Review by: TOModera
(Thanks to Jolarbear for this sample!)
Continuing on with my series named “The Blender: A totally not rip-off of tintin777‘s review series”, I moved along to another well known and respected blend group, Chivas.
Chivas and I have not had the best of whisky friendships. While I will enjoy a dram of it while out with people, that’s usually because I want to be social and I’m eating something, so frankly I don’t really care about the taste.
Is it booze? Am I drinking it because it doesn’t make me retch? Yes on both? Great, no hangover from rum and cokes and no weird looks from ordering White Russians.
As such, while I look all ‘cool’ (see: Hipster) and sophisticated (see: old) by ordering a Scotch, it’s not close to a number one choice. But at least it’s cheap.
In order to remove this stereotype from my head, I’ve tried different age statements of Chivas, and today will be continuing this trend with Chivas Royal Salute 21 year.
Distillery: Chivas Brothers Ltd.
Bottler: Distillery Bottling.
Region: Blend.
ABV: 40%.
Age: 21 years.
Cask type: Unknown.
Price: $175.85 (CAD) at the LCBO.
Color: Burgundy.
Nose: Caramel, strawberry/raspberry, licorice, mango, peach, wood, mint, grass
Wow. Right out the gate, you can really smell this one. Even at 40%, it has a strong, powerful nose. The kind that will lift you up and drop you in the bed before ravishing you.
This may be a game changer. Really fruity and spicy, yet there’s a lot of wood elements too. Really good.
Taste: Strawberry, wood, herbal, anise, ginger
Watery texture. Remember how you thought you’d be ravished by this one? Turns out that it’s all watery (not in a good way) and no killer. It has some problems downstairs, if you catch my drift. You better masturbate, if you don’t.
Anyway, it’s pretty simple. There’s some fruitiness to it, which is nice. Got that going for it, at least.
Finish: Raspberry JELL-O, wood, ginger, rosemary
Again, simple. By this point the whisky is snoring and you’re considering cheating on it.
It’s not bad, per say, just pretty simple. The finish doesn’t end quickly, so that’s something. You could probably bring it home to your parents and they’d like it. Granted you’d never be happy. And probably kill it with a golf club given the chance.
What was I talking about again?
Conclusion: My marriage is fine, I’m just joking around up top. I get ravaged with plenty of follow through, don’t you worry about me.
Great nose on this one. And then nothing else really going for it. But great nose. Strong, powerful, can smell it across the room. I can see why people love it, as some people judge a whisky by the nose first. Me? Not so much.
It’s okay. I’d drink it and smile. Yet I wouldn’t buy it. Just not enough going on. Maybe it’s the Abv? Or maybe it’s on purpose? It’s smooth, so maybe more people will enjoy that. If you do, more power to you, this is better than the 18.
Final Score: 68.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 