Review #: 417
Description: Chivas Regal 12 Year (1960s Bottling)
Spirit: Scotch
Background: Jumping back into time, this Chivas Regal blend comes from when Seagrams owned the brand. I’m unsure of the potential distilleries that might be in here, but it should be somewhat different and also has a slight bump in proof. Just to note, the original cork broke when I attempted to open the bottle, however the rest of the cork seemed to stay in tact and I was able to remove using a cork screw. So I don’t think there should be any taint but take this information how you will.
Distillery – Various
Bottler – Chivas Regal
Brand – Chivas Regal
Selection – N/A
ABV – 43%
Age – 12 Years
Nose – Much darker and fruitier, chocolate covered cherries, still some of that cinnamon raisin bread, almost like a real toasty s’more (though not much sweetness or marshmallow), a nice oaky, almost nuttines, a bit of electrical fire
Taste – First hit of some cherry and fruit, a bit of brown sugar, sweetness is quickly covered by some nuttiness, baking chocolate, vanilla
Finish – Baking spices ramp up, dark chocolate, oak and spice linger nicely, though there is a bit of bitterness in there as well but not nearly as aggressive as the modern bottle.
Score: 4
Would I buy a bottle? No. I got this for about $60 all said and done at auction, which is fine but it’s nothing super crazy beyond the “dusty” nature of it
Thoughts: Certainly better than the modern bottle, but it falls in line with the other two dusties. Certainly a different whiskey from decades ago, but even then they were the budget bottles and it shows. I’ve been really impressed with the noses on each but ultimately the taste didn’t live up to it, though all were drinkable and these make for great ways to share with people or to get into dusty bottles for a semi reasonable cost.