Often times, in that never ending quest to find the perfect single malt, we find ourselves ignoring the blended sibling - there's simply only so much time and ever so many drams to partake of.
It is worth remembering though, that 90% of the world's scotch sales is made up by the blended kind. And, as demand for single malts increases and their prices rise higher and higher, I find myself becoming increasingly curious about those staples of the blended world, the ones sitting just above the bottom shelf, the same ones that play such an important part to that 90% market share. Some I know of old, others, not so much; they are the NAS or 12-year olds from Chivas, Johnnie Walker, J&B, Grant's, Ballantine's and Famous Grouse, to name but a few.
Thus, this is a side quest to re-view, or in some cases, view anew, albeit through the lens of experience as gifted by the tasting of numerous single malts.
Founded in 1786, the Strathisla distillery in Speyside is the oldest continuously operating Highland distillery and the home of Chivas Regal 12. Now approaching its 50th year in production, Chivas Regal 12 is a secret blend of grain whisky and single malts including, amongst others, Strathisla, Longmorn and Glenlivet.
On the nose, you're immediately hit with a sweet and sour fragrance of Granny Smith apples, sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with heather honey. There's an ever so light and faint minty note at the back. It gives the dram a perfume quality, fresh and clean.
The mouthfeel is light with a sense of effervescence.
On the palate, apples galore upon arrival; as red apples are to Dalmore 12, so green ones are to Chivas 12. Development leads to pears, salted almonds, a nugget of soft toffee and a sprinkling of spice and pepper. Now turning bitter, the short finish is all about heather, salt and pepper.
Overall, you might say perhaps, 'meh, unexceptional'; sure, but I'd also add affordable, dependable and at the end of day, I felt, an enjoyable glass of whisky.
Drink it neat, with water, or soda and a twist of lemon, mix it in a cocktail, make a whisky sour, or even accompany it with a tray of smoked meats and cheeses (highly recommended), this one's a jack of all trades.
20.0
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@cascode I keep thinking that blends should make a comeback at any time following their success in Japanese whisky, but not so far. It's a shame because the likes of JW 15 and 18 have shown that you can make a very good blended whisky and sell it for not much money.
@CKarmios It is indeed a pity that the fashion for malt whisky has religated blends to the back shelf, apart of course from likewise fashionable blends like Compass Box. Some of the old-school blends are too laid-back and "easy" for modern palates, but others have moved with the times and offer great value and much enjoyment. Personally, I've never been a fan of Chivas in any of its forms, but that's not prejudice, it's just that I don't enjoy its profile that much. There are other blends (Johnnie Walker, Dewars, Ballantines, Old Parr and so on) that I like more, but all the blends have their followers for solid reasons. I think we forget that at our peril. Blending still basically supports the whisky industry, and it's a very rare distillery that can survive entirely on malt production.
Great notes and context! I still rarely enjoy a blend, but these various 12 YO ones are usually far from awful. I didn't realize/had forgotten that this had Longmorn in it, which makes me kind of want to retaste it as well!