Chivas Regal?

[bgast1]

I hear that it is an overpriced Scotch blend. I have a bottle of Grant's and I like it ok. Can someone please advise on Chivas and if Chivas is not worth it, please advise of another blend. I enjoyed a miniature of Famous Grouse (the next level up from their lowest).

I have a bottle of Laphroiag and Grant's. I am looking at what the next bottle should be. Johnnie Walker Red is cheaper than Black but is it any good? So many brands, so little money to experiment.

[Brisko]

Chivas 12 is okay but it is pretty inoffensive (read:bland). I think it's fairly similar to Grants, honestly. If you can find it, Hankey Bannister is good, and cheap. Otherwise Islay Mist is decent and not too expensive.

If you like the Famous Grouse you might try to find Isle of Skye 8 y/o. It is similar in profile but a better whisky.

Johnnie Walker Black is a far better whisky than the red. A lot of people hate the red-- I don't mind it once in a while but I probably would never buy a bottle. Black label is a great whisky and worth every penny.

[cowdery]

Johnnie Walker is the most popular brand of blended scotch in the world and for a scotch beginner, Johnnie Black is an excellent benchmark, meaning it's a very good place to start and compare others against. You could do the same thing with Chivas, I just happen to like Johnnie Black. Generalities like "Chivas is an overpriced scotch blend" aren't very useful. If there's another, cheaper blend that one likes as well or better, then one might be tempted to call Chivas 'overpriced' but it is hardly a universal or particularly in-the-know sentiment.

[TomH]

A lot of people knock Chivas 12 as overpriced and overhyped, including some of the experts. While it not my favorite blend, it is very drinkable (I frequently order it in bars since it is everywhere). It is heavily speyside influenced and has very little peat, so it gets a lot of disdain from the peatheads. Since Chivas 12 is in almost any bar, buy a pour before you buy a bottle. That makes your decision easy. Personally for a non-peated type of blend I prefer Mitchells'.

Compare it to Johnnie Walker Black (which I definitely prefer to Red) which has a lot more peat which also can be found at most any bar. I also agree with Brisko, if you like Laphroaig Islay Mist is a cheap alternative.

[dbk]

There are certainly plenty of decent blends out there, but my favourite is Té Bheag (pronounced "Chay Vek"). It's really spectacular, especially for the price.

[bgast1]

Thanks everyone. At $30.00+ Johnny Walker Black is beyond my price range for something that I might consider drinking every day. But then I could skip a few days and savor it all the more.:grin: Especially since I also like bourbon more and will probably go with the Evan Williams. I have been looking for Weller (?) also but can't find it.

[cowdery]

I haven't been a regular blended scotch drinker in years but a long time ago, when cheap blends were my thing, I got a lot of mileage from Passport and Scoresby, and occasionally Ushers.

[Brisko]

Another one I forgot about is Teacher's Highland Cream.

It's not available everywhere but it's about $20 per Liter where I'm at. It's a peaty highland blend with a high percentage of Ardmore in it, and although it's a little green around the edges, it's still very good and a good value for the money.

[Jono]

Check out Scotch sites for opinions as well....Ralfy is very good:

http://whiskyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/172-recommended-older-blended-whiskies.html

http://www.whiskymarks5.blogspot.com/

[ebo]

Another one I forgot about is Teacher's Highland Cream.

It's not available everywhere but it's about $20 per Liter where I'm at. It's a peaty highland blend with a high percentage of Ardmore in it, and although it's a little green around the edges, it's still very good and a good value for the money.

[Robmo]

At $30.00+ Johnny Walker Black is beyond my price range for something that I might consider drinking every day. But then I could skip a few days and savor it all the more.:grin:

I've had very good luck w/ Johnny Walker Black. You can enjoy it neat, on the rocks, as a scotch and soda or in a Godfather, an ambrosial cocktail (scotch + amaretto)...a very versatile product.

[LeoDLion]

I've had very good luck w/ Johnny Walker Black. You can enjoy it neat, on the rocks, as a scotch and soda or in a Godfather, an ambrosial cocktail (scotch + amaretto)...a very versatile product.

[ebo]

Dewar's 12 is a decent pour, IMO.

[Megawatt]

There is a new release out there called Johnny Walker Double Black. I had the chance to taste this. Diageo who owns JW says it's peatier and aged in deeply charred casks. It was smoother than the regular Black Label. It costs a little bit more but not that much.

http://www.scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk/johnniewalkerdoubleblack.htm

Double Black, eh? Seems like Diageo is applying the same strategy they used for Crown Royal Black: more robust taste, and a dark colour we are supposed to attribute to the charred casks. Interesting that they dropped the age statement. Still, I'd like to try it. Crown Royal Black is pretty decent in my opinion.

[craigthom]

Double Black, eh? Seems like Diageo is applying the same strategy they used for Crown Royal Black: more robust taste, and a dark colour we are supposed to attribute to the charred casks. Interesting that they dropped the age statement. Still, I'd like to try it. Crown Royal Black is pretty decent in my opinion.

Scotch regulation allows coloring agents, so they could just be making it darker. If they've upped the Talisker content it could be interesting.

Back on topic, so it's not generally accepted that Chivas is the Maker's Mark of Scotch?

[LeoDLion]

Scotch regulation allows coloring agents, so they could just be making it darker. If they've upped the Talisker content it could be interesting.

Back on topic, so it's not generally accepted that Chivas is the Maker's Mark of Scotch?

No, they did not add coloring and sell it for 15 to 20% more than the regular Black label.

The Double Black has some heavily-pealt malts and aged in deeply charred oak casks. They did not say what malt component were added but it must be one of the peated ones perhaps from Islay.

Anyway its a test product. Dont know if they will go ahead and market it.

[craigthom]

No, they did not add coloring and sell it for 15 to 20% more than the regular Black label.

On what are you basing the claim that they haven't added more E150A caramel color? They say that they are using heavily charred (but, I assume, used) barrels, but they don't claim that all the color difference comes from that, unless there's some source other than that press release.

[LeoDLion]

On what are you basing the claim that they haven't added more E150A caramel color? They say that they are using heavily charred (but, I assume, used) barrels, but they don't claim that all the color difference comes from that, unless there's some source other than that press release.

Because there was nothing in the marketing brochure that said they added color. And that by using heavily charred oak barrels this will impart a deeper golden color to the whisky. They did not say how long it was aged but given enough time that is what it will do.

And it is illogical and impractical that they would add color only and hike the price by 20%. Don't you think so? The more important thing is the component of the whisky seem to suggest that they are using peatier single malts compare to the regular Black Label. But I have not seen or read what precisely those are.

BTW, I hope you don't think that a JW Double Black is twice as dark as the regular Black and that is why you started talking about color? It has nothing to do with being dark or twice as black. I think they mean twice as good as the Black label.

[TomH]

Anyway its a test product. Dont know if they will go ahead and market it.

I would think its now moved beyond test market status. It's been in the travel retail (duty free) stores for almost a year now and its currently being introduced in the US (at least Binny's has announced it). I would assume (always dangerous I know) that the travel retail was the "test" and now they're going live.

BTW, you have a much higher opinion of Diageo than I do. I don't believe there is any relationship to the price increase vs caramel use in their minds. If they think a darker color will influence sells they will add it. Also if they have decided to market it at a 20% premium to JWB, thats a significant increase over their travel retail pricing if I remember correctly (of course that observation is limited to the store where I purchased it and their could have tested different pricing in different stores).

Tom

[Brisko]

Because there was nothing in the marketing brochure that said they added color.

Added color is not something that Scotch producers like to talk about in any capacity, let alone in a marketing piece.

And it is illogical and impractical that they would add color only and hike the price by 20%. Don't you think so?

It's Diageo, logic doesn't apply. And, don't give them any ideas!

The more important thing is the component of the whisky seem to suggest that they are using peatier single malts compare to the regular Black Label. But I have not seen or read what precisely those are.

The foundational peated malts in JW are Talisker and Caol Ila, so presumably they are using them in higher ratio. Also the fact that this blend won't have an age statement leads me to believe that they would be using younger stocks of the peated malts, given that the peat flavor softens considerably with age. If I had to guess I would say that they would keep using older Speysiders and grain stocks to maintain the balance and smooth mouthfeel that JW Black is known for, while taking advantage of the vibrancy of somewhat younger peated stock.

I think they mean twice as good as the Black label.

I don't think anyone believes that, JWB is one of the best blends on the market.

[LeoDLion]

I have tasted it in Asia when a friend brought it, probably in China since he is doing some contract work there. The Double Black is subtle and smoother than the regular Black. The one he brought is in a liter bottle. I have not seen it in the local store but when they do sell it I will try it.

I can not remember if its darkier in color but I think it is not.

[Megawatt]

Leo, I think you have misunderstood some posts here. No one is suggesting that all they did is add colour and up the price. I'm not even sure if it is darker than regular JW because I have only seen pictures. I was basing my assumptions on another new Diageo product, Crown Royal Black. The marketing is the same: deeply charred barrels, more robust taste, 20% higher price, and in the case of Crown Royal, much darker colour. They don't state that the colour is due to the casks alone but they definitely imply it, and I don't buy it for a second. Why? Because it's almost as dark as Coca Cola.

But I like Crown Royal Black, and I'll buy it again. I think the higher price is justified by the taste and higher alcohol.

[LeoDLion]

Leo, I think you have misunderstood some posts here. No one is suggesting that all they did is add colour and up the price. I'm not even sure if it is darker than regular JW because I have only seen pictures. I was basing my assumptions on another new Diageo product, Crown Royal Black. The marketing is the same: deeply charred barrels, more robust taste, 20% higher price, and in the case of Crown Royal, much darker colour. They don't state that the colour is due to the casks alone but they definitely imply it, and I don't buy it for a second. Why? Because it's almost as dark as Coca Cola.

But I like Crown Royal Black, and I'll buy it again. I think the higher price is justified by the taste and higher alcohol.

You are right. I thought that is what is being suggested which does not make sense to me. But like I said I don't remember the Double Black being that darker than the regular Black. Personally I don't like my whisky to be dark. For rhum yes.

It is true that some distilleries and perhaps bottlers add color to their product. Perhaps if the whisky is quite pale I understand the reason of coloring it to make it look more robust. And if they do they will not advertise it. But I don't like colored whisky.

[Brisko]

For what it's worth, some distillers claim that a little caramel actually helps integrate the various casks, flavor-wise, so that's another possible reason for E-150 beyond just visual aesthetics. At any rate it is pretty common with scotch.

When you say that the Double Black is "subtle and smoother" than the standard JWB, what does that mean? Can you elaborate? That seems like the opposite of what they said they were going for.

[smokinjoe]

I have a bottle of Chivas 12 yr that was gifted to me, and I just have not been able to get into it. I much prefer JW Black for my Dark Side Blend Attacks...The Chivas just seems one-dimensionally sweet. Drinkable, but it doesn't get in my wheelhouse.