The Chivas Regal 18 Years Old exemplifies the skill of great whisky blending. Unlike its 12-year-old counterpart, this whisky has a considerably stronger spicy bite on the tongue, and the earthy, musty notes become more intense as well.
Many years of skill are required to consistently generate a signature flavour from a diversified stock of whiskies.
This dram was created by renowned master blender Colin Scott and is made up of over 20 grain and malt whiskies that have matured for at least 18 years. The featured whisky in the blend is a Speyside malt from Strathisla that was specially made for this whisky. Chivas Regal 18 Years Old is bottled with 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof), and its volume is 70 cl.
As a result, the quantity of Chivas Regal 18 Years Old that can be produced in any year is necessarily restricted. In addition, each bottle has its own serial number. This implies that each bottle can be traced back to a specific blending and through the years in cask to the distillations that gave it life.
Chivas Regal 18 Years Old has a rich amber hue and is claimed to have up to 85 distinct tastes. It begins with the aromas of dark chocolate, toffee, and dried fruits, with a hint of oakiness. The velvet palate has more chocolate, caramel, and a gentle smokiness with warm, burnt orange notes. It finishes dry and mildly spicy, with a pleasing smoke towards the very end.
The exquisite drink also has aromas of bacon fat, honey, orange rind, and pipe tobacco, as well as deeper scents of black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and pipe tobacco.
The entry is silky smooth, semisweet, intense, and honeyed; the midpalate features grainy sweet, spicy, tangy, fruity, nutty, and floral tastes. The oak flavour shines through in the aftertaste, perfectly rounding off this superb blended Scotch — one of the world’s best-blended Scotches.
Overall, it’s a well-balanced, pleasing mix with mellow and creamy notes. The Chivas 18 Gold Signature has a very soft texture, a smooth mouthfeel, and a sweet flavour with a trace of dryness and a long finish.