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Crown Royal 12 Year Old Reserve

Crown Royal's 12-year expression aged in new charred American oak delivers unexpected Highland Scotch qualities with honey, summer fruits, and the brand's signature mint notes.

OVERALL RATING

7
$58
  • Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant with over a decade of experience in whisky retail and online whisky education. Best known for hosting Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, he is dedicated to making whisky accessible and enjoyable by cutting through jargon and complexity.
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Tasting Notes

About:

An older expression of the classic Crown Royal. Aged for twelve years in new charred American white oak casks, providing a classic yet more refined character to the brand.
Appearance:
Light Sherry
Nose:
Classic Crown Royal mint and some soft caramel notes. Those classic notes aside, you do get some very nice heather honey notes in this, akin to Highland Park. As well as some very fruity notes, such as strawberry, raspberry and blueberry. I wasn’t expecting these very summer fruit notes, but they are very welcome.
Palate:
Comes across as relatively oily on the palate, that was also unexpected. Big honey notes, a little touch of peppery spice pushing through this rich sweetness. It does remind me of lighter styles of Highland Scotch whiskies. Think about Dalwhinnie, bourbon cask Edradour, Royal Brackla and even some younger Mortlach whiskies I’ve had.

It isn’t the richest, most intense whisky that you’ll enjoy, but it has some very nice qualities to it.
Finish:
More of those classic minty notes, with a slightly off putting note of burnt rubber, not sure if that’s some weaker cask influence on some of the batch coming through there. It has a medium finish to it that does run a little spirit heavy but it’s a decent variation on the standard bottling.
Comments:
I like it, I don’t love it. I feel like it’s one of those whiskies that you wouldn’t turn down if someone offered you a glass of it, it looks pretty, too. It’s a cheaper bottle when compared to single malts of equivalent age, but I get the feeling that many folks would opt to spend more.

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.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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