About Chivas Regal
Chivas Regal whisky, recently named the UK’s coolest whisky brand 2006, is the leading premium scotch blended whisky, renowned for its smoothness and its honeyed, rich taste.
Boasting a rich heritage with famous historical fans including Queen Victoria and the Rat Pack, Chivas Regal is now a well established premium whisky, enjoyed in over 200 countries.
This indulgent whisky is perfect for any occasion and can be enjoyed straight up, with a simple mixer or as a delicious cocktail.
A swirling, aroma filled, flavoursome glass of Chivas is the perfect supplement to life's best moments and like a night at the card table definitely a taste to be shared.
Enjoyed on its own but even better with others...
Definition of Scotch Whisky
For a product to be called Scotch Whisky, there are several criteria it must meet:
- It must be distilled in a Scottish distillery
- It must be the distillate of either malted barley or other whole grain
- It must be distilled to an alcohol strength of less than 94.8% by volume
- It must be matured in Scotland for at least three years, in oak casks
- The final product must be at least 40% ABV
The age statements that appear on whisky bottles refer to the youngest whisky within; a 12 Year Old age statement means none of the distillates within that bottle are younger than 12 years old.
Varieties of Scotch Whisky
There are several varieties of Scotch Whisky:
- Blended Whisky
This is the most common variety of Scotch Whisky; and accounts for over 90% of the whisky produced in Scotland.
It is the product of two or more distilleries (often dozens!) and contains a blend of malt and grain whiskies. Generally, a blended scotch whisky will contain anything from 10-50% malt whisky with the rest made up by the lighter grain whisky. The higher the content of malt whisky, the better the quality of the blend. A Deluxe Blended Whisky such as Chivas Regal contain about 60% malt to 40% grain whisky.
- Single Malt Whisky
Single Malt Whisky is defined as the product of just one distillery, containing whisky created entirely from malted barley. Single Malts vary widely in taste according to the location of the distillery in which they were made.
- Blended Malt Whisky
Blended Malt is one of the least common types of Scotch Whisky. They contain only malt whiskies and no grain whisky, but from a variety of distilleries and with a variety of ages. They are usually distinguished from other types of whisky by the absence of the word single before malt on the bottle and the absence of a distillery name.
- Single Grain Whisky
The majority of grain whisky is used to make blended whisky. However, some higher quality grain whiskies are bottled as the produce of a single distillery and sold as single grain whisky. As with single malt, these must be the produce of a single distillery, but contain only grain whisky. As of 2006, there are only seven grain whisky distilleries in Scotland.
Regional Variants
Scotland was traditionally divided into four regions: The Highlands, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown. Today Scotland is divided into five recognised regions. Speyside which was traditionally part of the Highlands, has almost half of the total number of distilleries in Scotland within its geographic boundaries. As such it has long been accepted as a region unto itself.
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The Highlands
Largest of the areas, the size of this region means there are
very few generic characteristics in the whisky produced here. Examples:
Glenmorangie, Edradour, Talisker.
- The Lowlands
Soft in taste, there is often a hint of lemongrass and maltiness
about the whiskies from the Lowlands. Examples: Auchentoshan Single Malt, Glenkinchie.
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Islay
Often have a strong peaty taste as the malted barley is dried over open
peat fires, peat being the original fuel source in Scotland when whisky production
began. Examples: Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bowmore.
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Speyside
Fruity, floral and elegant in style, generally with only a hint of
peat. Examples: The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan. The Speyside area is
special because its combination of its geography, climate and ample supply
of pure, clear spring water, produces distinctively soft, mellow, rich malt
whiskies.
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Campbeltown
Only three of over 30 distilleries still operate: Glengyle, Glen Scotia
and Springbank.
Production Process
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The Malting
The barley is soaked in water for two days, which starts the germination process where the starches within the grains convert to soluble sugars. The barley is then spread onto the malt kiln floor and after five to 10 days the process is stopped by drying the grain in the kiln with hot air from an open fire underneath the perforated kiln floor. Some distilleries, particularly in Islay, burn peat in the kilns which imparts a very distinct flavour to the whisky.
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The Mashing
After the dried Malt has been milled into coarse flour called Grist, it is mixed with warm water to extract the sugars. This process takes six hours after which the resulting sweet liquid is filtered from the grain and the remaining spent grain is processed for animal feed.
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The Fermentation
Yeast is added to the sweet liquid which converts the sugars to alcohol over two days. A malty beer like liquid is the result with approximately 8.5% abv.
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The Distillation
The next step is to use the still to distill the wash which will result in a purer form of alcohol. There are two types of stills in use, the pot still (for single malts) and the Coffey (continuous) still (for grain whisky). For the highest quality whisky the pot still is used, although the Coffey still is more cost efficient and distils faster.
Distillation is important for two reasons: it separates the heads and tails from the heart of the distillate allowing the distiller to select the best part of the distillate for his final whisky. Secondly, distilling increases the ABV of the liquid, making it purer and purer and turning the beer like malty liquid into a spirit.
- The Maturation
The spirit after the distillation is colourless, like vodka. Before entering the cask, it is reduced to 63.5% ABV to stop the oak from contracting and slowing down the maturation process. During the maturation, the spirit will mature in character and colour, interacting with the oak and the surrounding air. The distillate must age for at least three years to be called Scotch Whisky, although most single malts are offered at a minimum of eight years of age. Chivas Regal is matured in oak casks for at least 12 years.
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The Blending
After maturation the different styles of whisky are blended together. For Chivas, this is done in a unique three step process:
- First individual malt whiskies are blended together
- Then individual grain whiskies are blended together
- And finally, the malts and the grains are combined for a perfectly balanced and rich taste of Chivas Regal.
What Makes Chivas Regal Unique
Chivas creators, John and James Chivas pioneered the art of blending single malt and grain whiskies to achieve a perfect harmony of flavours. The different styles of whisky in the blend each bring a unique flavour to this balanced blend that has the best of both single malts and grains whisky.
Generally, a blended scotch whisky will contain anything from 10-50% malt whisky, with the rest made up by grain. The higher the content of the malt whisky, the better the quality of the product. Chivas Regal is a classified as a Deluxe Blend, which contains 60% malt and 40% grain whisky.
Chivas Regal is a truly international brand, Chivas Regal 12 year old is the world’s favourite Deluxe Blend – enjoyed in over 150 countries.
Tasting Notes for Chivas Regal 12
| Colour: | Golden Amber |
| Nose: | Rich, fruity aromas of autumn fruits and floral fragrance with a soft nectar sweetness. |
| Taste: | Smooth, rich apple and sweet floral flavours with a soft dry nuttiness. |
| Finish: | Rich and lingering. |
Tasting Notes for Chivas Regal 18
| Colour: | Intense, dark amber |
| Nose: | Layered aromas of dried fruits, spice and buttery toffee. |
| Taste: | Exceptionally rich and smooth with velvety dark-chocolate palate, with elegant floral notes and a wisp of sweet, mellow smokiness. |
| Finish: | A magnificently long, warm and memorable finish. |
Chivas Regal 18 combines the wonderful qualities of two special Speyside Malts:
- Strathisla 18 Year Old
from the oldest operating distillery in Speyside,
perfectly balanced malt, rich and fruity with a hint of nuttiness.
- Longomorn 18 Year Old
a Speyside malt with full character and elegant,
floral notes, which bring depth and complexity to the final blend. Neither
one of these malts are available commercially at 18 years of age. This exclusive
stock is reserved solely for Chivas Regal 18 Year Old.
