# Chivas Regal

Chivas Regal (/ˈʃɪvəs/) is a blended Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard in Scotland.

## History

Chivas Regal was created in 1909 by Chivas Brothers Master Blender Charles Stewart Howard as a 25-year-old luxury whisky.
1939 saw the debut and continued success of Chivas Regal 12-year-old Blended Scotch in the US, at what was to become a global standard proof value of 75 degrees, i.e., 42.8% ABV. (The Americans mark it as 86 proof as they double the ABV to arrive at proof value.) Henceforth, quality, age (generally 12 years), cost (high), popularity (sales) and demography (high-end) would define a "premium" Scotch Whisky.
In 1997, the Chivas Regal range was expanded with the launch of much older whiskies, such as the Chivas Regal 18-year-old, and in 2007 the Chivas Regal 25. Other expressions followed, like the Mizunara in 2014, The Icon in 2015 and the XV in 2018.
In 2001, Pernod Ricard acquired Chivas Brothers. Its sales grew by 61% between 2002 and 2008. In global terms, Chivas Regal recorded volume sales of 4.9 million nine-litre cases in 2012 and 2013, but sales decreased to 4.4 million cases in 2015. It has been the world's fourth-best-selling Scotch whisky since 2016. Chivas Regal has been the market-leading Scotch whisky aged 12 years and older in Europe and Asia Pacific.

## Product line

* Chivas Regal 12: blended from whiskies matured for at least 12 years.
* Chivas Regal Extra: a blend with a higher proportion of sherry casks.
* Chivas Regal Extra 13: blended from whiskies matured for at least 13 years.
* Chivas Regal 18: blended from whiskies matured for at least 18 years.
* Chivas Regal 25: created using whiskies aged at least 25 years and available only in limited quantities.
* The Chivas Brothers' Blend: a 12-year-old blend intended to reflect the original Chivas house style, with a predominance of Speyside malts, in particular Strathisla and Longmorn.
* Chivas Regal Ultis: a blended malt whisky containing no grain whisky.
* Chivas Regal Mizunara: originally released for the Japanese market in 2014. Part of the blend is matured in Mizunara oak casks. Made its debut in the US in January 2019.
* Chivas Regal The Icon: blended from whiskies matured for at least 25 years. Launched in 2015 initially as a Dubai Travel Retail exclusive. This blend is sold in a hand-blown Dartington Crystal decanter crafted from green glass.
* Chivas Regal XV: unveiled in 2018, Chivas Regal XV is a 15-year-old blended Scotch whisky which has been finished in casks that previously held Grande Champagne Cognac.

## Strathisla distillery

Strathisla distillery in Speyside is home to Chivas Regal and its visitor centre. Founded in 1786 as Milton/Miltown distillery, it is the oldest working distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. The Strathisla single malt is the core malt whisky in all Chivas Regal blends, buttressed by malts from Longmorn, The Glenlivet, Allt-a-Bhainne, Miltonduff Distillery and Braes of Glenlivet (now Braeval) among other distilleries, and grain from Strathclyde distilleries in the Lowlands.

## Awards

Chivas Regal whiskies have performed well at international spirit ratings competitions. In 2013, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition jury awarded its Double Gold Medals to the Chivas Regal 18yr, 21yr and 25yr whiskies.

### San Francisco World Spirits Competition annual ratings

| Whisky | 2003 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Chivas Regal 18yr Gold Signature Blended Scotch Whisky | Gold | Double | Silver | Double-Gold | Bronze | - | Gold | Gold | Double-Gold |
| Chivas Regal 21yr Royal Salute Blended Scotch Whisky | Silver | Double-Gold | Silver | Silver | Silver | - | Gold | Gold | Double-Gold |
| Chivas Regal 25yr Original Blended Scotch Whisky | - | - | - | Double-Gold | - | - | Double-Gold | Double-Gold | Double-Gold |
| Source: ||||||||||

## In popular culture and sponsorships

* In the 1973 film The Exorcist, the character Father Dyer brings this whisky for Father Karras to drink after the death of his mother. They share it and he remarks "Where'd you get the money for the Chivas Regal, the poor box?"
* Frank Sinatra would often request to have a bottle of Chivas Regal handy in his dressing room during tours. Later, his 1990 "Diamond Jubilee" tour was sponsored by Chivas Regal.
* It was a favourite whisky of the journalist and novelist Hunter S Thompson.
* Tom Waits mentions Chivas Regal in the song “Downtown” on the 1980 album Heartattack and Vine.
* In the 1975 film The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Jack Lemmon orders a bottle of Chivas Regal in a liquor store after having his apartment robbed.
* In Only Fools And Horses Series 2, episode 3, "A Losing Streak", first broadcast in 1982, Delboy asks for a 'Large Chivas Regal' at the bar to try and impress Boycie.
* In 1982 Charlene and Stevie Wonder released "Used To Be", a duet containing a reference to Chivas Regal.
* In Risky Business (1983) Joel Goodson (played by Tom Cruise) pours a glass of Chivas Regal and Coca-Cola after returning home from dropping his parents off at the airport.
* The Beastie Boys song Brass Monkey, released in 1987, includes the lyric "we don't mind Chivas".
* The characters in Charles Willeford's 1987 novel The Shark-Infested Custard favor, and lament the expense of, Chivas Regal throughout the book.
* In Working Girl, from 1988, savvy New York City receptionist Tess McGill played by Melanie Griffith orders a "Chivas" during an engagement party for her friend Cynthia (Joan Cusack), immediately prior to a proposal from her boyfriend Mick Dugan played by Alec Baldwin.
* In the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire, Daniel and Jonathan drink shots of Chivas during their business dinner at Bridges.
* Kelly Clarkson's 2007 album My December includes a hidden track entitled "Chivas". The track is about an ex she ran into at a bar while drinking Chivas.
* In the Mad Men season 6 episode, "The Better Half", Ted Chaough compares Fleishchmann's margarine to Chivas Regal (because it's a relatively expensive brand of margarine), while Don Draper compares it to Budweiser (because he compares margarine to butter).
* In the American Dad! season 6 episode, "Spring Break-Up", Roger (as "Scotch Bingington") invites Spring Breakers to party at the Smith household. As the self-proclaimed "King of Spring Break," he has a staff that dispenses Chivas Regal.
* In the House of Cards season 3 episode "Chapter 29", First Lady Claire Underwood orders "Two Chivas, neat" during a scene in the White House.
* British rapper M.I.A. namedrops Chivas Regal in her song "Teqkilla". At the time, M.I.A.'s fiance was Benjamin Bronfman, who belonged to the family that owned Seagrams.
* In 2011, Chivas Regal sponsored The Asian Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sports Category.
* Chivas Regal signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the British Premier League football team Manchester United in August 2018. As a follow-up in October 2019, it created a special Manchester United-themed 13-year-old blended Scotch whisky in honour of former team manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Partly matured in ex-rye casks, this expression was created exclusively for the US where Manchester United reportedly has over eight million fans.
* The launch of Chivas 13 Manchester United edition follows that of a similar release in Australia in August 2019, viz., Chivas Extra 13 American Rye, a 13-year-old Australia-exclusive blend finished in ex-rye whisky casks.
* The Chivas Regal Ultis 1999 Victory Edition: a 20 year old Blended Malt bottled in 2019, using single malts of 1999 vintage from the Strathisla, Longmorn and Braeval distilleries, in tribute to Manchester United winning The Treble (the Premier League, FA Cup and the European Cup in the same season) in 1999.