Chivas Brothers Ltd.

James and John Chivas never settled down. If they didn't have something people were asking for in stock, they found it. If they couldn't find it, they made it.

When customers started asking for a smoother-tasting whisky, the brothers began blending it in the Emporium cellar.

The pioneers in the art of blending whisky had officially set the standard.

FIT FOR ROYALTY:
Orders for the brothers' luxury goods poured in from all over the world. One day in 1843, James received a royal warrant in the form of his first royal warrant.

Having served Queen Victoria in her Balmoral retreat, royalty became part of Chivas' DNA.

CHIVAS ARRIVES IN NEW YORK:
We arrive at 1909. Master blender Charles Howard and Alexander Smith created a 25-year-old blend that would become the world's first luxury whisky.

Chivas Regal burst onto the world stage and captivated New York. It became a staple in high society and graced glamorous parties throughout the city.

If you were someone important, you had a glass of Chivas in your hand.

OUR HISTORY PROHIBITION:
After a decade of great success, Chivas' reign was cut short by Prohibition in 1920. When bars closed from coast to coast, the world's first luxury whisky disappeared.

But New Yorkers had faith that their favorite drink would return. In 1938, Chivas made a strong comeback as the 12-year-old blend we know today.

HOW WHISKY IS MADE:
Whisky is much more than a drink. From the precise steps of distillation to the patience of maturation, there are many things that go into Scotch whisky, and specifically Chivas Regal. While there are only three ingredients used to make malt whisky (barley, water, and yeast), the hard work involved transforms them into something truly special.

GROWTH:
There's a reason Speyside whiskies are known for their quality. With the perfect proportions of rain and sun, the geographical area is ideal for growing barley.

Once the hills turn golden after the crucial summer months, the barley is harvested and taken to the first step in the whisky-making process: the malt houses, including one in nearby Buckie, just 24 kilometers away.

HOW COSECHA WHISKY IS MADE:
Once it arrives at the malt houses, the barley is soaked to activate the enzymes, which begin converting the starch into sugar. As soon as that process begins, it is stopped.

The barley is then dried in a dormant state; otherwise, the growth process will consume all the sugar that is essential for creating whisky.

The dormant barley is then taken to the Strathisla distillery.

HOW WHISKY IS MADE: PROCESS
Once at the Strathisla distillery, the first place the barley goes is the Porteus mill. The barley husks are opened by the first set of rollers and ground to a fine texture known as milling by the second set of rollers.

Once the milling has been evaluated and approved, it is taken to the maceration vat where the second ingredient of whisky is added: water.

The local spring water from Broomhill Spring, located just 1.6 km away and exclusive to the distillery, is used for its purity, as it has been naturally filtered through the granite.

HOW TO MAKE WHISKY MACERATION:
In the mash tun, water is added in four stages at different temperatures to avoid damaging the barley and deactivating the enzymes. The overall temperature is raised from 65.5°C to 90°C over a period of six hours, and at the end of the process, a sweet liquid known as wort is produced. This is what is taken to the next step in whisky making.

The milled mash is recycled for energy production or as animal feed, and the warm water is passed through heat exchangers to recycle the heat, maximizing the efficiency of our distillery. This greatly increases the sustainability of our whisky-making process.

HOW WHISKY IS MADE: FERMENTATION
The whisky fermentation process is where our iconic fruity flavors begin to develop.

We use traditional wooden vats for fermentation: unlike steel, wood keeps the bagasse still isolated for consistent fermentation, protecting it from seasonal fluctuations.

The third and final ingredient, yeast, is added to the fermentation vats. The mixture is then left to ferment for two days to convert the sugars into alcohol. Once fermented, the liquid is called wort and is ready for distillation.

HOW TO MAKE DISTILLED WHISKY:
The distillation stage of the whisky-making process is where the alcohol by volume percentage is increased. At Strathisla, there are four stills that operate in pairs: two mash stills and two spirit stills. We use copper stills, which are excellent purifiers that ensure only the finest flavors make it into Strathisla single malt whisky.

First, the still heats the fermented wort, allowing the alcohol vapors to rise up the neck of the still. The necks of the stills at Strathisla are short to allow more of the heavier vapors to rise, which is crucial for creating the iconic, full-bodied, and generous flavors for which the Strathisla distillery is famous.

The vapors then travel along the swan arm and into the condenser to cool, producing a liquid of approximately 25% alcohol.