The Best Crown Royal Whisky
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Crown Royal is an impressive Canadian brand with an interesting history and a name that fits its creation. It all started in 1939 when Queen Elizabeth and King George VI were the very first reigning monarchs to make the trip across North America, traveling by train. A local entrepreneur caught wind of their arrival and wanted to create a whisky just for them that they could enjoy in their rail car.
He sampled more than 600 blends before settling on the few that would go into his wonderful creation. In addition to testing the whisky itself, he sifted through hundreds of glass types, bottle styles, and labels before deciding on his final design. In the end, he had created what he believed to be the perfect whisky in every way. He called it Crown Royal after his quest to make it specifically for royalty.
The King and Queen were gifted 10 cases of this whisky at the beginning of their journey, and the rest is history. Since then, the collection of whiskies has grown and, of course, become quite popular. The best Crown Royal whisky is always based on this original recipe and although many blends have branched off and created entirely new flavors, the original inspiration remains the same.
Crown Royal Xr Blended Canadian Whisky
Crown Royal XR is a rare but exceptional expression from the well-decorated Canadian whisky brand. Its a blend of some of their finest whiskies and provides an exceptionally deep and complex profile. Aged and matured to absolute perfection and infused with dried fruits and honey, each sip from this bottle is an experience.
This expression is made using the same top-notch process used back in the day to craft the original drink that was served up to the British Royalty of the time. Cracking open a bottle of XR and enjoying it neat is about as close as youll get to going back in time.
On the nose, youll find heavy spices, sweet vanilla, and candied apple with a touch of caramel. The palate offers raisins, brown sugar, and cocoa balanced with notes of fruit, honey, and spicy Canadian rye. The finish is long, peppery, and so smooth with perfectly balanced sweetness and spice.
Best For Manhattan: Pendleton Whisky
Pendleton’s Canadian whisky is sourced and bottled by an American company: Hood River Distillers in Oregon. Its a blended whisky that is distilled and aged in Canada, then brought to the U.S. and cut with spring water from Mt. Hood before bottling. The palate is slightly sweet and mild with a bit of spice, making this an excellent Canadian whisky to use in a Manhattan. The pepper and fruit notes will also complement any sweet vermouth you go with.
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Best Single Malt: Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt
When you think of Canadian whisky, single malt is not the first category that comes to mind. But there are some smaller craft producers making single malt whisky, like Vancouver Islands Shelter Point. Its distilled in copper pot stills from a mash bill of 100% malted barley and aged for a minimum of three years in American oak barrels. Fans of single malt scotch will enjoy the notes of tropical fruit, vanilla and spice on the palate.
Best Budget: Canadian Club 100% Rye
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Canadian Club is a well-known brand in the U.S., mostly for its extremely popular and affordable blended whisky. But this 100% rye whisky, which is aged in a few different barrel types, is a great example of Canadian rye and will usually cost around $20 a bottle. This is not the most intense rye whisky experience you’ll find, but its certainly a good deal. Crafted by Alberta Distillers, this spirit has caramel and oak notes.
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Fruited Goodness: Crown Royal And Apple
When looking for mixer combinations, you can learn a lot from the most popular flavored drinks for particular whiskey brands, and in the case of Crown Royal, the runaway favorite is undoubtedly Crown Royal apple. And its that combination were channeling here, with our combination of Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey and apple juice.
We recommend using a nice organic apple juice, to really get the most out of your mixed drink.
To make a Crown Royal and apple juice mixed drink, pour one part Crown Royal and 2 parts fresh apple juice over a highball glass filled with ice, stir gently and serve.
Hillary Clintons A Fan
We love her power suits and she loves her whisky. At least according to one fuzzy video, in which the former senator knocks back a dram of Canadian spirit. See :30 for her official endorsement of Crown Royal. Clinton doesnt finish the whole Canuck shot, mind you, likely in deference to America, freedom, and the almost certain need to be clear-headed .
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Best Overall: Forty Creek Confederation Oak
This is an excellent expression from the Grimsby, Ontario distillery. Confederation Oak was created to commemorate Canadas 1867 Confederation. Its a blended whisky that is finished for up to two years in new Canadian oak barrels, which the distillery says have a tighter grain because of the colder climate. Look for notes of praline, honey and dark fruits on the palate.
Crown Royal Master Series
These whiskies are produced by the master blender with extra care, and cost anywhere from a little more than the signature series to a great deal more. Depending on the rarity of the whisky or the number of years its aged, the signature series sets itself apart from the signature series and is released in limited quantities.
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Sherry Wine Oak Ash Its All Crown Royal
One of the only unifying rules of Canadian whisky is aging: All whiskies have to be aged a minimum of three years, though a lot get a lot more time in the barrel. What kind of barrel, you ask? Well, theres some wiggle room. Remember how strict we are in the U.S. about bourbon aging? Being Canadian, Crown Royal is under no such scrutiny. Thats how you get one company putting various proportions of corn, barley, and rye whisky into anything from virgin, charred new oak, and/or re-used charred new oak barrels, to Cognac and Cabernet Sauvignon casks. The flavors can span everything from spice and dried fruit to subtle smoke, vanilla, or caramel. Some experiments arent so welcome, as bearded whiskey sage Chuck Cowdery noted in his half-joking invective against the release of Crown Royals Bourbon Mash whisky, a bottle that may lead to some punching and/or beard-pulling down the line.
Introduction Of Crown Royal Whisky
Aptly named, Crown Royal whisky came about as a gift to The Crown. It was King George VI, and his spouse, to be exact. In 1939, the King visited Canada along with the Queen and Crown Royal was created ahead of his arrival as a gift of honor. From there, the brand has blossomed into arguably the most iconic Canadian Whisky.
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Best For Cocktails: Forty Creek Barrel Select Whisky
Forty Creek, an Ontario distillery, is producing some amazingly smooth whiskies. The brand’s flagship is Barrel Select, an 80-proof blend of rye, barley, and corn whiskies that were aged separately in former bourbon and new American white oak barrels. This is a whisky you’ll want for mixed drinks. It’s affordable and has that smooth sweetness thats expected from Canadian whisky. It makes very nice cocktails, including the impressive Forty Creek Caesar. Whenever a recipe simply says whisky without recommending a style, this is a great option and can easily become your go-to bottle.
The History Of Crown Royal
Crown Royal got its beginning as a gift to the Queen and King of England in 1939. You see, no British monarch had made the trek across the Atlantic to visit Canada before, so when word got around that King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were making the journey, a distiller set out to create the perfect blend of whiskies to showcase to the royal couple what Canada had to offer.
He experimented with the 600 of best barrels until he came to a blend consisting of more than 50 whiskies that was smooth as butter and became known as Crown Royal. He outfitted it in a cut glass decanter and presented it in a royal purple bag with gold stitching, and that purple bag is still emblematic of the brand today.
Crown Royal was released to the USA in the 1960s, it became the top selling Canadian Whisky on American shelves and has been unrivaled since.
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Is Crown Royal A Rye Whisky
Strictly speakingno. According to the exacting standards of American whisky production, a true rye must have 51% of rye in its mash bill, or specific mix of grains. Crown Royals base recipes differ from bottle to bottle, and some have quite a bit of ryebut not that much, and certainly without the ubiquity necessary to deem Crown Royal a rye whisky.
Instead, Crown Royal often uses corn and barley as their go-to-grains.
How Is Crown Royal Made
Gimli Distillery is the only place in Canada where you can get this unique flavor of whiskey.
Organic grains, which are only found in certain places, are used to their fullest potential in the distillery, where they are mixed with purified water. Overall, the distillation process benefits from a favorable climate.
When it comes to whiskey, Crown Royal is the culmination of several fantastic and premium brands coming together. To mature whiskeys properly, they must first be distilled and processed in a variety of custom-made receptacles.
All these stages together result in a flawless process. As a result, the traditional Crown Royal is both a high-end cocktail and a golden-yellow whiskey.
As soon as you take a sip, you will notice that it smells like fresh fruits and vanilla and tastes like sugary oak and vanilla.
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Whiskey Review: Crown Royal
Crown Royal is the poster child for Canadian whiskey. The most popular on the American market and with some slick branding, it certainly makes a splash on the liquor store shelves. Despite its fame and ubiquity, though, Id never tried it before and had no idea what I was in for when I brought a bottle home.
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A Fruity Delight: Crown Royal And Orange Cream Soda
Nothing evokes such strong feelings of nostalgia and childlike delight quite like the orange cream soda, with its creamy vanilla sweetness and bursts of fruit flavor. So, it goes without saying that it makes a fantastic mixer alongside Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey.
To make a Crown Royal and orange cream soda mixed drink, combine 1 part Crown Royal Canadian whiskey with 3 pars Orange Cream Soda in a highball glass over ice. And then enjoy!
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What To Mix With Crown Royal
Canadian whiskey can sometimes suffer from a lack of brand recognition, without the global appeal and popularity of more famed whiskey producing nations such as Scotland and America, but there are exceptions, and chief among those is Crown Royal.
True to its regal name, Crown Royal was first introduced in 1939, to serve as a commemoration of the royal tour of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Initially only available in Canada, it has been widely available in the US since the 1960s, and enjoys tremendous popularity, especially for mixed drinks, with its palate of berry fruits, vanilla sweetness, and oak spice making it a versatile and appealing base spirit.
Interesting Facts & Myths
Something that really sets Crown Royal apart from other liquor brands is that purple velvet bag with gold drawstrings.
Since the beginning, theyve also added other colors of bags for the other varieties of blended Canadian whisky. That being said, the purple bag still reigns supreme.
The purple bag has also inspired a charitable organization. The Purple Bag Project is part of the Packages From Home.
This charity is all about sending care packages to the active military around the world. Guess what they use? The purple Crown Royal bag.
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Crown Royal Is Not Rye Whiskey But It Can Be If It Wants To
When it comes to whisky, Canadas like the Wild West, except up North and probably with a lot less spitting and cursing. Either way, rules for Canadian whisky production are comparatively lax. Add to that the countrys less-than-tropical temperatures, and you get why rye is a staple ingredient in its whisky. That doesnt mean Canadian whisky = rye. Far from it. Unlike American rye whiskey, which legally must contain at least 51 percent rye, Canadian whisky can have zero, some, or a whole lot of rye in its mash bill. Other common ingredients are corn and barley. Its a bit of a distillation free-for-all.
The 10 Best Crown Royal Shots To Try
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Crown Royal Whiskey is a Canadian brand that is an excellent base for many shots and cocktails. Also known as Seagrams Crown Royal, the blended whiskey was first introduced to the US market in 1964.
Having humble beginnings has definitely made Crown Royal what it is today. Many bars and clubs stock the famous whiskey, and it is a favorite throughout the country.
These are some recipes for shots that use Crown Royal as the main ingredient. Whether you want to spice up your next party or even have a shot-making competition, this is a great place to get some inspiration.
Some of these are cocktail-based recipes that use Royal Crown, but they can easily be made into shooters to allow for everyone in your group to get a taste.
Generally, as long as the proportions are kept mostly the same, then you can try different liqueur flavors or even change the spirits added. Of course, a lot of the drink recipes say that they should be served over ice. This just means that they taste best that way, and you can even add ice to the cocktail shaker to maintain that certain element of a chill that improves the flavor.
Its essential that you have a good ice maker, cocktail shaker and strainer, and some good-quality liqueurs. These are among other essentials for people wanting to get more creative with their drinks at home.
Contents
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What Is The Best Crown Royal You Can Buy
From Smooth Blends To Spicy Ryes
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Among the many whiskies of the world, Canadian whisky is known to be smooth, affordable, and great for mixing into cocktails. Canadian whiskies are generally blended, and the art that goes into this aspect should not be underestimated. The skilled blenders transform numerous grain whiskies of varying ages along with other flavored spirits into a delightful drinking experience. The fact that they can replicate the signature taste of a particular whisky in each batch is simply impressive.
There are some great brands of Canadian whisky to choose from, and theres something for whisky drinkers of every taste. Whether you enjoy a classic light-bodied whisky, one dominated by the spice of rye, prefer to sip it straight, or want something thats infinitely mixable, theres a bottle waiting for a spot in your bar.
Read on to learn more about the best Canadian whiskies available.
It’s unusual to find a Canadian whisky priced over $100, but luxury bottles are out there. One worth tasting is Pendleton Directors Reserve , a 20-year-old blend thats smooth, spicy, and very enjoyable.
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Best Age Statement: Jp Wiser’s 15 Year Old
This JP Wisers whisky is a bartender favorite. It’s a blend of mature grain whiskies with a hint of rye spice, says Pablo Guerrero, the food and beverage manager of Azabu Miami Beach. After being aged for 15 years, we have a rich and smooth mix of flavors like dried fruits, toffee, spices and a very little touch of green apples. There is no need to break the bank, as it is a good value whisky and a fantastic digestif to end a memorable dinner.
Different Types Of Crown Royal
Some of the variations of Crown Royal include:
- Crown Royal The original Crown Royal whiskey was only available in Canada until 1964. It comes in a purple felt-like bag with a gold tasselled drawstring.
- Crown Royal Black Introduced in 2010, this is a darker and stronger whisky that is sold in a black felt bag.
- Crown Royal Reserve Launched in 1992, this version of Crown Royal is aged for a longer period. It comes in a tan, velvet-like bag with coarse gold drawstrings.
- Crown Royal XO Introduced in January 2014, this whisky is a blend of 50 whiskies that were finished in Cognac casks from the French Limousin forest.
- Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Launched in 2015, this bled is mostly rye whisky.
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