Scotland has been perfecting the art of producing of Scotch whisky. Chivas Regal is an exceptional blended Scotch whisky containing many hand-selected malt and grain whiskies. And at the heart of all the Chivas Regal blends is the classic Speyside single malt whisky, Strathisla, from the Scottish highlands’ oldest operating distillery that dates back to 1786,” according Colin Scott, master blender of Chivas Regal.

One of the greatest influences on the flavor of whisky comes from maturation. Much of the complexity of Scotch whisky comes mainly from its time in the oak casks in Scotland; with outstanding spirit and excellent wood management, it follows that the longer the maturation period, the more complex the whisky. However, there is a global lack of knowledge about what the age statement on a bottle of whisky actually means: Only 10 percent understand that it refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle, 48 percent believe an age statement refers to the average age, and 35 percent believe it signifies the oldest whisky present. The Scotch Whisky Regulations (2009) make clear what an age statement means: It is the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle.

As a result of these findings, Chivas Brothers, the Distiller of the Year in 2009, responded with a global campaign called “The Age Matters” with the aim of enabling consumers to fully understand the age statement of the whisky to be able to appreciate its premium value. “In an age when consumers of luxury goods increasingly demand transparency and authenticity from brands, it is vital that we empower consumers with the knowledge, so that they fully understand the value of what they are buying. Know the age, know your whisky. With that, you’ll know that you are getting your money’s worth,” says Christian Porta, the chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers Limited. 

 So while a good glass of Scotch whisky may not be enough for you to die for your country (unless you’re actually Scottish, in which case, you probably might), take note that real men know how to appreciate the true value of a damn good glass of 33-year-old single malt Scotch whiskey.