ralfy review 700 - Chivas Regal 12yo @ 40%vol: (re-reviewed 2017)
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
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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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
How the time flies. I remember subscribing back in 2010. Cheers to 700, Ralfy!
TheQ
I've been watching since 2011
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
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…
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.
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.
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!
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.
congrats on your 700st review Ralfy!
you've always been educating
and entertaining, as well.
Keep up the good work!👍
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).
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 ;)
For such a mass produced blend its definately well done. One of the better "cheap" ones :)
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
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.
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.
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 🥃
Let me try that again...CONGRATULATIONS on 700, 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.
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.
Adding other whiskys to mellow blends are great fun! I absolutely support that suggestion :)
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!
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!
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
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.
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!
Chivas is a fine, Scotch whisky. It's really smooth, and quite flavorful. Nice review Ralfy.
Greeting Mr Ralfy, this video just popped up in my CZcams 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.
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.
Love this guy... I used to be a Scot too.... “let’s not be snobs”...
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.
Many congratulations for your 700th review, Malty Senpai! Eagerly awaiting your _Malt of the Year_ for 2017. Cheers!
Ralphy, I thank you for your many fine reviews which have increased my understanding of Scotch Whisky. I watch your CZcams 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.
Bought my first bottle of Chivas Regal 12 year old in 2022 - gave me heartburn
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.
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!
This (as well as the 2009 video) is a great video. Really appreciate the un-snobbed, open-minded review.
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, 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 ;-)
Say what you want a bout Chivas Regal 12, but this is the Whisky I use to lure newcomers into Whisky drinking. It's not the most complex, not the most refined and not even the most "sweet-gentle" type Whisky. But it is good at what it's meant to do.
. . . I totally agree !
Ownedyou yeh im the same. Its a good solid whisky.
If price weren't a factor, I would jump to Monkey Shoulder or CB Great King Street which also make great everyday sippers. That said, the price makes Chivas 12 a more reasonable option.
This is famous in India among night shifters. From college students to office guys in their fifties if they are staying up working then they go for chivas
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:(
Congrats on the big 700 Ralfy!
My goodness, am I already looking for that fireside Malt of the year special on Hogmanay!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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 🤤
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
Dear Sir Ralfy, thanks for the great video and the point you make: We should not become taste snobs!! But with all due respect: This artificially colored stuff is crap.
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)
Chivas 12 is my favorite blend, so far.
RALFY you finally got a better camera, Thank god
Yup, completely agree, start with the green label, add a dash of Laphroaig and half a drop of px sherry
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.
Hi Ralphy ....Became a whisky lover by watching your videos on whiskies....👍
My go-to blend is Buchanan's 12. So good and only $25 USD here. Very accessible!
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 40 percent in my part of usa. But, Macallan 12 and Laphroaig and Teachers are at 43.
My ritual malt moment consists of pouring a thumb of JW black, 🙉 shoulder, Ch Regal Mizunara or some other quality blend to temper the palate. Follow up with the region of your choice ovet 2 or 3 Ralfy.com videos. Salud!
700.. thats big. Well done Ralfy
While I do appreciate Chivas Regal 12 (had a sip recently)----it does seem to be a bit overpriced here in west central Wisconsin. No problem w/this stuff and indeed I agree it is a GOOD blend-----I tend to lean towards mixing my own single malts when I do decide to blend flavors.... Just last night I took a bit of Glenfiddich 12 and added some drops of Ardbeg 10.... Tasted like green apples stewed and mildly smoked------was delicious. Also tried blending a bit of Speyburn 10 and Ardbeg 10 a week or two ago---------found some interesting barbecue notes as a result...... As always, GREAT REVIEW Ralphy-------Have a good one!!!!
On the East Coast you can get a Chivas Regal 750ml bottle for $25. How much are they charging for it out there by you?
I seem to remember it being $30-35...... And like I was saying I do believe it to be a decent blend-----but more often I can find single malts I like around the $20-30 price range. When I do purchase something north of $30 I am typically purchasing a decent Islay region single malt scotch.............
Fair enough. Yeah I started with blended, but now I got to single malts all the time now.
I also started with blended scotch. I seem to remember it being either Passport or J&B. Curiosity about a particular blend might get me to purchase something different from time to time. But indeed most of the time I go for the single malts too......
The first scotch that got me started was my father in law's Johhny Blue Label. It was so good!!! The I started drinking single malts. Now when I drink blue label it's a $40 scotch at best in my opinion.
No smokiness. Clean, pure, fresh flavour. They must use a very special water 🚿
As per usual, this is great life advice - through the context of whisky!
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.
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!
Tempted after that review to buy a bottle of Blended Whisky, for Christmas Ralfy lots of food for thought there, thanks a lot.
I didn't like it overly-much; seemed to have a varnish aroma. But a mix of Chivas Regal and Vat 69 made for a pleasant drink.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Love this Scotch whiskey 🥃 but I hate the screw cap 🤬 should be Cork
I was recently given a Chivas Regal 12 bottled in the early 80's or late 70's. It's a 75cl bottle and bottled at 43% for the Spanish market. I think it might have the same contents as the one Serge reviewed and gave 88 points. It's every bit as good, if not better, than many a 10 or 12 year single malt.
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.
Congrats on 700. Great topic too
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.
Wow you gave that a high malt mark! I always see this in the bargain bins at bottle king for like $25.
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. :)
Congrats on 700 friend!!!
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.
Great video Ralfy! Like always you are the best of the best. Your channel is as good as Tennessee whiskey.
7 mins in and I'm predicting 84/100 as your blend mark.
. . . good guess !
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?
No snobbery
My all time favorite but I like blends. I like it with a mixer, water or ginger ale.
This weekend at my brothers birthday, someone brought some 13 euro blend (to mix with coke ofcourse).
But i thought i'd give it a go, while everyone was patiently awaiting my take on it (not even joking) i was pleasantly surprised.
The initial taste and development was quite good though a bit spirity, the finish was quick and short-lived.
But for a 13 euro whisky... not bad at all.
After that one glass i got tired of it and grabbed a beer.
To me the 12yo Chivas Regal is a good quality, pleasant, but also pretty boring dram.
By the way: I've gone full circle from "Don't ever use ice in your single malt, that's blasphemy!" to: "If you like a refreshing, strong drink, it's totally fine if you have your Ardbeg 10 or Lagavulin on ice - but don't think you've really tasted it, until you've had it neat at room temperature."
I do also revisit a standard Jimi Beam or Jack Daniels, Dimple or Chivas Regal once in a while, they're not bad: They're simple and have a pretty consistent and characteristic flavour.
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.
Always wanted to buy this but didn’t. Now I will.
Looks like his 'Blend' review score came in exactly the same as his 'Blend' review score for Johnnie Walker 12 in 2016. I wonder which he thinks is better, the CR or JW? Maybe neither.
How can they state "From 1801" around the upper neck? The Chivas brothers weren't even born then. Chivas Bros came into being only in 1857. All Chivas family members had kicked the bucket when the first Chivas Regal bottle came into the market, in 1909, in the ruddy USA, as a 25-YO ultra-luxe bottle. The 12 YO debuted in the USA in 1939. The paradox of the whisky industry: No Chivas Family member was connected to their family name. Its Jewish background under shrewdie S Bronfman prevented its entry into the Middle East till Pernod Ricard took over from the idiosyncratic son E Bronfman.
Ralfy skip a bottle or two and invest in some heating:) you will get cold unless its a good excuse for a hot toddy!