Chivas Regal Whisky – Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

Chivas Regal Whisky – Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky 40% Alc/vol.

It is early evening on Sunday 25th July 2010 and Jim is round at Nicola’s for a wee tasting and joining us is Nicola’s neighbour Lee who has been a guest taster in the past.  Dougie could not make it as he has started a new job up in Peterhead and will be away for periods up two weeks at a time, and this might just effect his attendance at some of the up and coming Whisky festivals and events, but here is hoping he can get time of to attend them with the other two Whisky Boys.

Produced by Chivas Brothers (who are now owned by Pernod Ricard) this blended Scotch Whisky has it’s home at Strathisla Distillery up in Speyside.

There are three blends having the name Chivas Regal, the 12 Year Old, an 18 Year Old and finally a 25 Year Old and the Whisky Boys are hoping to taste the other two in due course.

This Scotch blend is world renowned and can be mentioned in the same breath as some of the other world icons, like Rolex, Rolls Royce and Chanel.

Now lets think about a wee taste or two.

The tasting.

Colour…Sunshine through amber.

Nicola’s Tasting

Nose…Rich feints, maybe a little overpowering alcohol.
Taste…Oh so smooth and sweet, fruity at the end, biscuit crumble, surprisingly easy to drink and is well balanced.
Finish…Short, gone very fast, need another one to try again.

Score…3 corks

Jim’s Tasting

Nose…Quite light and very fruity, a little honey and spice, could be a single malt.
Taste…Full and creamy with rich vanilla and some apples in the background.
Finish…Medium finish with honey and fruit still in there.

Score…3 corks

Lee’s Tasting

Nose…A lot of heavy fruit in here.
Taste…Exceptionally smooth, I can certainly tell it is a blend.
Finish…Light but with no lingering after taste.

Score…2.5 corks

Overall score…3 corks

This is one fabulous blend and Jim and Nicola both have a bottle in their cabinets, and we both cant wait to have a wee taste of the older ones.

Soon Chivas will be bringing out some details about the “age” of Whisky, malts and blends. For example this Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, what does the 12 year old mean, some people think that the Whisky within is 12 years old, but what it actually means is that the youngest Whisky in this blend is 12 years old, so some of the other grains and single malts used in this blend can be much older than the 12 years stated on the bottle, but there cannot be any younger than 12 years.

Check out www.chivas.com and find out much more about this iconic dram. If you get a chance visit Strathisla Distillery, visitor centre you can get your wee dram of Chivas Regal and a tour of the distillery.

You will be able to purchase this wee blend in most supermarkets, off sales, specialist Whisky shops and certainly on-line, so remember to tell them that the Whisky Boys sent you.