Chivas Regal 12 is one of the best-known blended Scotch whiskies in the world, and a lot of that popularity comes down to how gentle and easy it is to drink. It’s smooth, a little sweet, and forgiving in a way that appeals to seasoned whisky drinkers and complete newcomers alike. It’s also versatile, working just as well neat as it does over ice or mixed into a long drink.
So if you’ve picked up a bottle for the first time and you’re wondering how to get the most out of it, here’s a look at the best ways to enjoy it.
A Quick Introduction to Chivas Regal 12
Chivas Regal 12 is a blended Scotch with its roots in Speyside, bottled at 40% ABV, with every whisky in the blend aged for at least twelve years. It’s built around Strathisla single malt, which the distillery describes as the heart of the blend, combined with grain whisky for a rounder, creamier texture.
According to the official tasting notes, you’ll find wild herbs, heather, honey, and orchard fruits on the nose, followed by a palate of honey, vanilla, hazelnut, and butterscotch, with a rich, lingering finish. What all of that adds up to is a whisky with a soft, honeyed sweetness.
It’s affordable, too. A 700-750ml bottle usually costs between ₹2,800 and ₹4,200 in India depending on state excise duties, around $30-$35 in the US, and £25-£35. The combination of quality and reasonable price is a big part of why it turns up so often at celebrations and gatherings.
Because it’s such a smooth, mild whisky, there’s no single right way to drink Chivas 12. The better approach is to match the serve to the moment, and the sections below cover how to do exactly that.
What’s the Best Way to Drink Chivas Regal 12?
The honest answer is that there’s no wrong way, and the versatility is really the point. Chivas 12 is smooth enough to sip on its own, but it also holds up well over ice or mixed into a longer drink, so the best way to drink it depends a lot on the setting and your own taste.
Chivas 12’s smoothness is by design, with the grain whisky in the blend adding the creamy quality that ties the various single malts together and gives Chivas its characteristic softness.
For a whisky drinker who wants to appreciate this craft in its purest form, drinking it neat makes the most sense. If you’re after something more refreshing, especially in warm weather, ice or a mixer will serve you better. And if you’re hosting, mixing it into a highball or a simple cocktail lets you make several drinks at once without much fuss.
Should You Drink Chivas Regal 12 Neat, on the Rocks, or Mixed?
Each of these approaches suits a different mood, so it’s worth knowing what you get from each one.
Neat
Pouring it on its own, at room temperature, is the way to get the fullest sense of the whisky. Give it a moment in the glass before you taste, and if you want to soften it further, add a few drops of water. This opens up the honey and vanilla notes without watering the whisky down too much.
On the rocks
Adding ice cools the whisky and takes the edge off the alcohol, which makes it lighter and easier to drink, particularly in warm weather.
The one thing worth doing is using a single large cube or sphere rather than a handful of small cubes, since less surface area means slower melting and less dilution. That way the whisky stays flavorful for longer instead of turning watery halfway through.
Mixed
This is where Chivas 12 is at its most useful, and it’s where the brand puts a lot of its own attention. Chivas describes it as an ideal Scotch for mixing, and its mild, honeyed character means it blends into longer drinks and cocktails without getting lost or clashing.
If you’re new to whisky or serving a group, this is usually the easiest and most crowd-friendly route.
What Are the Best Mixers for Chivas Regal 12?
The mixer most closely associated with Chivas is soda water, in the form of a highball. It’s light, refreshing, and about as easy to make as a drink gets.
From there, it’s easy to swap the soda for something with a bit more flavor. Ginger ale is a popular choice, and Chivas describes it as a good mixer for people who are new to whisky, since its sweetness and spice work nicely with the honey notes in the blend. Cola and apple juice both do a similar job as everyday, no-fuss options.
For something a little more unusual, Chivas has an official Kombucha Highball that mixes 50ml of the whisky with 150ml of kombucha and a lime wheel, which gives you a lightly fermented, tea-like drink.
That tea connection runs deep for Chivas. The pairing of Scotch and green tea took off in China in the early 2000s and became hugely popular across parts of Asia, to the point that it’s often credited with driving a boom in whisky drinking there.
If you’d like to try it, a lightly brewed, unsweetened green tea makes a genuinely good mixer, offering a bittersweet, grassy backdrop to the whisky’s sweetness.
What Occasions Suit Chivas Regal 12, and What Should You Make?
Chivas 12 has always been a whisky built for company. Chivas calls it a blend made for sharing, and its easygoing character suits the kind of relaxed hosting where you’re making drinks for a group.
If you’re serving a few people, these three official Chivas serves cover most tastes:
- Classic Whisky Highball: 50ml Chivas 12 and 150ml soda water over ice, with an orange wheel. The simplest crowd-pleaser.
- Ginger Highball: 50ml Chivas 12 and 150ml ginger ale, with a lime wheel. A little sweeter and spicier, and a good starting point for anyone new to whisky.
- Whisky Sour: 50ml Chivas 12, 20ml lemon juice, 20ml sugar syrup, two dashes of Angostura bitters, and one egg white. Shake hard without ice, shake again with ice, then strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with lemon and a cherry.
However you pour it, the point of Chivas 12 is that it doesn’t ask much of you. Sip it slowly or mix it long, on its own or in a crowd, and it works either way.
How do you enjoy Chivas Regal 12? Let us know in the comments.
Read the full article at How To Drink Chivas Regal 12 Year Old
