Eighteen-year-old scotch whisky normally comes with a hefty price ticket. Johnnie Walker 18 12 months Outdated, for instance, has an MSRP of £94.
However then there’s Chivas Regal 18, broadly out there for beneath £70 within the UK and round $75 within the US.
It’s a revered title. The whisky is well-reviewed. So why does it price a lot much less?
This text explores how Chivas 18 is made, what it tastes like, and who it’s geared toward. It additionally compares it to different well-known 18-year-old whiskies (blended and single malt) to search out out whether or not this value hole is about high quality, notion, or one thing else completely.
What Is Chivas Regal 18?
Chivas Regal 18 12 months Outdated is a blended scotch whisky, first launched in 1997 by long-time Grasp Blender Colin Scott.
It’s created from over 20 malt and grain whiskies, all aged at the least 18 years. At its coronary heart is Strathisla, a Speyside distillery recognized for its mushy, fruity fashion. Different possible parts embody malts from Longmorn, Glen Grant, and Glenlivet, all owned by Chivas’s guardian firm, Pernod Ricard.
The grain whisky provides smoothness and consistency, serving to stability the mix.
Bottled at 40% ABV, it’s chill-filtered and colored for consistency. Positioned as a step up from Chivas 12, it’s broadly out there and recognized for providing larger depth with out sacrificing approachability.
Tasting Notes and Character
Chivas Regal 18 is commonly praised for its stability and class. It’s clean, wealthy, and layered, a whisky designed to be approachable however nonetheless rewarding.
On the nostril, you’ll discover darkish chocolate, dried fruits, orange peel, and a delicate nuttiness. There’s additionally a touch of oak and mushy spice. The aroma is heat and welcoming, with only a hint of smoke within the background.
The palate is the place the whisky’s repute for smoothness actually shines. Count on toffee, milk chocolate, stewed fruits, and a contact of cinnamon. The mouthfeel is silky. The end is medium in size, barely dry, with lingering notes of spice and oak.
It’s not designed for peat lovers or followers of cask-strength depth. As an alternative, it’s constructed for broad enchantment. Polished, comforting, and refined.
Why Is It So A lot Cheaper?
Chivas Regal 18 usually sells for £70–£75 within the UK and $60–$80 within the US. That’s properly beneath Johnnie Walker 18 (round £94/$100), and near some lower-profile single malts like Jura 18, Deanston 18, and Speyburn 18.
So why the value distinction?
1. It’s a mix
Chivas 18 combines malt and grain whisky. Grain whisky is faster and cheaper to provide, which helps hold prices down, with out sacrificing smoothness.
2. It’s made at scale
Chivas Brothers owns a number of distilleries and has entry to huge shares of mature whisky. That scale permits environment friendly mixing and a constant provide.
3. It’s priced for accessibility
This isn’t a uncommon launch. Chivas 18 is positioned as reasonably priced luxurious, broadly out there, and meant to be a daily buy, not a collector’s merchandise.
4. Single malt pricing varies
Not all 18-year-old single malts are costly. Some fly beneath the radar, whereas others like Macallan 18 begin above £300 on account of model status and restricted availability.
Chivas Regal, against this, is a worldwide title. It is likely to be a mix, nevertheless it’s a refined, recognisable one, and its pricing displays that. It’s not low-cost as a result of it’s inferior. It’s low-cost as a result of it’s well made, broadly out there, and constructed for broad enchantment.
How Does It Examine?
If you evaluate Chivas Regal 18 to different well-known 18-year-old whiskies, the worth begins to face out.
Take Johnnie Walker 18 12 months Outdated. It’s one other blended scotch, bottled at 40% ABV, and positioned as a premium step up within the Johnnie Walker vary. The profile is a contact smokier and drier than Chivas. It’s a great whisky, nevertheless it usually retails for £90 or extra, in comparison with round £70 for Chivas 18.
Now have a look at single malts. Macallan 18 Sherry Oak, some of the recognisable names in scotch, normally sells for £300 or extra. It’s wealthy, intense, and fantastically made, however priced as a luxurious merchandise. That’s a distinct class altogether.
On the opposite finish are extra modestly priced single malts like Speyburn 18 and Deanston 18. These can each be discovered for round £70 to £90. They’re glorious worth for age-stated malts, however they lack the worldwide recognition of Chivas. Their pricing displays that.
In context, Chivas 18 gives a uncommon mixture: world model standing, a revered flavour profile, and a value that sits properly beneath its direct competitors. Its goal is to ship on a regular basis luxurious.
Is It Really Any Good?
Chivas Regal 18 has constructed a robust repute for high quality. It’s a daily award-winner, with gold medals from worldwide competitions and a loyal world following. Critics typically reward its clean texture, balanced flavour, and delicate complexity.
Charles Steele for The Whiskey Wash described it as “an impressive entry level” and “a whisky that would simply assist a brand new Scotch drinker fall in love with the fashion.” That’s precisely the place it shines: as a chic, accessible dram with simply sufficient depth to maintain you coming again.
On websites like Distiller and Reddit, the consensus is broadly constructive. Some skilled drinkers discover it a little bit mushy or too mild, notably at 40% ABV. However many observe its reliability, versatility, and refined character.
It might not be the boldest whisky on the shelf, nevertheless it wasn’t designed to be. Chivas 18 is all about stability. And it delivers that persistently.
Last Ideas: Low cost or Intelligent?
The worth of Chivas Regal 18 would possibly increase eyebrows, nevertheless it shouldn’t increase doubts.
It’s reasonably priced as a result of it’s meant to be. The mix format, large-scale manufacturing, and clear model technique all hold prices down, with out compromising on high quality.
It’d sit close to entry-level single malts or beneath different 18-year-old blends like Johnnie Walker. However that’s not an indication of weak point. It’s a mark of good positioning.
For round £70, you get an age-stated whisky from a revered home. It’s clean, well-balanced, and straightforward to take pleasure in. Whether or not you’re an informal drinker or constructing a house bar, it’s a bottle that looks like greater than you paid for.
