The founders of Chivas Brothers, James and John Chivas, strongly believed that the power of a whisky lay in achieving a consistently high standard. Whiskies of their time were harsh and often poorly matured, typically fiery and coarse young spirits, that were downed by the gulp to avoid the taste. James and John Chivas envisioned creating a whisky that could be easily appreciated and shared. They began to create consistently smooth, high quality blended whiskies and thus were one of the true pioneers of the art of blending.

In 1843, James Chivas received a letter announcing that, due to their excellent service, Chivas Brothers had been granted a Royal Warrant to supply goods to the Queen Victoria. The start of the 20th Century saw North America booming with demand for fine spirits and Whiskies. Chivas Regal was originally targeted at this fast expanding American market, landing it's whisky in the autumn of 1909. By December, the Chivas Brothers agents were already wiring Aberdeen requesting more stocks of Chivas Regal. By May 1910, less than one year after entering the market, Chivas Regal had become the most notable of new imported consumer goods among the gentry and nouveau riche of New York