Canadian

Canadian Whisky Review: Crown Royal Marquis

$39.99

OVERALL
RATING

Canadian Whisky Review: Crown Royal Marquis

Name: Canadian Whisky Review: Crown Royal Marquis
Item: Canadian Whisky Review: Crown Royal Marquis
Rating: 7
Author: Charles Steele

Crown Royal Marquis is an innovative Candian whisky blend finished in Caribbean rum casks. It is available across the U.S. for an SRP of $39.99.

by Charles Steele
May 26, 2025

Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.

Tasting Notes:

About:

Crown Royal Marquis is a blend of Crown Royal blended Canadian whisky aged in Caribbean Rum Casks. Rum, unlike many other grain based liquors, is crafted using sugar in a more raw form. Grain based spirits, like Canadian whisky, use the germination process to produce sugar compounds which the yeast feed off of. Rum uses direct sugar to feed the yeast. This makes sense if you know anything about the history of most Caribbean islands and the cash crops which were produced there. Today, almost every island in the Caribbean has a special way of producing rum which is unique to them. Many use molasses derived from sugar cane to produce their rum. Crown Royal, easily one of the most recognized names in whisky, has branched out and is looking to combine their whisky with the sweet and dark sugar notes of a Caribbean rum. The marketing materials invite you to “indulge in the unexpected.”

Appearance:

Light butterscotch

Nose:

Butter, green apples, burnt sugar like crème brûlée topping, and pear. There are some whiffs of tropical fruits and salt as well but only momentarily.

Palate:

Smooth from the start with a watery mouthfeel. The notes are more rum forward than whisky. molasses sugar, dried coconut shavings, small hints of toasted oak which evolve into custard. There is a real brightness to this whisky. I found touches of a traditional cola, like dried fig and dates. There is an undercurrent of alcohol throughout the taste which is unmistakable.

Finish:

Short and sweet! This is a clean whisky finishing with bright spots of the molasses sugar, coconut shavings, and vanilla before evaporating from the pallet.

Comments:

This is a great rum finished whiskey. Crown Royal did a great job blending the product to reduce as many off notes as possible and highlighting the remaining positive flavors. The problem is there are only so many notable flavors in this whiskey. With that said it is a great drink for an evening out, to get at a bar, to mix, or start an evening. I certainly sense this is a ‘social’ whisky and not something to be set in a decanter.

Availability in the US is extremely limited. Distribution is only to Georgia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. as well as select military bases. I don’t know why these markets and if there will be a wider release later, but what I can say is this is a fun drink! Similar to how Crown Royal Peach sort of took people by surprise, I think Marquis may also offer a similar level of excitement. It isn’t going to blow you away as a pure whisky in a glass, but not every drinker must to be a connoisseur to buy a bottle of whisky.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

You can read all of the release details of Crown Royal Marquis here.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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