Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/611718
78 / the tasting panel / december 2015 WORLD WHISK(E)Y With over 200 years in the whisky business under its belt, Chivas Brothers, long considered to be the global leader in the luxury Scotch whisky category, has mostly stayed in the forefront by gaining a loyal following for its classic blends like Chivas 12 Year Old and Chivas 18 Year Old. So, when it recently came out with Chivas Extra, a step away in both style and process from the whiskies it was known for, people were bound to take notice. The first new offering from the venerable house in nearly ten years, Chivas Extra is a significant detour from the tried and true Chivas style. A blend of some the rarest and most unique reserves and malts in the Chivas portfolio, each of which is finished in oloroso Sherry casks before blending and bottling, Chivas Extra delivers a smooth, eminently "sippable" whisky with a beautiful gold hue and inviting sweetness on the palate. "Chivas Extra is our first new globally available product since 2007," explains Colin Scott, Master Blender at Chivas. "The use of oloroso casks to mature the whisky delivers a profound depth of flavor and a whisky that showcases the character of this unique blend, taking it to a whole new level," he adds. So, who is the market? Initially, Chivas thought it may be the bourbon and/or Sherry-influenced single malt drinker—those looking for that sweet and spicy note often found in those whiskies—but with the added complexity that comes from the Scotch whisky base, it seems to have gone beyond that. "We're seeing good response there," says Giovanni Martinez, Global Chivas Ambassador for the Americas, whose duties include brand development, trade education and the coordination of the Chivas Masters Competition, a global bartender competi- tion that Chivas created in 2014. "We're seeing a great response from those behind the bar," he adds, "particularly in regards to how Chivas Extra is being used for interpreting some of the classic Scotch whisky–based cocktails, like the Rob Roy, Blood & Sand and others, whose original recipes were more in line to complement the notes found in Chivas Extra than most of the whiskies being used in those cocktails today." Part of the thought process behind creating Chivas Extra was the current trend by a fairly large contingent of Scotland's whisky houses towards releasing expressions with Sherry cask influence. Yet, for all those on the market, none were very affordable, leaving Chivas an exclusive niche in this quickly growing category. With an SRP of $39.99 per 750-ml. bottle, Chivas Extra is priced below most single malts on the market, making it an ideal reach-for on the store shelf by a consumer looking for a slightly softer style of Scotch whisky, as well as for bartenders who are looking to maintain their bottom line while using a slightly sweeter Scotch whisky in cocktails. "The Sherry cask–finished sector is huge right now, so by bringing it out at under $40 a bottle, we felt we could jump in and have an edge right off the EXTRA Special Chivas Brothers Takes Whisky to a New Level with CHIVAS EXTRA by David Ransom