However, Crown Royal was forced to change the name after a slight blunder; any bourbon product must be made in the USA. The company was too far into the release to change it right away, and the second rollout is only a slight rebranding.
Blending whiskey might have a bad rap as a way for companies to dilute their product and make more money. That could be true in some cases, but there’s definitely a lot more going on with blended whiskey than one might think. Even a drop too many of one flavor could have an effect on the entire blend. In order to be called blended whiskey, a spirit must be at least 20% whiskey and up to 100% whiskey. Beyond that, though, the other 80% remaining can be ingredients other than whisky, including neutral grain spirits, flavors, or colors.
For the curious, Flaviar offers a step by step tutorial with tips on how to experiment with blending your own whiskey.
Whiskey Review: Crown Royal Blenders’ Mash
Vital Stats: 80 proof, 40% ABV, bottles cost around $28. The whisky is aged in new and used American Oak barrels.
Appearance: Smooth amber colored liquid with slow, thick legs.
Nose: The blend showcases straightforward smells of sweet corn, Red Delicious apples, toasted caramel, and vanilla bean. The smell is very similar to a simple bourbon, with more fruit flavors standing out. There are also pronounced notes of oak and a slight smokiness in the background.
Palate: The flavor is sweet, with plenty of fruity notes: red apples, bing cherries, dried fig. More sweetness comes in when the body introduces butterscotch, toffee and vanilla. There’s a slight oakiness from the aging, but the sweet corn syrupy texture and flavor blocks out those complexities. The finish is a little hot, but dissipates quickly. Overall, the whisky has a very soft mouthfeel, and is pretty easy to drink neat or with an ice cube. I also made some cocktails with it to try it out, and much preferred to drink it with some mint and soda water.
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