ralfy review 700 - Chivas Regal 12yo @ 40%vol: (re-reviewed 2017)
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- Опубліковано 25 лис 2017
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Review 700 It was 8yrs ago just after thanksgiving when I stumbled across Ralfy reviewing Glenfiddich and I havent missed one since! Thanks Ralfy for wising me up these past years and I hope for many more to come!
Happy 700th review, Ralfy! You've been my introductor to the world of whisky 4 years ago and still are my favourite malt guru. BTW, great content today. Back to the basics. This is what I especially like in your vidoes - having an open mind and leaving no stone unturned.
Really glad you re-reviewed this! I used to drink Chivas all the time, then noticed the drop in quality around 2010 or so. Went back and watched your review back then and you put into words what seemed to be the case for me. Sounds like their quality system caught up to the increased demand now, I'll have to pick some up.
Love the work Ralfy; it's a great relief to see a man dedicated to enquiry of the human condition, with an appreciation for having things done properly!
Congratulations Ralfy! 700! Well, my favorite blend that I have in my library, at the moment, is the 12yo Chivas Mizunara. I made sure I picked up a few bottles on my trips to Tokyo. I agree, it is nice to have a blend or two amongs the SMWs.
congrats on your 700st review Ralfy!
you've always been educating
and entertaining, as well.
Keep up the good work!👍
Drinking a Chivas Regal while watching (with the tulip glass) Trying to pick up on the many complex smells and tastes as described,
Great to have someone you could virtually see as a friend taking you through the paces of the whiskey - educating you as to its subtleties.
Congratulations on 700 videos Ralfy! I believe I've seen them all, some several times. I'll look out for this one for at 43% here it will be worth a try, and I really like the idea of add a drop or two of another malt. I'll have to keep a record of what I add in case I hit on something terrific. Thank you! Sincerely, Ossie
How the time flies. I remember subscribing back in 2010. Cheers to 700, Ralfy!
TheQ
I've been watching since 2011
Many congratulations for your 700th review, Malty Senpai! Eagerly awaiting your _Malt of the Year_ for 2017. Cheers!
Let me try that again...CONGRATULATIONS on 700, Ralfy!
Ralfy you made a lot of really excellent points about how we can get set in our ways over time. i can remember drinking my first Chivas regal and thinking it was horrible and never trying it again. That was when I first started my whisky journey and didn't appreciate spirits as much as I do now days. Also i can remember my grandfather drinking it and adding lots of ice and water. The moral of the story is that over time tastes and smells do change and so does the whisky. Cheers thankyou for all you do for the whisky community.
Congrats on the big 700 Ralfy!
My goodness, am I already looking for that fireside Malt of the year special on Hogmanay!
Great video as always Ralfy. I've got into whisky in the last couple of years and have not had Chivas 12 yet but I think it will be a blend I will add to my cabinet when one of my others runs out.
I have tried mixing some of my malt whisky with my blends and it is very interesting. I have a bottle of Black Grouse (not the Smokey Grouse) and I thought it was ok but it wasn't the affordable peat hit I wanted it to be. I had a bottle of Laphroaig 10 with a couple of small glasses left in it so I added it to the Black Grouse. It has improved it greatly not just in the smoke and peat flavours but I also got some sort of toffee custard flavour from it, very enjoyable.
It was previous videos of yours where you said adding a few drops of a better whisky can make a big difference that made me try it so thank you Ralfy.
I like having blends around. They are very versatile. I have them neat, on ice, in a cocktail, mixed with coke for friends but I also used them to make marinades for your cheaper supermarket steak cuts and off the shelf chicken fillets. Just a couple of caps full to your marinade overnight and your simple slice of cheap meat develops quite an interesting flavour.
I find the Chivas 12 year old a great blended whisky, plus blends are what get many people into whisky first because of their availability compared to Single Malts. Great review on this Ralfy! Also great meeting you in Glasgow two weeks back!
I agree, if you want a decently priced whisky that's easily available and actually tastes good, chivas ticks all the boxes
What a great review...and after so many years giving a better lesson of Chivas Regal 12, a true joy to watch and sip my recently opened Chivas Regal 25 (altough after so many years cork disintegrated a little bit)....thank you and looking forward if it happens that you get a hand on Chivas Regal Extra/XV/Brother's Blend/Mizunara or maybe even Ultis or The Icon....I hope...untill then, there is plemty of material to watch.
Thanks
Adding other whiskys to mellow blends are great fun! I absolutely support that suggestion :)
I love your work, sometimes I sit back alone and listen to what you have to say, it feels like I am having a drink with some one. thanks.
For such a mass produced blend its definately well done. One of the better "cheap" ones :)
Ya Ralfy .. many conservatives don't experiment and get institutionalised ... You are really great..big brain , analytical . You are an institution.. I honor you .. salute you from India
God bless you Ralfy I’ve made my own awesome blend, a little bit of single malt really went a long, long way … your really can’t tell…
This (as well as the 2009 video) is a great video. Really appreciate the un-snobbed, open-minded review.
Good review as always! RE: The Bailie Nicol Jarvie - in Australia it came with an 8yo age statement, I stocked up when I heard they were being discontinued!
Congrats on 700 friend!!!
Congrats on 700. Great topic too
Greeting Mr Ralfy, this video just popped up in my UA-cam and I am watching it,as some mentioned my whisky journey started from this one. For many years I used to drink this and I still have one for very same reason you said, guest who don't appreciate single malt. 😆 I had a 21 year old Royal Salute which I bought for my work achievement and kept the bottle because it was very pretty and lately nought a 12 year old and filled it up. My guests loved it cos they thought it is a $300 bottle of whisky.😆 I really appreciate your opinion about not sticking to single malt only.
RALFY you finally got a better camera, Thank god
Chivas Regal 12 lends itself quite well to blending with a young single malt. Chivas is at the sweeter end of the scale so it wants something a little astringent. Look for a bare bones malt that has no influence from sherry or peat. A dram of Chivas with a teaspoon of Glen Grant 10 makes a fine drink. Try the reverse as well, namely a teaspoon of Chivas into a dram of Glen Grant 10. A teaspoon of Monkey Shoulder will also work.
Great video Ralfy! Like always you are the best of the best. Your channel is as good as Tennessee whiskey.
Also purchased my oldest whisky(blend) last week.
17 year old islay mist, quite affordable, didn't get the chance to really get to know it though, moving to my new house next weekend.
Where i can finally have my own whisky room, hurray
As per usual, this is great life advice - through the context of whisky!
Funny coincidence Ralphy, I’ve opened this bottle some week ago, like every year at this time frankly. But, leaving issues of personal nature I got two more reasons why it’s good to have a blend around.
1. Sniffing fancy stuff all year round, in a Christmas time I’d like to just have my whisky in a glass at the end of the day. Busy at work, busy at home - preparations, some bank holidays after that. I want to sit at my coach sip my whisky, but watch Home alone and chat with family at the same time, not bothering about structure, finish cask provenience etc.. Time for sitting in a corner like a Gollum trying to press your nose through the glass will come in January - geek time ;)
2. As a background before some older stuff - to warm up pallet and better contrast
Love the video, cheers!
Ralfy, we need a new re-review for this blend in 2023. As you did with Johnnie Walker Black Label last year. Thank you Sir!
I think you should become a keeper of the quaich! What you have done for spreading the whiskyknowledge and positive view on singlemalt/scotch far outreaches what most brand ambassadors have done anyway. Here's to the next 700 reviews. Cheers Ralfy 🥃
I was given a bottle of Chivas Regal, that was bottled in 1997. I sipped it neat and found it quite good. Twenty years resting in the bottle, made a big difference.
Chivas is a fine, Scotch whisky. It's really smooth, and quite flavorful. Nice review Ralfy.
Great video as always! I find the Chivas Regal (especially the 18 yo) is a very good whisky. Easy to drink and tasty.
Hans Kristian Frågodt The 18 year old is very good.
@Ralfydotcom , what homerecepies do you use for "sore throat" or "cold" ... i ask because winter time is good for some interesting "drinnks" ? here in Bulgaria (eastern Europe) many people use warmed up "rakia" ( ракия - grape spirit that is usually destilled 2 times) with honey or suggar and claim it works for colds ... are there such customs that you know
Ralfy, you went from 83 to 85 on malt marks... Chivas must be doing something right! I keep it around for newbies, but I'll stay with the single-malt 15 and 18 year olds ;-)
It's funny, even before Ralphy mentioned it, I was wondering what a drop a Laphroaig would be like in this blend. It seemed like it would be an interesting combination according to Ralphy's tasting notes.
I always have blend on the shelf, use it mostly while cooking :) and for uninterested guests:) and to warm up my taste buds putting it at the beginning of tasting lineup - in this case it usually is Chivas:)
Still one of my favourites. Time to come back to it, as you say. Thank goodness for the age statement. So far the only big name unchillfiltered blend I’ve come across is Cutty Sark Prohibition with no age statement. Have you tried it yet, Ralfy?
Many thanks for this review. Chivas 12yo can be at times a nice malternative, notably in mote 'remote part of a country' when your only whisky source is a local small shop. What I noticec through last couple of years is that Chivas 12yo is more and more oaky, by which I mean it's got very dry, more woody in the taste and finish. I think it has something to do with the lower quality of oak barrels nowadays:(
I’m new to scotch about 4 months. I dove right into it and have tried / bought about 7 scotches. I’ve tried single malt and blends; I’m really enjoying the flavour adventure and had no idea it was so delicious. Anyways Chivas is a new try for me. I bought it in a whim and was worried being a blend it might not be good; after listening to your review I plan to give it a go and not return it. So far I have tried JW black, Auchentoshan American Oak and 12 year, Highland Park 12 year, Glenfiddich 12 yr, Glenfiddich 15 year, Bowmore 12 (reminds me of campfire, love it). So far my fav is the Highland and Auch 12.
Ralfy you are a genius!
1/2 tsp of any Islay in a dram of Chivas 12 = Johnnie Walker smoky "smooth".
And can rotate for variety sort of like picking what meat you'd like on your pizza!
Whereas a little Islay in a single malt highland lacks the grainy mouthfeel my noob palate still likes.
Saves the step of finding a grain whisky as 3rd ingredient - where the heck find anyway?
Whilst some would say wasting the expensive Islay, I say "extending"
Or maybe this is just my "gateway" to Laphroaig straight ;)
700.. thats big. Well done Ralfy
Really got the mint once you mentioned it I got butterscotch on the nose and mint and honey oak for the taste the box says hazelnut but it's more like a mild vanilla. I'm new to the scotch whiskey world but I'm really liking this one the sweetness is inviting it has barely any finish a little bitter from the wood do you have any recommendations for a sweeter scotch but something smoother than this
Ralfy, you mentioned that many grain whiskies taste of corn. I understood that almost all the grain whisky that come off the column stills in Scotland came from wheat or barley mash, not corn.? Having said that, I have also noticed that many standard blends have a tin corn juice flavour to them.
Tempted after that review to buy a bottle of Blended Whisky, for Christmas Ralfy lots of food for thought there, thanks a lot.
Havent had a blended scotch in forever but i picked this up to make a penicillin cocktail. I will say it makes a great penicillin topped with a little ardbeg 10 🤤
Yup, completely agree, start with the green label, add a dash of Laphroaig and half a drop of px sherry
Hi Ralphy can you review some of the age statement single malts/blends from North Star spirits?
Chivas 12 is a great blend. Better than the 18 in my opinion, which I have found bitter over the past 10 years in 4 different bottles.
Can you do a re-review on the Dimple 12 Y.O whisky? I love your reviews!
Greetings of the season Ralfy. Could you review the newest Chivas regal 12. In my experience it’s reduced a little in quality. Yet I am not too sure about it. Can’t wait to know your take on it. Thanks a ton. Merry Christmas.
I'm getting into Whisky and Chivas Regal is one I'm drinking currently. Nice on its own or in Coke, but not too expensive.
You can never go wrong with this one. I keep coming back to it whenever I'm in the mood for some whiskey and don't know what to choose. I find it great for gifts as well, to both whiskey drinkers and people that want to get started. Everybody likes it, and it's not as "cliche" (if you could call it that) as JW's Black Label (no disrespect intended, I also like it).
In an age statement blend, is the grain whisky also aged in barrels?
My go-to blend is Buchanan's 12. So good and only $25 USD here. Very accessible!
Just ordered a bottle of Chivas 18yo off Amazon for £35. Great deals on there over Black Friday weekend.
Wow that's a great deal, plus its a great whisky
Wow you gave that a high malt mark! I always see this in the bargain bins at bottle king for like $25.
Speaking of grain whisky.
Could you review Port Dundas 12?
It’s still available and it is a single grain bottle , with an age statement from a defunct distillery.
Something i would never have looked at but it sounds interesting for a night in with a few friends that aren't Whisky drinkers but like to taste my good stuff lol, ill just tell them its a new edition i sure they wont no the difference and at the end of the day its cheap and cheerful, great review Ralfy full of good food for thought.
Hi Ralphy ....Became a whisky lover by watching your videos on whiskies....👍
Ralphy, I thank you for your many fine reviews which have increased my understanding of Scotch Whisky. I watch your UA-cam videos often. I am an old coot (67) living on social security benefits and personal savings. My health is not robust but it is good enough that I may enjoy a wee dram from time to time. I live alone in Philadelphia and I am hoping you can tell me how I can expand my repertoire of scotches without exhausting my financial resources. The average price point for an acceptable scotch is, for me, $40 USD plus or minus $5. I enjoy the usual blends of Chivas Regal 12 and Johnnie Waker Black Label 12. I am hesitant to spend $50 or $60 or $70 on a bottle of scotch that may disappoint me. That would be a large expenditure for something I may or may not like. Therefore, I tend to stick to old familiar friends. I tend to prefer blended scotch and do not like the smokey flavor of peat in many Islay scotches. I one time tried Laphroaig and did not like the taste of peat at all. Perhaps there are some Speyside single malts or blends you could recommend which I might enjoy without going broke. I live in Phladelphia which does not have a remarkable range of Scotches to sample. Perhaps you could recommend a few which might expand my repertoire. Many thank! Greg Muller Philadelphia PA USA
. . . check out what is available where you are and follow the collective ratings on whiskybase.com for opinions. Look out for discounts in November, especially online. Good luck.
Love this guy... I used to be a Scot too.... “let’s not be snobs”...
This is happening to me at the moment, after 10 years of almost exclusive interest in single malts... found my liking in easy pleasing blends like VAT69, Haig Gold, and Black & White. Better even I was lucky to get their 1960s counterparts as well for comparison. Must say the older ones are all around better for different reasons, but to my surprise recent bottlings do carry their own weight and are dangerously palatable. :-)
Hogibaer i get you. Ive hammered a lot of single malts and sometimes i look at what ive got in my collection and i just want a blend as they arent so serious and its pretty light hearted and easy on the wallet.
I really wish VAT69 were available in California. Band of Brothers got me interested in that brand.
What is the percentage of grain to malt on these blended whiskeys?
this really isn't bad at all,i got a bottle for christmas,no complaints at all,kinda grows on you a bit,i find its better after a bit of a rest in the glass,no water or ice either,neat is fine,i checked the price of this online and it's about what i thought it would be,i think it was about 33 dollars for the bottle,which is fine for this whiskey,and like others have mentioned,letting this settle in the glass is best and the whiskey seems to get better as the bottle empties,almost tastes like a different whiskey altogether,i'm really starting to understand the complex nature of whiskey and how interesting it is.
Good Ole Chivas 12 and glenlivett 12 were the first scotch chivas 1st single malt was glenlivet, as a malt lover brings back good memories
Last time CR 12 rather poor whisky. But early, 4 or 9 years ago it was excellent, it was explosion of taste and energy in my blood, brain and mouth!
A blend that is delicious especially when you add a teaspoon of Ardbeg 10 to your dram is Monkey Shoulder!! Love it ! give it a try ,its delish!
Hello, I have been watching some of your videos and I was very intrigued by your "living bottle" that you showed at the end of last year. It is such a fascinating idea and seems like a great way to create one of a kind flavors at home. I had a few questions about it.
How much volume from a bottle should be poured into a "living bottle" at a time?
What are some low budget scotches to do this with for a beginner?
Could it be done with blended whiskies?
Finally, what is to be done if the mix goes "bad" in its flavor mixture?
. . . never less than 1/4 empty
. . . any GOOD whisky whatever the cost can be used.
. . . if it goes 'bad' . blend it back to 'good' . that's the challenge.
Good luck.
ralfydotcom
Wow that was fast! Thank you so much!
I have one on the go. Only rye though. It's fun and interesting to see how it evolves. Make sure to keep a list of what you've added.
I generally agree with your reviews and have had my horizons expanded about 1 million % after watching 90% of them over the years. But chivas has and will always remain on my "meh" list. In my opinion, it's surpassed by many single malt, non blended whiskys in its price range here in the states. But man I love your reviews even for products I don't care for. You are a badass my friend.
Cheers Ralfy! Master Minister of Malt - Always enjoy your presentations. I have a few bottles in my collection that you haven't reviewed (yet) and am wondering if any are on your radar: Alexander Murray bottling of Ben Nevis 17 year old, Aberlour 16 year old, Bowmore 12 year old, Highland Park 15 year old and Edradour 10 year old...
you sir are funny in a wry sort of way...love it. chivas is okay, not the best but good enough to stock for an emergency.
Hi Ralfy! I really enjoy your videos, in fact I personally think you are the best in this. I got a question; how come that Chivas 18 got a lower rate than Chivas 12? I watched both reviews in several occations trying to get why but couldn’t.
. . . simply down to intrinsic quality of smell and taste !
A knowledgeable wine aficionado once told me that you should always have some red blends on hand (basically table wine) to keep your taste buds honest & to stop from becoming a snob. My go to blend (albeit a Single Malt blend) is Monkey Shoulder.. Just delicious!
Ralfy ... can you talk about how you drink whisky when you're not doing a review? Like if you were sitting down some random evening and wanted a drink, how would you drink it, how much would you pour, etc!
Bought my first bottle of Chivas Regal 12 year old in 2022 - gave me heartburn
At first I thought Chivas Regal 12 was awful, but I gave it a chance and as the fill level has been going down in the bottle it has got much better.
I think it's very much one of those whiskies that needs plenty of time in the glass and oxygen in the bottle to settle down.
exactly my sentiments on this whiskey,i knew i wasn't crazy,and glad i stuck with it and thought this might need to breathe a bit to settle like you stated.
bought a bottle of Chivas 12y.o. just yesterday even though being a malt lover but i should tell ya - it ain't that bad, buddy)
Dear Ralfy. I was hoping that such a milestone as 700th review would be celebrated in some special way... :(
Review 500 was awesome...
Love ya anyway. :)
Bailie Nicol Jarvie, wasn't he a character in Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy?
Chivas 12 is my favorite blend, so far.
Love you, Ralfy!
I thought you would totally dump on the old Chivas 12, but I
was very surprised about how flattering you were. It is so out of character!
I like to start a flight with the likes of Chivas 12 as a whistle wetter... It's a good start!
Are you a bird? ;)
If I was I'd be farther South for the Winter...
...Oh and congrats on 700!
You're just a bit early, Mark... I'm at 610 LOL
Haha! I didn’t realize I was stuck in the comments. I’ll be watching!
I'd long since written off Chivas as just a marketing ploy to sell blended whisky at malt prices but perhaps I should give it another chance.
Good review as always ralfy. But i thought you would celbrate the 700 review with a bit more interesting whiskey. Not complaning just saying. :) Congrats on the 700th
I thought the same thing. A fairly *meh* dram for number 700.
This is interesting because just the other day I tried a recent bottle of Chivas and I thought it was better than JW Black...by better I mean of higher quality.
Still 40 percent in my part of usa. But, Macallan 12 and Laphroaig and Teachers are at 43.
Ralfy Chivas Regal 12 or Buchanan’s Deluxe 12?
Happy New Years
Dear Ralphy would you review the Dimple Golden Selection?
. . . no plans, it's NAS.
Well done, and fairly done, for my favorite affordable blend. I just think it's a lot more complex with all good flavors than Johnny Walker Black and it's cheaper.
Always wanted to buy this but didn’t. Now I will.
MY fav hit cheers ralfy
I like blends...grew up drinking Crown Royal...so I enjoy a good blend..which Chivas is.
except that Crown Royal is Canadian and Chivas is Scotch.
@Moose Soup Exactly. Most Canadian blended whisky is pretty horrible as it is. If I want to drink something with more of a rye profile, there are plenty of good cheap pure Rye's and Rye heavy bourbons on the market, that buying most of the easily avaible Canadian whisky just isnt worth it.