Chivas Regal 12 Year Old

So, according to foodanddrink.scotsman.com/drink/… this is the fourth best selling whisky in the world, so it should be awesome . . . giggles like a naughty schoolboy.

I was gifted a 350ml bottle of this a few weeks back by my amazing better half as it was on offer and she had some vouchers to use up - she always was a romantic sort! I'd never tried it before, being a Johnny Walker Black fan, as I'd always been given the impression that it was a very light blend by contrast. Well, I can't do a side by side comparison (just yet) but I have been delving in over the weeks to see how it is. So . . .

Nose - Immediately pleasant if a tad simple. Honey, toffee, little prickle of ginger, slight raisin and with some air time a faint custardy note comes out. To be fair, the grain isn't immediately obvious at all, which has to be a good sign.

Taste - The grain becomes a little more prominent on the development but the arrival is quite malty with the raisins coming out more definitively. There's a little more honey but the toffee that was on the nose has taken a back seat here.

Finish - OK here come the toffee along with some tannins (think old tea bag) that are rather bitter but not so much it kills it. Short to medium (at a push - it does linger a wee while).

Well, my expectations were pretty low to be honest but this has been quite a nice surprise. Yes, it has some flaws and the flavours are simplistic and rather generic, but it works. As a blend you can often get for £20 in the UK it gives decent value at that price point. Probably not one I'd buy over JWB but not something I'd turn down or be unhappy to receive as a gift. On reflection, this reminds me of the profile of Grant's but with less noticeable grain influence.

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