"I was a master blender for a day," I’d tell them.
It wasn’t far from the truth. In fact, blending Scotch whisky was the first thing we did on our first day in Scotland.
The trip this October, a familiarization tour for Filipino and Indian journalists and retailers, was sponsored by Chivas Brothers Ltd., makers of Chivas Regal. Since the Scotch whisky brand was celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, it was busy bringing writers and retailers to its distilleries in the Scottish highlands, acquainting them with the fascinating process of distilling and blending genuine Scotch whisky and giving them a first-hand look at how Scotch is being appreciated in this part of the world.
Twenty-five hours after getting off two planes and a bus, we were busy listening to a lecture by Chivas Brothers master distiller Jim Cryle on how Scotch whisky is made. A few minutes later, armed with a syringe, a graduated cylinder and five whisky varieties, we were challenged to mix our own blend of Scotch whisky.
The words of Seagram owner Sam Bronfman rang constantly in our ears: "Distilling is a science; blending is an art." Bronfman, who was responsible for popularizing Chivas Regal during the post-war period, himself worked for countless hours with his master blender, tasting countless samples, until he arrived at the distinct flavor of the popular Scotch whisky brand.
We were supposed to approximate this process after less than an hour’s talk on Scotch whisky.
Jim explained that for a whisky to be called Scotch whisky, it must conform to three requirements: First, that the whisky’s sole ingredients are barley, yeast and water; second, that the whisky must have been distilled and matured in Scotland; and lastly, that it must have been aged a minimum of three years in oak casks.
Whiskies that do not conform to these requirements cannot be called Scotch whisky.
But that’s just half the story. To arrive at the Chivas Regal Scotch whisky blend, the firm’s master distiller blends together different kinds of whiskies just by using his nose. Maybe he tastes a wee little drop at the end, but the entire process could be accomplished by just nosing the blend of Scotch whiskies.
That’s what we were supposed to do on our first afternoon in Scotland. The Chivas Regal blend has been described as having the "irresistible aroma of orchard fruits and honey" and the "fullest, fruity rich taste of apples and a hint of honey."
Try blending your own Scotch whisky with just those descriptions as hints.
Edward Francis, in his book Master Blenders, The Enduring Spirit of the Chivas Brothers, describes Chivas Regal more accurately: "Chivas Regal is a mix of single malt whiskies and grain whiskies, all of which are aged for at least 12 years. The actual proportions do not matter to anyone other than a rival blender. What really matters is the quality of the individual whiskies and the skill and the care with which they are blended."
Big help.
The five Scotch whisky varieties before us were: Islay, medicinal, smoky, pungent and dry; lowlands, light, sweet, floral and delicate; highlands, nutty, fruity, sweet and spicy; Speyside, mellow, fruity, fragrant and aromatic; and grain (single malt), clean, light, fragrant and fresh.
The Irishman Aeneas Coffey developed in the 1830s the patent still process of distillation that made the whole process of distilling Scotch whisky so much cheaper and quicker. Coffey’s process led to the distilling of grain whisky which was a "refreshingly smooth and light liquor."
The English considered whisky to be a barbaric, hairy-kneed concoction, preferring cognac over it. However, when a plague devastated French vineyards during the 1860s, cognac became difficult to obtain. The English eventually turned to whisky, and Scotch whisky suddenly became a fashionable tipple.
James Chivas, of the famed Chivas Brothers, drew on his years of experience selling whisky to arrive at a suitable Scotch whisky blend that was a "smoother, more rounded and more dependable drink." This blend became the Chivas Brothers’ first Scotch whisky blend, known as Royal Glendee. Another blend, Royal Strathythan, also became popular. The Chivas Regal blend was introduced in 1909, developed by Charles Howard who carried on the Chivas Brothers quest for even better blends of whiskies.
I was scratching my head deciding how much lowland, highland, Speyside and grain whiskies should go into my bottle of Scotch. Definitely, I wouldn’t want to put too much Islay into the mix unless I find myself saddled with a bottle of unpalatable whisky. Did I hear a prize for the blend closest to Chivas Regal?
Jim barked that perhaps we should keep track of how much of each whisky we were using. We might just hit on a really good whisky blend we could sell back home, he added.
How I wish.
Still from Master Blenders: "Certainly the creation of a whisky like Chivas Regal, from several dozen different whiskies, is a work of art. And the artist in this case is the master blender. His job is simply not to bring together the perfect ingredients for a great blend, but to go on producing that perfect blend year after year. This is work calling for supreme delicacy of judgment: fine whiskies mature in subtly different ways, influenced by a host of imponderables. The master blender has to make these variations work for him by adjusting and balancing his resources to ensure a consistent result."
A work of art? Surely, the people in more than 150 countries worldwide, from Venezuela to Vladivostok, who have bought Chivas Regal, know that for a fact.
After the coffee break, Jim came back and gave his verdict. Someone came very close to the Chivas Regal blend. That happened to be the Philippines’ Elizabeth "Bebeth" Timbol of the Manila Bulletin.
My Scotch whisky blend was a bit strong, closer in spirit to another popular Scotch whisky brand. This particular blend is a bit smoky in a character, a macho man’s drink, which isn’t surprising, since it is the favorite whisky brand of deposed President Joseph Estrada.
How’s that for my personal Scotch whisky blend?