I picked up a bottle of this for $30 while shopping for bottom shelf bourbons in Richmond a couple of weeks ago. This is the newest Crown Royal release that mimics American bourbon’s mash bill. It has become somewhat controversial in Canada, though, because of the name and I’ve even heard it’s being pulled from shelves up there. Let the hating of America continue, I guess...
Anyways, this one is at the industry standard of 40%, is copper and gold in the glass and makes lots of super thin legs when you spin it. The nose has a little pepper, weaker than expected vanilla and the faintest, fresh barrel. Smells more like bourbon and less like the typical Crown. That’s a plus.
The palate is all sweet corn and oak but it’s ridiculously watery. That’s where this one turns gimmick-y IMO. Instead of focusing on adding depth and flavor they obviously chose to stretch the liquid and make it even thinner than it should be. The finish is medium length and mostly oak and tannins. There’s nothing that lingers here.
Overall, it mixed really well with Coca Cola, which was the primary reason I bought a bottle. At $30, it isn’t bad but I don’t think I’d buy it again. I guess the Canucks should be buying it up since it’ll be a banned bottle very soon. That’s as good of a reason as any to not drink it, lol. 2.25-2.5 stars. Cheers.
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yeah, not going to be pulled but any future releases have to change what it called when released in the US in the future. Feds let it go through this time since by the time anything was noticed, it was already released in US.
Pure jokes. Just picked this up tonight with the “incorrect labeling “ although it has been available in Ontario for quite some time, yet new to the location this was purchased at. Bourbon propaganda.
Ah, @Blairp - I have a few friends up in Toronto and they all heard rumors it’s was being pulled up there and re-labeled. Seems this is much ado about nothing, more or less. Thanks for the clarification.
The controversy was actually in the US. Crown Royal has always used a bourbon style mashbill to make a whisky that's part of their blending component. (Since Seagram released it in 1939.) A few people in the US complained that the phrase "Bourbon Mash" wasn't transparent enough citing a law that applies in the US only. So it was pulled and re-named "Blender's Mash". It's still available in Canada with the Bourbon Mash label so that might affect collect-ability.
Not being pulled from the shelves. Silly rumor for the gullible?
@LeeEvolved I’ve read about this one...it’s interesting the spin they’re putting on it. It’s being sold as “pick it up, because this current label is illegal, and Canada will have to change it”. No mention of how good the bourbon is, just that it’s a labeling error, so you should buy it as a collector.