Chivas Regal Royal Salute 50 Year Old

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I have had the luck of getting my hands on one of these babies albeit just for a short while as it was on transit to some rich fella in Taiwan.

Now, we are all familiar with Chivas Regal blended Scotch whisky. Royal Salute was created to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II back in 1953 and the regular version (a step up from regular Chivas Regal 12 and 18 years respectively) is a 21 year or older whisky.

2003 was the 50th anniversary of that coronation and although it wasn't the same whisky that they have kept for 50 years, the blended whisky nevertheless all came from Chivas Brothers' best stock of 40 years and older.

I was there when they launched the bottle in Spitland, originally priced at USD 10,000.00, it was offered at a promotional rate of USD 8,888.00 back then. There were only 255 bottles in the world, of which Bottle #1 was presented to Sir Edmund Hillary whom himself conquered Mount Everest just days before the coronation 50 years ago. Spitland was allocated quite a few bottles apparently due to the crazy noveau rich who would buy just about anything and everything expensive.

So, 5 years later, I am holding a bottle in my very own hands. The front label is made of 24k Gold and Silver even which, is probably still a fraction of what the total cost. If I drop it, I will have to sell backside for the rest of my life.

Last I heard, the value of the bottle has appreciated to NTD 500,000.00 which converts to about USD 16,400.00 now.

So how does it taste? I have no idea for this is beyond my lifetime. Too rich (no pun intended) for my blood. I did steal 6 of the commemorative rock glasses during the launch and that is probably as near to this bottle of whisky as my giam chai mia allows. :(

p.s. I wonder if anyone would ever open it to drink, given that it cost a bloody bomb and there is a very limited supply of it. If the answer is no, then for all you know, it is only Ribena inside and no one would ever be the wiser. 

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- Voxeros

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