Whilst the XV on a bottle of Chivas Regal tells you the age, as every whisky in the blend has spent at least 15 years in oak, the Roman numerals are also a small nod to Cognac’s VS and XO labels. Part of the blend is finished in casks that once held Grande Champagne Cognac. The result is a sweet, fruity blend with plenty of stewed apple, orange marmalade and toffee.
Chivas launched XV in 2018 with parties in mind, in a gold bottle, pitched for “high-energy celebrations.” Sandy Hyslop, the master blender who created it, was just as happy to sit down with a glass. He called XV “almost like a celebratory Friday dram.”
Whatever kind of evening you have planned, here’s how to get the best out of it, whether you’re pouring it neat, over ice, with soda, or topped with Champagne.
What Is Chivas Regal XV?
Chivas Regal XV first went on sale in travel retail in July 2018, mostly in airport shops, and reached stores around the world that October.
Chivas gave it a full national launch in the US in late 2023, at a suggested price of $49.99. In the UK it usually sells for around £48. It is bottled at 40% ABV.
Across the whole Chivas range, the core malt is Strathisla, the distillery in Keith, with support from other Speyside malts such as Longmorn and grain whisky from Strathclyde. Once the blend is put together, a portion of it is finished in casks that held Cognac.
The resulting blend is fruity, sweet, and well-rounded with notes of poached pear, butterscotch, honey, stewed apples, cinnamon, and vanilla.
How Should You Drink Chivas Regal XV?
Master Blender Emeritus Sandy Hyslop has never been fussy about how people drink Chivas. In an interview with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, he said “Drink it as you like it: Don’t let anyone browbeat you into saying you’ve got to drink it neat.” Here’s how XV holds up in each of the classic serves.
Neat
Pour it at room temperature into a Glencairn or tulip glass and give it a few minutes before your first sip. Drinking it neat is the best way to taste the apple, honey and butterscotch at full strength. It is sweet on the nose and gentle on the palate, with a medium, warming finish.
With a few drops of water
Hyslop suggests using room-temperature water rather than chilled, and a few drops is plenty. A little water can bring the fruit and sweetness forward. XV is bottled at 40% ABV, though, so adding too much will start to thin it out.
On the rocks
If you like your whisky cold, use one large cube instead of a handful of small ones. It will melt slowly, keeping the drink from getting watery too quickly. The sweeter notes in XV stand up well to the chill, for me.
In a highball
XV with soda water and ice is easy and refreshing, but if you only ever drink it this way, Chivas 12 will do the job for less money. To make a highball that suits XV, try the Spiced Apricot Highball from Chivas:
- 40ml Chivas XV
- 100ml apricot and chai tea
- 40ml soda water
Build it in a tall glass over ice and garnish with a slice of orange.
Chivas Regal XV in Cocktails
Using a 15-year-old Scotch in cocktails might not come naturally to you, but Chivas Regal XV holds up fabulously in cocktails. It is slightly sweet and very approachable, but with enough complexity to act as a solid backbone in mixed drinks. Here are some suggestions.
The Chivas 75 is a version of the French 75, made with XV instead of gin or Cognac.
- 30ml (1oz) Chivas XV
- 20ml (0.75oz) fresh lemon juice
- 20ml (0.75oz) sugar syrup
- Champagne to top
Shake the XV, lemon juice and sugar syrup with ice for about 10 seconds, then fine-strain into a flute and top with Champagne. Prosecco works too if that’s what you have.
The Gold Rush is a simple sour that brings out the honey in XV.
- 2 parts Chivas XV
- 1 part fresh lemon juice
- 1 part honey syrup (two parts honey to one part hot water)
Shake with ice, strain over one large cube in a rocks glass, and finish with a lemon twist. Chivas suggests serving it alongside dessert.
This twist on the classic Champagne Cocktail needs very little whisky. Put a sugar cube in a flute, add three dashes of Angostura bitters and 15ml (0.5oz) of XV, then slowly top with Champagne.
Where XV Fits: 12, XV or 18?
XV sits in the middle of the Chivas Regal range, and at UK retail the prices are about £30 for Chivas 12, £48 for XV and £70 for Chivas 18.
Chivas 12 is the one to buy if you mostly drink your whisky with soda or ginger ale, or mix it into cocktails where its flavor doesn’t need to stand out. It’s the cheapest of the three, so you won’t feel bad using it for mixing.
XV is the better choice when you want something a little sweeter and fruitier, whether you’re sipping it neat or over ice, or using it in a Champagne cocktail for a celebration.
Chivas 18 is the most expensive of the three and is aimed at people who mostly drink their whisky neat.
Must like the rest of the Chivas range, I think that XV is very well-priced for what it is. It feels refined and celebratory without breaking the bank, and offers something genuinely different to Chivas Regal 12 and Chivas Regal 18.
Chivas Regal XV Occasions and Food Pairings
Chivas has always presented XV as a bottle for special occasions. When it launched, it came in two versions: an all-gold bottle for parties and a clear bottle in a gold box meant for gifting.
Since then, it has appeared in limited editions with Balmain in 2021 and with the jewelry designer Dolly Cohen in 2025.
XV is also easy to pair with food, because its sweet, fruity flavors suit a lot of desserts and rich dishes. One US retailer recommends it with roast duck, grilled lamb, aged cheddar, blue cheese, dark chocolate truffles, and fruit tarts.
A Bottle For A Celebration
Chivas Regal XV was made with celebrations in mind, and it’s just as enjoyable poured neat or over a single large cube at the end of a long week.
If you’re picking up a bottle for the holidays, try it a few different ways before deciding which serve you like best.
