Crown Royal Bourbon Mash

If you are like me and like Crown Royal, you'll LOVE the bourbon mash version. Smooth, flavorful, and tasty!

Not much taste.

Apparently it's illegal for non-Americans to use the word "Bourbon" on their packaging, regardless of context. This one says "Bourbon Mash" (which is nothing but the truth) and "This is not a Bourbon Whiskey." Nevertheless, it's illegal. The good thing about this is that in their efforts to liquidate the remaining supply of these bottlings (its since been changed to Blenders' Mash), this one has seen some heavy price reduction-- plummeting from $35 to $17. This lone factor is what ultimately drove my purchase. Nose: This one is a barn house. Green and musty. Corn, hay, sawdust, and wood. Maybe even a bit of manure in the background (I'm not kidding). Very bitter. Some cocoa and baking spices. Leather and apple. I worked on farms in high school, and while I can appreciate the aromas that come with the territory, the nose on this one fails to evoke any fond memories of my youth. It's more sawdust than anything else. Not the best. Palate: Bland. Vanilla, caramel, and baking spices. Some of the cocoa from the noses. It's off. It's bitter where it feels it ought to be sweet. Sawdust and flour. When it's not bitter, it's neutral tasting, and there's nothing inspiring about it. Not horrible, but absolutely nothing to write home about. Finish: Short. About right for an 80 proofer. It's all bitter oak off the bat. It takes a sharp turn into spicy cinnamon, but it's gone before you know it. Unsatisfying but fitting end to this one. You get what you pay for. It's not always accurate, but it's generally a rule of thumb. And hey, it's a whisky. I can still drink it. That's about all I've got for this one. The only box it checks is price, and even then it'd be a stretch to call this a good value. The moral of the story is, the word bourbon is off limits, no matter how you actually use it. And yet, their flub is the only reason I gave this one a shot. At $17, what the hell? I'll generously round this up to 2 stars. I don't regret the purchase, and that's about the best compliment I can conjure up for this one.

spicy, vanilla, maple