Crown Royal was among the first whiskies I drank. The bottle looked impressive at parties in college and it made a nice shooting companion next to the obligatory Jack and Jim. Plus we thought the signature purple bag was petty “on fleek” as I hear the kids say today and we used them for everything one could think of. My favorite was to hold my gaming dice (yes I’m a gaming geek too), but we also used them to hold laundry quarters, as chalk bags when we went rock climbing in the wilds of Wyoming or spare spikes, studs and band patches for our jackets.
Seagram’s first introduced Crown Royal in 1939 to celebrate King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visiting Canada and it remained a Canadian only product until 1964. The beverage giant Diageo acquired the Crown Royal brand in 2000 when Seagram’s was dissolved and since then there have been numerous versions and variations of the original released. Like most Canadian whisky it’s a blend of different grain whiskies of various ages.
Crown Royal Info
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Distiller: Crown Royal
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Price: $24 (750 ml)
Crown Royal Review
EYE
Med caramel
NOSE
Cloying caramel, light fruit, light citrus and a light nuttiness create the initial aroma on this light whisky. Some light notes of raw grain, brown sugar and an ethereal vanilla bring up the rear. The whole thing gets topped off with a funky raw note that makes me wonder what the ratio of young to old whisky is in here.
PALATE
Cloying caramel, citrus, vanilla, fruit and a doughy caky quality mix and mingle with a watery sweetness and maple syrup while a brooding raw grain haunts the background.
FINISH
Caramel syrup, vanilla, candy corn, watery maple and raw grain bleed out in a long slow finish that turns cloying.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Balance isn’t that great; feels like it’s lacking in the cohesion department. Medium body and a soft watery texture with only a minor burn.
OVERALL
I haven’t had Crown Royal in about 5 years but after the recent tastes of the Northern Harvest Rye and Hand Selected Barrel I thought I’d pop on down to a shop I know carries the 375s for cheap and give it a try… kinda wish I didn’t. The standard release doesn’t have the amazing complexity and deep robust flavors of the Hand Selected, nor does it have any of the approachable subtle notes of the Harvest Rye. It does work well in cocktails, but unfortunately my “21 year old” memories seem to be a bit more fond of this than my 34 year old senses are of this one.
SCORE: 76/100
Crown Royal Review - Score Breakdown
Value
Crown Royal isn’t something I’d buy to drink straight, but it works very well in Canadian whisky cocktails. An excellent mixer
Overall
- Nose - 76
- Palate - 76
- Finish - 76
- Balance, Body & Feel - 76
Just recently discovered Royal Crown-very nice. Very smooth, and the price is very reasonable. I don’t know that this will get to one who I wish would but I hope it does. I think, as great as your product is, you can dispense with the beautiful blue bag and gold string it comes in. I’ve got so many of those, and hate to throw them out but have no use for them. I am sure I am not alone. For one, you would save a ton of money, and you would not be wasting the resources/materials that go into it. Again, love your product, but no need for the “bags”. Thanks…
Sorry to hear you think so poorly of this nice whiskey. I only recently learned that this Canadian whiskey would qualify as a bourbon if made in the US. Crown Royal has a great bottle, a versatile bag (we all use them as dice bags, and I’ve bought a couple bottles just to get the bag), and the whiskey is decent, not bad at all. Certainly better than any Jim Beam or Evan Williams (except Evan Williams Single Barrel), or most other Canadian whiskeys (like Canadian Club or Seagrams VO). I’d never look down on Crown Royal. Granted, it’s no Buffalo Trace or Glenfiddich, but it’s not bad at all. I’d rate it an 83, at least.
Hey Gary,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I definitely think the Evan Williams Bonded or Jim Beam Old Tub are far superior to this, but that’s why there’s so much whiskey: different palates :) When it comes to “qualifying as a bourbon” you’re thinking of a specific release, the Blender’s Mash, previously known as the Bourbon Mash. That one was made with a mash bill that would qualify as a bourbon if made in the USA.
The standard release, this one, is a blend of corn, rye and malt whiskies that were distilled separately, aged in new and used oak (French, American and other) and then blended before bottling and would not qualify as a bourbon. Even if made in the USA, due to the 3 separate whiskeys, used cooperage and non-American oak employed it doesn’t make the cut.
Glad you’re enjoying it. Cheers!
I have been a crown royal drinker for many years and I won’t be anymore. You are expensive and hard to come by. As soon as I start liking your whiskey like vanilla crown I can’t get it. Went to two liquor stores in yes utah and they were out of vanilla as well as peach. Tried Jim bean vanilla and it has a better flavor of vanilla and is 10 dollars cheaper. I’m done getting ripped off. You are way over rated.
Thanks for sharing Wendy, Cheers!
I drink Crown Royal occasionally. I like to keep a representative of most whisky styles on the shelf, and as I can’t stand CC, and don’t share Mr Murray’s enthusiasm for Alberta Rye, while other Canadians can be hard to find in Tokyo, CR more often than not holds the flag for Canada. The fruit seems to have been dialled up in recent years, and the loss of stocks from the old Waterloo and La Salle distilleries by all accounts presented some challenges to the blenders trying to maintain the CR flavour profile. Various XR bottlings have generally underwhelmed. I did pick up a bottle of the Northern Harvest Rye while in transit through Minneapolis/St Paul not so long ago and must say I really enjoyed it. So, where is this leading – I recently found some CR bottlings from 1982 and 1964 [seriously – Seagrams Quart 955ml 1964 according to the tax stamp and bottle base]. The ’64 bottling cost me what a bottle of CR costs now. The ’82 was much cheaper; obviously not much call for old CR in Tokyo. The sheer novelty of drinking a CR that was bottled the year after I was born, and has been languishing in someone’s cupboard for over 50 years made this a not-to-miss experience. But best of all, it’s a very fine whisky – a million miles removed from the modern CR. The 1982 is also most drinkable. They had a few, so I might go back, though sadly only one of the 1964.
Oh man, that sounds great. Oldest CR I’ve had was a late 70s and it was definitely better than any of the recent stocks and I think you’re dead on about the loss of distillery stocks plays a part in it.
As always, thanks for sharing Martin!
Crown Royal is just perfect. Ice, glass, drink (It can be had for $20 or less at CVS and Albertson’s here in Santa Barbara). Now… I know this is pure heresy but I love Johnny Walker Red neat. I am perfectly willing to admit that I am going against the crowd but I have always been a rebel. (I also prize, VO, and Canadian Club). Oh, well… it’s good to know I have friends in low places.
You like what you like. Cheers!
The Best
Crown Royal is everything that the others are not. I grew up in Detroit and like most of you treasured the “bag” and the name. My view is that a pour over the rocks is as good as it gets. I’ve paid much more for the wave of rye sweeping the US but can honestly say that my feelings remain the same. Crown Royal is, to me, an honest expression of Canadian. So is VO for that matter… and Canadian Club is up there too. I’ve had them all… but I still go back to Canadian Whiskey. But… I confess I am not ashamed of drinking Bud… just because I like it. You can take the boy out of Detroit, but you can’t take Detroit out of the boy. Now I know I’m gonna get it. But Best wishes for the Holiday Season.
Not to bad just have a glass of it .nothing like a white or blue label .but ,this is drinkible .and anyways when you want to have a drink even gasoline taste gooood. ..so if you want to impress your boss get a a white label. .if you want to enjoy with a friend or a brother, this do the trick
They’re selling the smoothness. And it is.
As a Canadian i must say i’m disappointed that CR is the standard Canadian whiskey around the world it’s young it’s plain and its disgusting. drink some better Canadian whenever you go for our Whiskey, please let crown die.
Agree with other reviewers that the Crown Royal Black is a very tasty, richer choice in the Canadian whiskey isle. Nothing wrong with regular CR, it’s just so light in flavor. Sometimes that’s just what you want, but for those who want a little change from bourbon that retains a bourbon like character and body, give CRB a try. I picked up a 375 thinking I probably wouldn’t care for it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’ll buy this one again just for a little change of pace.
Haven’t had the Black yet, but I’ll keep my eye out for a chance to try. Cheers!
I have an unopened, packaged w/ 2 glasses yr 2000. would anyone have an old school interest
I see those get put up on auction sites and whiskey trading sites every now and then and unfortunately they never go for much more than what a current bottle of Crown Royal goes for. Best idea would be to open it up and enjoy it.
Oh yeah by the way how many different kinds of Crown Royal are there now probably at least 20 they are running out of colors to make the bags. I do like the Black Label I will admit
I haven’t had the black yet, but people seem to really enjoy that one. It’s on my list for sure. Cheers Brent!
Rebel Yell used to put its bourbon in white bags very similar to Crown Royal bags back in the eighties… you can put lipstick on a pig and get more money for it
“ou can put lipstick on a pig and get more money for it” Hahah love it. Cheers Brent!
Those bags sold so many of those bottles. I don’t know why others didn’t do similar.
Crown Royal is high school whiskey to me. The most I’ve ever had was at the OU-Texas football game in Dallas in 1987. I was 19, my dad gave me passes to an oil company hospitality tent at the Texas State Fair where you could pour your own crown and coke in as many red plastic cups as you could carry out and I went and watched the game with about four of them. For that, it works well, but hell, what wouldn’t?
Caught a field goal that day, too. Gave the ball to a kid.
That’s quite the story, thanks for sharing Lance. Cheers!
Ah well, they can’t all be Highland Park 25’s and The Glenlivet Archive 21’s, doggone it!
It would be nice, though, wouldn’t it? :)
It would indeed, though then a trip to the bottle shop would be even harder if everything were awesome!
This along with Jack Daniel’s used to be my go-to whiskey’s. I can’t stand this whisky anymore and believe it is grossly overrated. I do still enjoy JD, but I’ve moved on to Scotch and small/&single barrel bourbons.
My friends and I always did shots of it, I’ve never actually sat down and drank a glass until doing this review. The other CRs are much better.