Chivas Regal Ultis

”(For God’s Sake) Give More Power to the People” 

Whisky Review # 917

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: Chivas Regal Ultis

Type: Blended Malt Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: A Mix of Ex-Bourbon Casks and Spanish Oak Sherried Wood

Chill Filtration: Yes

Price Range : US$ 130-160 (June 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive for what it offers. 
Buying Advice: 😑 The Blend is Okay but Thin. Regrettably Forgettable.

Colour:

Amber with shades of Orange (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

The first thing I have to notice is the rather hesitant delivery of the Ultis. I simply can't imagine that Chivas goes through all this care and love for this luxury Blend and then bottle it at 40%. It doesn't make sense from a quality point of view. It's still not bad mind you but the statement could have been so much stronger. It's quite Sweet with Malt, (Dried) Fruit, Caramel & Spices leading the way. The Sherry influence is noticeable but not too strong. Good Balance between the two types of Oak used for the maturation.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Sweet Apples, Red Berries, Orange, Herbal Tea, Pepper, Cinnamon, Tobacco and Leather.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Bounty Candy Bars, Charred Oak, Grass and Straw, Mixed Nuts and Dried Fruits, Marzipan, Nectarines, Mandarin, Forest Floor, Dusty Track, Cardamom and Nutmeg.

Strathisla, the Rainy Home of Chivas

Palate:

A Balanced mix of Sweet, Bitter & Sour notes. It just lacks the Power. What a pity!

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Mixed Nut and Dried Fruits, Sweet Apple, Orange, Peardrops, Charred Oak, Dusty Track, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Honey, Toffee, Bounty Candy Bars, Nectarine, Mandarin, Papaya Cream, Leather, Nutmeg, Cloves, Mint , Herbal Tea and Licorice.

Tormore Distillery

Finish:

Short/Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and Medium Dry. The inadequate ABV leaves you with this thin impression and mouthfeel that spoils most of the fun. There's also a certain quantity of indifferent casks in the mix. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Honey, Sugar, Mixed Dried Fruit & Nuts, Orange, Dusty Track, Grass & Straw, Oak Char, Red Grapefruit, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Licorice, Mint, Cacao, Tobacco, Leather and Black Espresso.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to the Ultis. It's thin enough as it is.

Rating: 82.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good.

Conclusion:

The Ultis is the first ever Blended Malt produced by Chivas. The use of five Single Malts (Allt-A-Bhainne, Braeval, Longmorn, Strathisla and Tormore) honors the fact that Chivas only had five Master-Blenders since the Blend was introduced in 1909, namely Charles Howard, Charles Julian, Allan Baillie, Jimmy Lang and Colin Scott. The name Ultis is a combination from the Latin words Ultimate and Fortis meaning Strength.

I had expected so much more! The Blenders of Chivas had the chance to produce something memorable on this special occasion. Their biggest sin was to bottle this at 40% but I also feel the cask management could have been much better. It's not a bad Blend mind you & relatively well-balanced but you should expect that at this price level. But it's also utterly forgettable & that's exactly something that a special occasion edition should not be. The Master Blenders of Chivas deserve something better and so do we!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                             June 2, 2021

Longmorn Distillery