Exploring Crown Royal, The Whisky In A Bag

Delicately smooth and creamy with hints of oak and the sweet flavor of vanilla Finish: Long and lingering My notes: Glass: Medium amber Nose: Vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, oak Palate: Smooth, caramel, brown sugar, light on the tongue. Finish: Smooth, caramel, light brown sugar, medium Score: 78/100 Crown Royal is a very smooth, approachable, easy-drinking Canadian blended whisky. , Showcasing the characteristic smoothness that CR is known for. This highlights the blending techniques of Canadian whisky. It comes in the signature purple bag with a gold tasseled drawstring. Crown Royal Black Introduced in 2010, Crown Royal Black is a 90 proof whisky, and of course it is cloaked in a black bag. It is available for $29.95 here in Oregon. A slight change to the original, this higher proof blend is matured in charred oak barrels – a slight change from the original – for a bold texture and finish. Official tasting notes: Nose: Deeper oak background with sweet maple notes. Palate: Creamy, “velvety”, dried fruit notes, mainly fig Finish: Deeper bourbon notes and smooth at a higher proof. My notes: Glass: Dark amber, the darkest of the five here. Nose: Spice, oak, vanilla- overall an underwhelming nose for a whisky that is so dark, I would have expected a large bold nose. Palate: Spice, fig, caramel, oak Finish: Caramel, heat/bite of rye Score: 80/100 While all of the components are there, there is just something off; not as smooth as the original, but very close. The taste is bold and stronger, which I like, but the overall smoothness is just lost at 90 proof, and while I do enjoy higher proofs, this one is just slightly off. Crown Royal Reserve Official tasting notes Nose: Rich and complex with a slight apple flavor and floral tones. Palate: Velvety, smooth and mellow, with defined oak tones, rich, spicy flavors of cinnamon and vanilla. Finish: Expansive and long-lasting My notes: Glass: golden amber Nose: ever so slight rye, brown sugar, spice, plum Palate: smooth oak, vanilla, sweetness of brown sugar; but it is light, almost watered down Finish: pepper of rye, short, brown sugar Score: 77/100 This is a bit lighter than the original, and much lighter than the Crown Royal Black. As I am a big bold type, I am not as in love with this as I am the Crown Royal Black. There are some that will enjoy the lightness of this Canadian, but I think it is not as good as the others. The signature smoothness is there, but the intensity of flavor is lacking. Crown Royal XO Introduced in 2014, the Crown Royal XO is a blend of 50 of the finest whiskies aged in cognac casks. The casks are made from wood harvested from the French Limousin forest, intended to create an extraordinarily complex and smooth expression of Crown Royal. Packed in a gray bag with gold strings, a 750ml bottle of this 80-proof release is available for $49.95. The catch-line says that it is “handcrafted for extraordinary smoothness.” Official tasting notes Nose: Muted and mild, with notes of vanilla, caramel and light oak. Palate: Balanced with hints of vanilla, spice and rich dried fruit. Finish: Medium length with light vanilla, subtle spice and smooth finish. My notes: Glass: Golden amber Nose: rich vanilla, caramel, oak- one of the better noses of the bunch. Palate: Vanilla, slight rye bite, spice, sweetness of caramel Finish: Smooth, vanilla, caramel, spice, touch of oak, medium in length Score: 82/100 The XO is a very well-balanced, smooth, easy drinking whisky that’s bold enough to wake up your taste buds but smooth and relaxed in your mouth. This is my favorite of the five Crown Royal expressions I tasted. Crown Royal XR Crown Royal Extra Rare was introduced in 2006. There are two distinct XR expressions, the LaSalle, and an earlier release also branded XR. This predecessor, released in 2006, was made from whisky from Waterloo, Ontario which burnt down in 1993, and featured a red scheme. This review is for the XR from LaSalle (released in 2012), the first facility built by Seagram’s once they incorporated in 1924. The rarest of the rare, this spirit was made with the last of the whisky from the LaSalle distillery. Located on the island of Montreal, the waters around the island produced whiskies with a unique richness that is full-bodied and smooth. The LaSalle location was closed in 2003, as economies of scale for production were realized. Master blender MacKay spent two years creating this blend. The bottle comes in a blue box with gold accents, which also includes a stand and blue and gold bag. The XR LaSalle is 80 proof and retails for $134.95 locally in Oregon. Official Tasting Notes Nose: Light but rich and complex Palate: Lightly sweet with spicy notes of Canadian rye Finish: Long, peppery and warm My notes: Glass: Golden amber, long legs Nose: Oak, light vanilla and caramel Palate: Sweet, rye, CR signature smoothness Finish: Peppery, long, soft Score: 79/100 The signature Crown Royal smoothness is not lost, although the rye adds a nice bite on the tongue and a pepper to the finish. This is not a big bold whisky; this is a lighter sipper. There is nothing wrong with it, but the price point seems out of balance for the contents of the bottle, for my taste buds. Overall, I have to say I enjoyed the Crown Royal line up – it’s always interesting to try something new. For my friends that are Crown Royal fans, and those who like a nice Canadian whisky, I can now recommend a few different items. I would have to say, given my preferences either the XO or black would be my go-to. Bigger and bolder – and yet smooth and very drinkable – is more my style. But isn’t that what we want to learn? Learn what we like, what our friends like, and make everyone smile a bit brighter? Carpe Diem.