A 21 year old blended malt Whisky fit for the Queen.
Chivas Regal is born in the Strathisla Distillery—the oldest continuously operating distillery in Scotland—founded in 1786. The Chivas Brothers—purveyors of gourmet foods and Liqueurs since 1801—received a royal warrant to supply fine Scotch Whisky to Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle in 1843. Thus the “Regal” in the name. No pressure, right?
Recognizing that they would need a consistent supply of very high-quality malt Whisky, they decided to take charge and blend it themselves, and Strathisla was their source. Today, Chivas Regal is one the most popular Scotch Whisky brands in the world and produce a range of Whiskies for a world-wide audience.
As good as Chivas Regal is, Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21YO is even more so. You see, the current Queen Elizabeth was coronated in 1953 with a royal diadem festooned with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Upon her coronation, she was greeted with a 21-gun salute, as is the tradition. As official suppliers of Scotch Whisky, Chivas inaugurated an honorary release of their signature Whisky, appropriately named “Royal Salute.”
Given all that back-story, the details all begin to make sense. The minimum age of the Whiskies that comprise this malt blend is 21 year old and it is presented in a shorter, squat porcelain bottle—called a flagon—by the famous British ceramics house of Wade. It comes in three glazed colors: sapphire blue, ruby red, and emerald green. It arrives in a matching velvet pouch with the royal crest proudly stitched upon it.
If you are looking for a perfectly wonderful gift that speaks of prestige and can add a smile to the face of the sternest Ebenezer Scrooge this just might be it.
"Best blended Scotch 19 – 25 years"
- Whisky Bible 2017