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Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye
Distiller Score 89
A very unusual bouquet for a rye whiskey, very fruity, with plum, apricot, baked pears, and a hint of spearmint. Very light oak and just a hint of the grain are also apparent. The entry on the palate is quite sweet, reminiscent of Juicy Fruit chewing gum, with vanilla, moderate oak, baking spices and orange marmalade. The finish is moderate, with big cinnamon, oak, grain notes and a bit of an alcohol burn.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
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Gibson's Finest 12 Year
Distiller Score 88
Honey and strawberries on the nose. There's also a bit of citrus zest, caramel corn, and it has a waxy astringent character. Lots of rye, bitter orange peel, wood varnish, and caramel come next. Both caramel and strawberry notes assert themselves as it sits. The finish is warm but doesn't stick around very long. A thoroughly pleasing example of a refined, complex, but smooth and familiar tasting Canadian whisky.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel
Distiller Score 93
Not a lot of oak on the nose on this whisky, instead, the bouquet shows butterscotch, flambéed bananas foster, freshly-baked cinnamon rolls, and maple syrup covered flapjacks. The palate starts sweet, think divinity, with walnut and a touch of oak before going into a very soft grain-forward profile. Ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg notes follow behind. The finish is smooth and lingering, with warm gingerbread, black pepper, oak, spearmint and a bit more cooked banana. There is a bit of heat from the alcohol, but it is balanced and provides a good counterpoint to the sweetness of this whisky.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
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Crown Royal Limited Edition
Distiller Score 85
The nose opens slowly on green apples sprinkled with nutmeg powder and cloves, and displays the dustiness of rye with the sweet vanilla of bourbon. Dry brown hay and dusty grain round it out. The toffee-sweet palate is rich with gingery spices and crisp oakiness on a creamy vanilla custard base. Spicy hot pepper balances a zippy citrus zest. A slight tannic pull precedes a classic grapefruit pith finish.
Reviewed by Davin de Kergommeaux
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Crown Royal Deluxe
Distiller Score 83
Sweet maple notes and concord grapes along with vanilla and soft wood spices are a few of the descriptors you'll note. The texture of the whisky is one of the most notable features of the whisky which is as smooth and soft as the royal purple sack with which your bottle is wrapped.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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J.P. Wiser's Legacy Canadian Whisky
Distiller Score 94
J.P. Wiser would be rolling in his grave. Not because this whisky insults the name, quite the opposite in fact – he’d be rolling to bust out and try it. The whisky’s nose pulses from one note to the next where a potpourri wafts in and out like a star-studded movie full of cameos. The cast includes maple, baking spices, vanilla, rye bread, charismatic oak and the full spectrum of orchard fruits. Missing is George Clooney. All of the same notes land in the palate mingled with a sweet and peppery citric zest. Toasted oak comes through and fades into tobacco as Legacy starts rolling its long list of delicious finishing credits.
Reviewed by Blair Phillips
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Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve
Distiller Score 89
Dark chocolate, vanilla cream, and dark cherry greet you on the nose. The body is far richer than other Forty Creek bottlings. On the palate, Turtle Candies came to mind (pecans and caramel covered in chocolate). The sweet and spicy notes balance each other and make this a fairly easy whisky to consume in large quantity. You are left with a warm feeling in your chest and a mild bitterness on the finish. Forty Creek has made a quality product at a very fair price.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Crown Royal Reserve
Distiller Score 89
Aromas of white peach, apple juice and grapes seems like this will taste too sweet and punch-like. Thankfully, the whisky takes a turn to nicely integrated dark grains, slight char, and cinnamon. The texture is soft and supple, but not oily. The finish is pleasant and balanced.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Alberta Premium Dark Horse
Distiller Score 89
There is a pleasant savoriness coupled with sweetness that is quite enjoyable, like beef jerky dusted with brown sugar. Leather, vanilla, banana, and a bit of bitter dark chocolate are notes on the palate after the initial touch of sugar on the tongue. The rye is present on the mid-palate and comes back around on the finish.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky
Distiller Score 89
Sherry aromas, vanilla, baking spices and oak notes along with a slight alcohol burn appear on the nose. The palate brings more vanilla, oak, citrus blossoms, cinnamon, nutmeg, old lumber and dried prune creating a complex flavor profile. The whisky is wrapped up with a long and gentle finish of weathered oak, cinnamon and cardamom.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
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Amrut Single Malt
Distiller Score 85
The nose is full of honeyed toast with the tasting profile moving more towards barrel spices. The malt is dark and pleasantly bitter with notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and cooked yellow fruits. More bitter wood tannins come in to wrap things up.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Lot No. 40 Canadian Rye
Distiller Score 91
A hint of maraschino appears on the nose along with the touch of brown sugar and salted caramel. On the palate, this lives up to the mash-bill. Tons of black pepper and barrel spices along with tobacco and a bit of bitter coffee. There’s a nondescript fruitiness on the long tannic finish. A fine Canadian example.
Reviewed by Paul Belbusti