Chivas Regal has unveiled Chivas Regal 16, a 16-year-old blended whisky created in partnership with global brand ambassador and Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc.
The blend brings together 16 whiskies, each aged at least 16 years – a reference to the number that had “defined Leclerc’s life and career”, said Chivas Regal.
It has launched on Amazon (rsp: £69.99/70cl).
On the nose, the whisky offered notes of “sweet mandarin, raisins and manuka honey”, followed by “warm cinnamon and sticky toffee”, Chivas Regal said.
On the palate, it had flavours of “orange marmalade and apple cake” leading into “toasted oak and ginger”, followed by a finish that was “rich, velvety and long”.
Leclerc had explored several whiskies before eventually favouring the “rich complexity of sherry cask matured Longmorn single malt”, Chivas Regal said.
After travelling to Scotland, he chose his preferred blend and set Chivas master distiller Sandy Hyslop the challenge of creating the 16-year-old whisky – in honour of his date of birth and his Scuderia Ferrari car number.
“16 has always been more than a number to me – its something I’ve carried my whole career.” said Leclerc. “Going to Scotland, seeing the distilleries, understanding the obsession behind every cask inspired me to create my own blend.
“Chivas Regal and I share the same belief that the standard you set today is just the starting point. I pushed Sandy to go further. He pushed me to think differently.”
Hyslop added: “Charles didn’t just put his name to this. He was in the room, making decisions, pushing back. He gravitated toward the character that defines Chivas Regal: rich, layered, built with real depth.
“What we’ve created together is a blend that’s unmistakably his and unmistakably ours.”
Leclerc is no stranger to the world of fmcg, having last year teamed up with Italian gelato masters Federico Grom and Guido Martinetti to launch a new reduced-calorie ice cream brand called Lec.
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