Wanting to get a blender to clarify what his or her task entails is by no means straightforward. Not because they may be secretive, far from it. They're almost relieved to have a chance to tell their story.

It is just that the intricacies of blending are complex that strange analogies have to be employed: orchestras, football teams, actors cars, cakes, houses - all appear inside the blender's lexicon. Colin Scott, master blender at Chivas Brothers, is a master with the art. Created by firm of high-class Aberdonian grocers who began blending whiskies inside the 1840s, Chh Regal has been Seagram's flagship Scotch since 1949.Alex Smith Jersey It truly is Colin, however, who has overseen the current explosion of Chivas brand names, including the exceptional 18-year-old a^ the amazing Oldest.

Colin feels it really is important not to acquire hung i more than numbers. 'How a lot of malts and grains I go into the blend is not crucial,' he says. 'What is very important is constantly acquiring Chivas the glass.' The a single constant is Strathisla.Patrick Willis Jersey 'Making a Chivas blend is like building a home; with malts as the bricks, grains as th'j mortar and Strathisla as the foundation. Chivas Regal is one particular shape of house, 18-year old is grander and Oldest is a castle!'

They might be individual brand names, but then is a distinct family resemblance. 'The brand have a thread operating via them ... richness, smoothness and roundness of flavours. You use distinct bricks to chang the flavour profile, while retaining the character,' says Colin. 'That signifies manipulating the selection of offered flavou (distinct malts, grains, wood types, ages) and making various but equivalent teams. Chivas 18- isn't 12-year-old aged for a further 6 many years, it's a various group.'

To make matters much more fascinating, every team is in a constant state of flux. 'Consumers don't desire to see character or quality alter, but to preserve them you mu make changes,' urges Colin. 'If you might have a single pot of whiskies to use within a blend, you have to j usually also have an additional pot which thou includes diverse whiskies will have the same flavour as the 1st. Because you knc what exactly is in each from the pots, you know wh any differences are and can therefore find ways to narrow any gap among them.

That second pot is like footballers sitting on the bench. We know how they perform, so are work is to make sure what ever ones we use they'll make chavis. CHIVAS The Chivas brothers owned a high-class grocery business in Aberdeen and started blending whiskies (for, among others, the Royal household) in the 1880s Michael Crabtree Jersey.

Regal appeared in the turn of the 20th century and was another light Spey'side-dominant blend to create it big in the United states for the duration of Prohibition.Jerry Rice Jersey It was bought by the Canadian distiller (and one-time bootlegger) Sam Bronfman in 1949 and is nevertheless a major player in the US and Far East markets.

TASTING NOTES

Chivas Regal 12^year-old
Deceptive weight behind the apparently light mix of grass, apples and cereal on the nose. A grassy, almost mossy start off for the palate, it crisps up deliciously mid-palate. * * * (')

18-year-old
A magnificent melange of currant leaf, orange pulp/peach cobbler, barley malt and turfy smoke. The palate explodes with flavour, but often in that elegant, restrained household style. * * * * * Oldest

The finest while in the range. Peatier nevertheless, with a wealthy, complex mix of citrus notes (tangerine, lemon) heather, fruit and spicy grain. Stunning. *