The beginnings of Chivas
James and John Chivas were two of the 14 children of Robert and Christian Chivas, who lived on the humble and remote farm of Strathythan in the parish of Ellon in Aberdeenshire.
At 26 and 22 years of age, respectively, James and his younger brother John left the family farm behind to embark on a journey of more than 20 miles and several days to the city of Aberdeen, which at that time was in full industrial revolution, where dreams, ideas and new projects fit.
Upon arriving in the city John soon began working in a wholesale company and James found work in a small but very select grocery store. This store, established in 1801, had a great reputation for having the best luxury goods and liquors that served elite clients and the nobility of Scotland. The fame of this store reached such a point that Queen Victoria of England granted it the rights to supply goods and provisions to her royal summer palace.
James was fascinated by the flavors, smells and exquisite aromas that surrounded him and soon learned the craft of blending tea and liqueurs, developing a special sensitivity in both aromas and palate, which gave him superior skill in blending whiskeys.
With royal patronage, and following the death of the store's owner, James partners with a gentleman named Charles Stewart to acquire the store. It is from then on that James Chivas began to mix whiskeys using the many aged barrels that were in the store's cellars to end up creating what is considered the style of the Chivas house, which combines whiskeys with smoothness, richness and harmony of flavor.
The art of mixing
Charles Stewart left the partnership in 1857 and soon after, John joined his brother James in the store, forming the family business of Chivas Brothers.
The Chivas brothers became famous for their refined luxury products, with orders from all over the world.
Two years later, 'The 1860 Spirits Act' allowed the blending of whiskeys . This confirmed both the Art of Blending as an established technique and Blended Whiskey as a whiskey category in its own right.
From that moment on, the Chivas brothers began aging both malt and wheat whiskey in barrels. Eventually, along with other merchants-turned-distillers, such as Johnnie Walker and Dewar's , the Chivas brothers began blending malt and wheat whiskeys to create a high-end whiskey .
The birth of Chivas Regal and its growth
After the brothers died, John in 1862 and James in 1886, the company was taken over by Alexander Chivas, James's son who worked closely with his good friend Alexader Smith, the two continued to expand the business, achieving excellent and great reputation.
When Alexander Chivas died in 1893, Chivas Brothers was purchased by Alexander Smith and his new Master Blender Charles Howard.
Alexander Smith decided to pay tribute to its founders, so in 1909, together with the then master distiller Charles Howard, they released the first luxury whiskey in the world, Chivas Regal 25 years, pioneering and smooth, a perfect tribute to the legacy of the Chivas brothers.
It was soon recognized worldwide, becoming a success. The company was then renamed Chivas Regal. The United States fell in love with Chivas Regal for 25 years , becoming the quintessential symbol of the luxury clientele of the early 20th century.
This success was interrupted a few years later with its ban and it would not be until 1938 that it reappeared with the Chivas 12 years that we know today.
In the 40s after the war, Chivas Regal was a brand with problems, due to declining sales, but instead of reducing its price it doubled it. Sales magically skyrocketed. This action is known in the spirits world as the Chivas effect, which highlighted the notable consumption among the emerging middle class.
The company today
In 1949, Seagram's , one of the largest liquor companies in the world, purchased Chivas Regal and launched a massive advertising campaign.
With the additional revenue and distribution provided by Seagram's, Chivas Regal was able to purchase Strathisla, Scotland's oldest operating distillery. The pure malt used in the Chivas Regal blend is still made there.
In the 1970s, demand for Chivas Regal was so great that Chivas Brothers was forced to charter planes to deliver orders to its most important customers.
Today, Chivas Regal is owned by the Pernod Ricard company, but the Chivas house style has been passed down from generation to generation and following the tradition of his father and grandfather, who dedicated their lives to the Scotch whiskey industry. , Colin Scott, the fifth Master Blender of Chivas Regal continues to protect the know-how of his ancestors.
Different versions of this wonderful whiskey that we can enjoy today are:
- Chivas Regal 12 years
- Chivas Regal 18 years
- Chivas Regal Salute 21 years
- Chivas Regal 25 years
- Chivas XV
- Chivas Mizunara