Chivas Regal 13 Year Manchester United Special Edition

One of my favorite football teams in the world is Manchester United. Even an ecuadorian was the team's captain for a long time. And i really loved the "Alex Ferguson" era in the team. He won, as a manager, 13 league trophies, therefore, Chivas Regal has made this 13yo whisky to commemorate those premier league titles. But, this whisky, finished in american rye casks, looks more like the team from nowadays. It is good, but far from elite. Bottled at 40% abv, burnished gold color. On the nose, very nice, but not your typical chivas. Coffee, chocolate, mocaccino, cream, butter, vanilla, milk with coffee. Amaretto and oranges. Red fruits, cotton candy; mostly creamy. Like starbucks made whisky. On the palate, it is normal. Not very complex. Dry rye, red fruits and cherry syrup. Not much else. Aftertaste is a little crazy. Starts with red fruits, to switch into ginger, but the one you eat to change sushi rolls, that soapy one. Dry rye. After a couple sips, you will find some cocoa bitterness, very dim. Overall, this one barely makes the 4 stars mark, it is a good dram, but a little one directional on the palate and doesn't feel like a typical Chivas Regal, which are fruity and spicy. Rye influence is there but not enough to actually put it in the name of the whisky. My score for it is 80 over 100.

Nose: Fresh apple, banana, vanilla, butterscotch and cinnamon. A dash of oak and pepper as you dig a little deeper. Taste: Very easy going and friendly. Honey, vanilla and cream, with vibrant green apple. That rye finish offers a little drama at the end as I get some char and pepper. Overall: Good. Not going to change the life, but a nice background whiskey that has some unique twists because of the rye. Really, it’s a good transition from scotch to bourbon or vice versa if you’re looking to venture into the other side of the whiskey aisle.

I find this to be more interesting than the standard Chivas 12. Nose is much like first opening a box of chocolates--chocolate, sweetness, a little vanilla, a touch of nougat, caramel, and the slightest hint of mint. On the tongue it is thin, yet velvety. Flavors of milk chocolate, honey, vanilla, a little ripe red fruit all mingle with a touch of sweetness. Toward the end oak spice becomes clear and blessed with that hint of licorice and mint so common with rye whiskey--faint, not overpowering here. This is a very pleasing dram.

1.0 stars - Poor, flawed; 750 ml bottle Ouch. I was really looking forward to this one. Felt guilty that I passed it by so many times. Then months after it disappeared from shelves, one bottle magically showed up at my favorite liquor store. Fortuna smiles upon me! Beautiful box and a nice concept. Opening the seal ripped off the entire neck label and reveals a very cheap screw cap. Oh-oh! Aroma was good. Flavor had a really sharp acetone (nail polish remover) bite. Undrinkable. Fortuna is laughing!

Nose is very tame. Bit of honey, bit of bread, bit of peat smoke. Not much else. White tea with honey and a cracked pepper finish. Bit of smoke, but far from a peat bomb. Slightly sweet and smooth. A little tannin pucker to it. As it warms, a buttered toast flavor arrives, then morphs further to orange zest and light milk chocolate. A very well-mannered whiskey. Close to boring, but rewards some patience. Best neat and slowly sipped.

Nose: honey, light caramel, light hint of crisp fruits- perhaps apple or pear, cinnamon or baking spices, hint of rye, cereal notes, hint of vanilla, buttery note. Taste: balanced and not overly complicated, easy going, buttery, cereal, honey, white peppery note, darker fruits and slight bitter cocoa notes linger on the finish. Pretty decent, especially for the price point. Enjoyable if you’re not looking for over the top.