I think I've only had Crown Royal Deluxe so I bought a 50 mL of this for $2.95. (In NC the 750 mL is $30.95.) Right off the bat, this nose is TERRIBLE. I'm a chemist and I generally do not huff solvents I frequently use, but this nose distinctly smells like a combination of isopropyl alcohol mixed with ketones or aldehydes. I might even smell something akin to ethyl acetate. Let me reiterate, this nose is TERRIBLE. Seriously, it smells like mixture of cheap organic solvents you'll find in commercially available products for household cleaners or topical medication.
I honestly have no idea how the Expert Review can pass off this smell as "smoky and robust." I have a poor sense of smell due to genetics and all of my lackadaisical practices as an academic chemist, and I can still smell things in this whiskey that tell me I shouldn't drink this. But I did drink it, and you get a standard alcohol flavor that makes me think it won't kill me, it's just a crappy whiskey. I get no tasting notes outside of alcohol. If you gave me a blind taste test and said this was Aristocrat, I'd believe you. Do not buy this, it is a freaking waste of money for $30 a bottle.
30.95
USD
per
Bottle