Charles Leclerc and Chivas Regal Unveil Their First 16-Year-Old Whisky

Charles Leclerc and Chivas Regal Unveil Their First 16-Year-Old Whisky – an Expression of True Mastery

Published Date: 30th April 2026

Charles Leclerc and Chivas Regal Unveil Their First 16-Year-Old Whisky – an Expression of True Mastery

Chivas Regal 16 is Leclerc’s debut whisky - a bold 16-year-old blend that brings his defining number to life. Co-created with Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, built on shared craft and belief in constantly challenging yourself.

London, 30 April 2026 - Luxury Scotch whisky, Chivas Regal and Global Brand Ambassador Charles Leclerc today announced the launch of Chivas Regal 16 Limited-Edition - the first 16-year-old expression in the brand’s history and Leclerc’s debut signature blend. It's a personal co-creation built on a shared mindset of constantly challenging yourself.

It began with Charles Leclerc challenging Chivas Regal’s Master Blender Sandy Hyslop to create something new - a bold new expression built entirely around his vision. The challenge was accepted. What followed was a genuine creative exchange of two masters pushing each other, move by move, toward something neither could have made alone. The blend brings together 16 exceptional whiskies, each aged at least 16 years inspired by the iconic number that has defined Leclerc’s life and career.

Leclerc explored several whiskies during the creation process, gravitating towards the rich complexity of sherry cask-matured Longmorn single malt. After travelling to Scotland to see the craft first-hand, he chose his preferred blend and set the final challenge: to craft it as a 16-year-old whisky.

“16 has always been more than a number to me - it’s something I’ve carried my whole career.” said Charles Leclerc, Global Brand Ambassador, Chivas Regal. “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. Chivas Regal 16 felt like the natural next step in our partnership, creating something truly extraordinary together.”

Charles Leclerc’s mindset of pushing boundaries and raising standards mirrors the Chivas Regal philosophy, where every bottle is crafted as an opportunity to go beyond what came before. 

“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.” said Sandy Hyslop, Master Blender, Chivas Regal.

On the nose, sweet mandarin, raisins and manuka honey give way to warm cinnamon and sticky toffee. The palate moves through orange marmalade and apple cake into toasted oak and ginger spice. The finish: rich, velvety and long.

The two masters united in Miami ahead of the Grand Prix to showcase Chivas Regal 16 for the first time in an exclusive, intimate conversation, revisiting the steps that made it. Celebrating the blend they built together, they reviewed the moves that challenged them, the decisions that defined it and how their shared philosophy shaped what’s now in the bottle.

Raise a glass to the pursuit of better.