At the beginning of October, Chivas Regal’s Master Blender, Colin Scott, had arrived in Australia to help with the official launch of the brand’s first new expression in just under ten years - Chivas Regal Extra.
While Colin has been the Master Blender for Chivas for 41 years, today his role mostly involves supporting Chivas as the face of the brand. That said, Colin’s love for whisky and blending still sees him regularly back in Chivas’ home, Speyside, to oversee the next generation of blenders and Chivas’ signature style.
drinks trade: Australia is the first market to preview Extra. Why Australia?
Colin Scott: Australia has always been a lead market for Chivas and at the moment the growth we’re experiencing here is fantastic. This was a way to take that one step further.
DT: Are you happy with the result of the newest expression?
CS: I am so proud.
In fact, to have been part of creating the Chivas Regal family is just fantastic, because when I first started there was only Chivas Regal 12 Year Old. Today we have Chivas Regal 12, 18 and 25 Year Olds, and now Extra. And there’s a slight break from tradition with Extra as there’s no age statement on it, which adds another dimension to blending.
DT: Can you tell me a bit more about the production process behind Extra?
CS: As blenders we’re always going to work within the Chivas style, and the Chivas style is there in Extra too, but with an added dimension. With Extra we’ve been able to nudge the constraint of the age statement of 12 and bring in these beautiful malts that have been matured in sherry casks, which is something quite special, because traditionally the first casks we matured our whiskies in were sherry casks. But what was very important in the blending part was to not make the sherry prominent, because that’s not the Chivas style. So it’s there, you can see it, but it’s not overwhelming; it’s just got that subtle sweetness and richness, that extra richness to the blend.
DT: What’s unique about Extra?
CS: I think one of the ways to look at Extra is to think of it like a cake. The Chivas style is the cake and the smooth icing is the selection of aged malts that we have, and then the cherry on the top is the sherry. So when you take the cake, icing and cherry, that combination gives you an experience for Extra.
DT: This is the first new Chivas blend to be released in almost 10 years, why has it been released now?
CS: We wanted to create something that people can trade up to. Drinkers of Chivas 12 will trade up to Chivas 18 on special occasions, but with Chivas Extra people can trade up and stay.
You can actually become a Chivas Extra drinker because it forms a category all on its own. This is another Chivas to have in your cupboard that’s achievable, whereas 18 and 25 are a bit far away. So we now have two arms to embrace the consumer with (12 and Extra).
DT: Had you had any experience with blending before joining Chivas?
CS: No. When I joined Chivas in 1973 I began in production - bottling, packaging, and quality - and then from there I got involved with the blending team. So it wasn’t until the 80s that I got involved with blending. Then I was asked to join the team and was taught about blending from the previous Master Blender, Jimmy Lang. Jimmy retired in 1988 and I became Master Blender in 1989.
DT: What do you love about your job and whisky? They must go hand-in-hand?
CS: I think once you get involved, just to work with these amazing whiskies, is fascinating, and I find it fascinating how whiskies work together and also how the cask influences the spirit. Sometimes you can be blending with 30, 40, even 50 different whiskies.
To know that you’re bringing pleasure to people is great. And that’s not a case of just what I’ve done, but it’s a reflection of what my predecessors have done and what the next generation of master blenders will do. What we’re doing is taking the past to create today’s whisky, while also looking at the new spirit and checking that to go into cask to mature for the future. We’re guardians of the past, present and future.
DT: Which expression are you most proud of?
CS: For me, it has to be Chivas 18. The company put my signature on it and named it Gold Signature, so there’s a little personal touch in there for me. And today it’s a leader in its category.
DT: Is there a new generation of blenders in the making at Chivas?
CS: Yes. We have a team back in Scotland, which means I’m now lucky enough to be able to do marketing support and leave the team.
DT: Are there ever any disagreements between blenders in preference?
CS: No not on this, this is blending and working with flavours. There are little differences between each person’s taste and smell preferences, but we all know our strength and by talking to one another we can understand one another’s language.
DT: During your career at Chivas Regal, have you seen any development in the category?
CS: What’s exciting now is that you’ve got the young adults who are looking for more information and excitement, and there’s a lot of young entrepreneurs who are looking for the finer quality things in life. So it’s not so much just about the traditional drinker anymore. That’s why in Australia we’re launching Extra with cocktails, because there’s a big following for cocktails and people are out looking for that innovation.
DT: Do you think blending is an art or a science?
CS: I would say that it’s an art. A lot of people say that distilling is a science, but I still reckon there’s an art in distilling, because there’s an art in running your stills so that you cut in and cut out to get the heart - to put your heart into the product - and that to me is an art.
DT: How would you recommend someone who’s never tried whisky before, or is relatively new to the category, should drink it?
CS: I’d recommend starting by adding a little water. And here in Australia, because of its warm climate, you may want to add a couple of cubes of ice. There’s no rules. Once you’ve put your Chivas in the glass, it’s up to you, whether it’s in a cocktail, with a mixer, neat, water or ice.
I drink whisky with water because that’s how I’ve been working with it for all these years. If you add water you almost drink it like wine, you can take a sip and hold it in your mouth, discover the flavours and then try some more.
Add water, and if anyone says otherwise, you can say that that’s what I do.
DT: Can we expect anymore new expressions from Chivas anytime soon?
Without revealing too much, Colin did say -
CS: We have a very active new product development system and that involves all facets of the business at Chivas Brothers …
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