Passport Scotch Whisky is a brand of whisky exported from Scotland and owned by Pernod Ricard. The blend recipe for Passport Scotch was developed during the 1960s by Chivas Brothers’ blender Jimmy Lang.
Jimmy Lang joined Seagram-owned Robert Brown Ltd in 1952 as a clerk and gradually became involved in the blending side of the whisky business. He began to serve as master blender for Seagram’s Scottish subsidiary Chivas Brothers from 1971 until his retirement in 1989. Jimmy was responsible for Seagram’s key Scotch brands Chivas Regal and Royal Salute, as well as his role in the creation of Passport Scotch.
Jimmy formulated Passport Scotch with the idea to appeal to customers that prefer a lighter style of blend and was always destined for the export markets being Brazil, Russia, Eastern Europe, Mexico, India and Angola. The heart of the recipe being Glen Keith, a floral, sweet and fruity whisky.
Seagram’s acquired The Glenlivet Distillers in 1978 and Jimmy found himself with a wider range of in-house malts available for blending purposes. The purchase of The Glenlivet Distillers brought with it The Glenlivet, Glen Grant, Longmorn and Benriach distilleries, while an earlier acquisition had gained Chivas Brothers Aberlour, Glenallachie and Edradour. Since 2001, Pernod Ricard took control of Seagram’s Chivas Brothers’ assets, including the Passport Scotch brand which is now classified as one of 18 ‘Local Brands’ within the Pernod Ricard brand.
Passport Scotch is a blended Scotch whisky known for its light and fruity flavours. It is the 2nd best-selling whisky in Brazil and sold worldwide with its iconic square, green bottle. Bottled at the standard 40% ABV.
TO THE EYE | Rich Gold Amber. |
TO THE NOSE | Fruity notes of green apples and zesty oranges with hints of vanilla and nutty chestnuts. |
TO THE TONGUE | Malty and sweet with oranges, pineapples and notes of liquorice and nuts. |
TO THE END | Sweet and fruity with notes of smoke. |