芝華士水楢特別版威士忌 Chivas Regal Mizunara Special Edition Whisky

 

環球美酒盡在 Sipping Malt 微醺之醉 www.sippingmalt.com

English Version at page bottom

芝華士(起瓦士)威士忌真的是無人不曉，它和 JW 黑牌可說是 K 場劈場雙雄，但對部份"達人"級飲家和型格人士來說，芝華士是提不得的禁忌之酒。我喝過芝華士十八年陳，這絕對是好酒來的，真不明白為何那麼多飲家對芝華士有負面的印象。或許我應該要嘗一嘗入們版的十二年陳，我手上有一瓶 200 ml 裝的，找個機會喝喝看吧。

我現在要介紹的一款芝華士威士忌，是頗為有趣的一款特別版，是進行了日本水楢過桶。水楢是日本特有的橡木，水楢桶陳威士忌更是日本創造的獨有風味，產量甚少價錢亦貴，如讀者對水楢桶陳威士忌有興趣可參閱"山崎水楢桶威士忌“一文。

話說芝華士的調酒師 master blender Mr. Colin Scott 在一次的日本之旅期間，忽然靈光一動，想創造出一款摻合日本風適合日本市場的芝華士威士忌，於是調節原有配方，加入了日本獨有的水楢元素，將部份原酒以水楢桶進行過桶，成為了第一款水楢風味的蘇格蘭威士忌，於二零一三年十月一日於日本市場推出。

非常有趣的芝華士威士忌，絕對值得一試。這款酒香港是沒有行貨(正式代理貨)的，有酒友給了我一份樣本，多謝。這款酒其實是去年年初喝的，但現在才能刊出酒評，我自己也覺得有點過份。

Chivas Regal 12 years Mizunara Special Edition, 700 ml, 40%

氣味: 花蜜，香薰，提子糖，塑膠，青草
口味: 焦糖，咖啡，糖果，香料，胡椒
餘蘊: 中等長度，焦木，胡椒
結論: 氣味香甜清新，一抹香燻增添雅致感，丁點塑膠但不礙事，時間久了出現青草，簡單但不單調。酒體稍薄，偏向焦香，有明顯的香料，末段有辛辣感。中等長度的餘蘊，同樣的焦香和辛辣感。氣味上的甜有點人工化，口味稍單調，餘蘊可以，整體上都算飲得過。至於設想中水楢帶來的日本風味，我猜想那一抹的香薰算是交了功課吧。各位，雖則是打著水楢的幌子，但這只是大眾消費市場級別的普羅酒款，可不要和精品級的水楢桶陳威士忌直接比較吧。

English Version of Tasting Note

Chivas Regal whisky is a famous whisky brand name. It is popular in most Karaoke and bars in Hong Kong. However, some whisky “experts" and stylish people dislike this whisky. I have no idea why these “connoisseurs" give it negative comments as I have tasted Chivas Regal 18 years and it is definite a good whisky. Perhaps I should have a try on its basic bottling 12 years old.

I am now introducing a special version of Chivas Regal whisky. It is a mizunara finish Chivas Regal. Mizunara is an oak indigenous to Japan. Mizunara oak brings unique “Japanese  favour" to whisky. Since the supply is very limited, the price of mizunara oaked whisky is expensive. Please refer to the article “Yamazaki Mizunara Cask Whisky" for story about this kind of whisky.

The story of this special Chivas Regal has begun from a Japan trip of the master blender  Mr. Colin Scott. He came across an idea that he intended to create a whisky with Japanese favour for Japanese market. He then blended some mizunara oak finish whiskies to the receipt that created the first mizunara favour Scotch blended whisky and launched to Japan Market on 1 October 2013.

A very interesting whisky and worthy to have a try. This whisky is unavaiable in Hong Kong market. Thank to a friend of mine he gave me a sample of this last year. Yes, this tasting note was written in last year but I am too lazy to manage it.

Chivas Regal 12 years Mizunara Special Edition, 700 ml, 40%

Note: Nectar,essential oil, grape favor gummy, plastic, grass
Palate: Caramel, coffee, candy, pepper, spicy
Aftertaste: Medium length, roasted wood, pepper
Conclusion: Fresh and sweet note, refined essential old, little bit plastic but not offensive, grass appearing over time, simple but not dull. Light body, trends to toasty, quite spicy and a bit hot at the end. Medium length aftertaste, still toasty and hot spicy. Somehow artificial sweetness on nose, a bit simple at palate, fair aftertaste, fair in overall performance. Regarding to expected Japan favor brought by mizunara oak, I think it represented by that fragrance oil alike smell. Don’t having unrealistic expectation to this so-called mizunara featured whisky which it is nothing more than a whisky for consumer markets.