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Management Giants

James & John Chivas

The founders of Chivas Brothers, James and John Chivas, strongly believed that the power of a whisky was in its ability to be of a consistently high standard, and in the early 19th century they began to create always smooth, high quality blended whiskies. They were thus true pioneers of the art of blending. The Chivas brothers also had the foresight to invest in a precious inventory of fine maturing whiskies to ensure the consistent quality of their blends over time. James Chivas established a template for his whiskies which was founded on two fundamental principles: old, mature stocks and a distinct Speyside accent. The exceptional standards established by the founders of the company were carried on from generation to generation. Near the turn of the 20th century, Chivas Brothers rewrote blending history by creating a premium blend called Chivas Regal. Today the unique style of Chivas Regal is maintained to the same 200-year-old standards by the Chivas Brothers master blender.

Chivas Regal is a blended Scotch whisky produced by Chivas Brothers, owned by Pernod Ricard. According to the brand packaging, Chivas Brothers was first established in 1801 in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Chivas Brothers traces its roots to the opening of a grocery store at 13 King St, Aberdeen in 1801. The store sold luxury foodstuffs such as coffee, exotic spices, French brandies, and Caribbean rums to a wealthy clientèle. In 1842, Chivas Brothers were retained to supply provisions to the royal family at Balmoral Castle upon Queen Victoria’s first visit to Scotland.

The House of Schivas, a large mansion, was built at Schivas in Aberdeenshire in 1640. The name is derived from the Gaelic ‘seamhas’, meaning narrow place.

In 1843, Chivas Brothers were granted a Royal Warrant to supply goods to Queen Victoria. Chivas Brothers was described in 1890 as ‘undoubtedly the finest purveying business in the north of Scotland’ by Scotland of Today magazine.

During the 1850s, James Chivas decided to respond to his affluent customers’ demands for a smoother whisky, by beginning to blend whiskies to create a proprietary blend to Chivas Brothers. Their first blended Scotch whisky named ‘Royal Glen Dee’ was launched, followed in the 1860s by their second blended Scotch whisky, ‘Royal Strathythan’.

In the early 1900s, Chivas Brothers decided to create their most aged blended Scotch whisky to export to the U.S, where the booming economy after the turn of the century was fueling demand for luxury goods. The whisky was named Chivas Regal.

Chivas Regal 25 Year Old was launched in 1909 as the original luxury Scotch, and became a leading brand in the U.S. Chivas Regal continued its success until Prohibition in the 1920s.

Chivas Regal was purchased by Seagrams in 1949, which provided a much wider distribution and marketing system.

Chivas Regal was re-launched as Chivas Regal 12 year old in the US following the disruption of both Prohibition and World War II. Chivas became a fashionable brand of the era, and became associated with Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack.
Chivas Regal was the Scotch whisky requested by Sinatra, along with other spirits brands backstage at performances,  and Chivas sponsored Frank Sinatra’s Diamond Jubilee Tour in 1990.

In 1950, the company Chivas Brothers was able to buy the Strathisla Distillery which produces the Strathisla Single Malt, which is used within the Chivas Regal blend.

The Chivas Regal range was expanded with the launch of higher aged whiskies, in 1997 with the launch of Chivas Regal 18 year old, and in 2007 with the launch of Chivas Regal 25.

Chivas Regal was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2000 upon the break up of Seagrams Group.

Chivas Regal is globally recognized as the best of the premium blended Scotch whiskies, setting a standard of excellence for all distilled spirits. With its complex yet smooth aroma and smoky taste balanced by a mellow flavour, Chivas Regal has become a favorite of connoisseurs, moving around 3 million cases worldwide annually. That translates as over 30 million bottles a year - approximately one every second, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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