Colin Scott

Good Humored, approachable and eloquent, master blender Colin Scott has been with Chivas Brothers for 30 years. Passionate about his role at one of the world's most heralded Scotch whisky makers, Colin Scott guarantees the high quality, consistent flavor and distinctive character of Chivas Regal.

Part artist, part scientist, a master blander must be creative and technical at the same time. Using nose, palate, experience and memory, he must be able to evaluate and identify whiskies and to understand how they interact with each other, "When assessing a sample, you're conscious that you are the one who has to make the decision. You mustn't be frightened by it. It's either yes or no. There's no maybe when you are producing Chivas Regal," he explains.

Therefore, every week, Scott not only noses all the new spirits destined to be included in the creation of Chivas Regal, he also monitors the entire inventory of maturing whiskies with an eye towards producing the final blend. As a result, Scott knows all the characteristics of each whisky – not only how it tastes today, but also how it ages and how its character changes after 12, 18 or even 40 years, depending upon the type of cask in which it is matured. Ultimately, he can predict which casks will be right for the Chivas Regal blend, and most importantly, when the casks will be ready. This is part of the essential process, which assures the consistency of the Chivas Regal blend – as Scott describes it, "We're tweaking the orchestra, but the tune stays the same."

Colin Scott's grandfather and father dedicated their lives to the Scotch whisky industry, meaning there is close to 100 years of whisky making in the Scott family. Scott's commitment to preserving this legacy of learning is transferred to his team of blenders who train for a decade to become assistant blender and even longer to attain the status of master blender.

"To first become a Chivas Regal blender, you have to spend time with your master blender and many whiskies to understand our unique style of blending," he says. Each Chivas Brother blender forms part of a chain, which stretches right back to the creation of James and John Chivas' first luxury blended whisky.

Upholding this tradition is vital according to Scott. "You cannot produce Chivas Regal or even create a new expression unless you understand the Chivas Regal tradition," he says.