Chivas Regal Mizunara

Nose: Clearly Mizunara, as expected. I got this to better understand that profile. Everyone mentions sandalwood, but I don't really know that smell. What I do detect, reminiscent of Japanese whisky for me, is a soft, delicate woodiness, like sawdust, combined with marshmallows, vanilla cream, and candle wax. It's a scent I've encountered in Japanese whisky before but couldn't identify until now. Objective achieved. Beyond the Mizunara, there's some traditional scotch fruitiness - peach and pear - with a noticeable alcohol presence. Upon closer inspection, there's surprising citrus with lemon cookies and a hint of baking spice. Palate: The Mizunara on the palate is smooth and not overly tannic. The taste is similar to the nose, perhaps more integrated – like a woody marshmallow vanilla cream rather than distinct components. Following that is a strong red fruit flavor, with dried cherries being most prominent. Orchard and stone fruits appear more subtly. Abundant almond slivers are present. A backbone of sweet bread leads to a baking spice finish – primarily cinnamon, not too intense, but it lasts a good while and complements the lingering wood and vanilla from the Mizunara. Hints of cardamom, coriander, and dried ginger are also detected. This is a fascinating experimental whisky. As I mentioned, I bought it to try and identify the contribution of Mizunara to a whisky. I believe it was successful – there are flavors here that are very characteristic of, and seemingly exclusive to, Japanese whisky. I'll assume, until shown otherwise, that they originate from the Mizunara. For a whisky enthusiast, that experience alone justifies the cost. And honestly, it's quite delicious – if the price were right, I might even keep this on hand for a pleasant weeknight drink. The $50 MSRP is a bit high, but if you can find it closer to $30, it's definitely worth it.

Tonight, I revisited this Mizunara side-by-side with Hibiki Japanese Harmony, priced similarly, and Yamazaki 12, which is pricier. On the nose, the Mizunara presents herbal and slightly damp notes, very much like the Hibiki, but earthier, less sweet, and a bit sharper. The Yamazaki offers a hint of rich fruit, like a touch of ripe melon, alongside caramel, toffee, and condensed milk as it rests. The Japanese Harmony develops some sweetness as it sits. Conversely, after a minute, the Mizunara's nose seems less intense (perhaps due to being comparatively less aromatic and returning to it after the Yamazaki). Flavor-wise, the Chivas offers a slightly sharper taste than the Hibiki but is surprisingly similar. Both are herbal, but the Chivas Mizunara barrel exhibits a somewhat deeper flavor profile, with a bit more bitterness and punch. The Yamazaki is the sweetest of the trio, but only slightly. It's higher-pitched and smoother, with a contrasting sour note and far less medicinal quality. Re-evaluating the Mizunara after the Yamazaki makes me feel it's distinct but not necessarily inferior. This time, I'm detecting something akin to licorice notes toward the end of the Mizunara. The Japanese Harmony has the shortest finish, yet it's very smooth with minimal burn. The Yamazaki lingers a bit longer but has a slight burn. The Mizunara persists the longest, but the lingering herbal quality throughout is somewhat off-putting. It has the most burn comparatively, yet it remains quite smooth. The Hibiki is the palest in color, followed by the Chivas, then the Yamazaki as the darkest, but they are all quite close.

Tonight, I revisited Writers' Tears Mizunara Cask side-by-side with the Chivas Regal Mizunara. My initial suspicions were confirmed: comparable whiskies, but the Chivas Regal is a $50 bottle while the Writers' Tears was $100. Regarding the Writers' Tears, I notice fruity floral qualities with a woodsy smokiness at the end (maybe there is some sandalwood incense after all? 😅). There's still a harsh quality to this that makes it somewhat unpleasant. I also noticed a cinnamon-like bite at the end in the finish - but it's an artificial cinnamon in a cinnamon candy kind of way. By comparison, the nose is more mossy and less pleasant on the Chivas - but the mouthfeel and flavor are noticeably better. My wife did this side-by-side with me, and she agrees. The Chivas drinks softer and sweeter. I get a honey quality as well as nuttiness. There's also a slight ocean quality to this that helps round the whole thing out. Honestly, I like this a lot more than I remember liking it in the past.

Reminds me of granny smith apples still on the branch. A hint of velvety cream is followed by smoke. Some fine wood rounds it out without being intrusive. It's very well-balanced, giving it a slightly Japanese character. The partial cask aging (the bottle mentions 'some') makes it hard to fully assess the effect, but the wood clearly contributed more flavor than European or American oak alone. It really makes me want to try a version with more Mizunara finishing, because the wood notes are excellent. The nose has butterscotch and vanilla for me. In the mid-palate, I would add that the use of malt and grain whisky provides such a luxurious creaminess/richness/maltiness that it would be a shame not to enjoy this one neat. The finish is very smooth. I think Chivas could have offered a bit more than 40% ABV, but oh well. It easily could have reached a 4.0 or 4.25 rating with more intensity. My wife chose this for my birthday as a surprise. The wife knows best;)

As a fan of Chivas, I can attest that this expression rivals the "Ultis" and is perhaps their finest after the Royal Salute 21yo. Its moniker, "mizunara," derives from the distinct Japanese cask utilized for partial aging. Initially, it was solely destined for the Japanese market. It's bottled at 40% ABV with a tawny hue. On the nose, expect vanilla cookies, reminiscent of pie crust edges. Floral hints, orange, flour, and a subtle herbal spice are also present. A very pleasant aroma. On the palate, it's quite delicious. That's the best way to put it. Allspice, vanilla, oakiness; that characteristic Chivas nutty/almond note. Hints of ash and coal. Quite nice. The finish has a mizunara oak character, which I see as a bonus. Overall, this is a very enjoyable dram, likely costing around $50, making it a worthwhile purchase. My rating is 87 out of 100.

Lovely nose of ripe fruit (banana, apple, pear), vanilla, and a bit of spice. On the tongue, there's an initial sweetness and the taste of ripe fruit, malt, vanilla, and oak spice. As you hold and savor the flavors, an astringency develops—not unpleasant—just enough to invite another sip. I prefer this to the standard Chivas 12, but I do think it tends to be overpriced, at least where I am.