Chivas Regal 25 Years (700 ml)

When Charles Stewart Howard launched Chivas Regal in 1909, it carried a 25-year age statement — at a time when no other blended Scotch made such a claim, effectively inventing the premium blended category from scratch. That founding expression is the direct ancestor of what sits in this bottle today. Strathisla Distillery in Keith, Speyside — the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands, founded 1786 — anchors the blend as its heart malt. Process water is drawn exclusively from the Broomhill Spring, naturally filtered through granite approximately one mile from the distillery, contributing a mineral softness to the base spirit. Strathisla's short-necked pot stills deliberately allow heavier vapours to rise, producing a full-bodied, glycerol-rich new make that carries weight through decades of maturation. Fermentation runs in traditional wooden washbacks for thermal stability before double distillation, with heart cut collected at 65–70% ABV. The 25-year blend draws on over 20 single malts — including Longmorn, The Glenlivet, Braeval, Miltonduff, and Allt-a-Bhainne — matured across ex-bourbon American oak and ex-Oloroso sherry European oak casks, with Master Blender Sandy Hyslop favouring second- and third-fill casks at this maturation length for integration over extraction. The age statement marks only the youngest component; older whiskies are present but unlabelled. Dried orchard fruit, beeswax, and dark toffee dominate, with the sherry oak lending walnut and dried fig depth; the drinking window is open now and will hold comfortably for years in bottle.