Milliardo
Crown Royal Noble Collection 13 Year Blenders' Mash
Canadian — Canada
Reviewed
November 13, 2019 (edited December 14, 2019)
This is not bourbon whiskey.
That’s what the sticker on the purple tube says. It’s what the sticker on the bottle says. I must’ve gotten a rogue batch before production consulted legal, because mine doesn’t say “blenders mash”. It says “bourbon mash”. But don’t worry: this is not bourbon whiskey.
It’s made from a bourbon mash bill, aged in new, charred American white oak barrels. It pours out beautifully into a snifter, amber in hue. But don’t worry: this is not bourbon whiskey.
Nose is dusty. You can smell the extra age in the oak. I can also pick out caramel, lemon, and raspberries, but the oak is the main feature. This is not bourbon whiskey.
Body flavors are subtle, but the mouth feel packs a punch. Don’t go into this dram with chapped lips. It’s far mellower than I expected based on the oak nose. Caramel, honey, and powdered sugar are present. Bit of raspberry. It’s hot, particularly for 90 proof, but hot damn is it delicious. This is not bourbon whiskey.
Finish endures longer than expected. The heat from the body turns to pure black pepper, and it buzzes on pleasantly, particularly on the front rim of your tongue. This is not bourbon whiskey.
Can I just say it? This song and dance is kind of ridiculous. This dram is a better “not bourbon whiskey” than most bourbons I’ve tried. It’s intense and subtle in all the right places. It’s affordable. I really love the transitions. It’s almost as if someone crafted a really dynamic whiskey, much the same way one would craft a bourbon, but with an extreme talent that many bourbon producers lack. Oh yeah, and it was crafted in Canada. Whoops. Finger wag. Slap of the wrist.
IMHO: if Blanton’s can make bourbon that Americans CAN’T have, I’m not going to beat up on some Canadians who make a delicious bourbon that Americans can. That’s right. I said it. But DO NOT WORRY: this is not bourbon whiskey.
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@BeppeCovfefe Will do, thanks!
@Milliardo hi Milliardo, I now realize that BOTH the Blenders and Noble received the same naming (of bourbon) so indeed it could be the Noble that you have with the correction. Either way this was not an "after thought" as they were making the bottles legal for export/import to the USA. I'd hang on to that bottle just the same! Cheers!
@BeppeCovfefe I had some trouble figuring out where to put this bottle is this app. I found it in a purple “Noble Collection” tube, next to the boxed blenders mash on the shelf and at a different price point. There were just 2 of them, and I snagged em both, one to drink, one to save. The funny part is all the different places they slapped on a “This is not bourbon whiskey” sticker, clearly as an afterthought. The bottle itself reads “Noble Collection - Canadian Whiskey - 13 Year Old Bourbon Mash”. If it’s not valuable one day, I’ll still get a kick out of its irreverence.
@PBMichiganWolverine I wouldn't put much past Crown Royal, they are Diago's crown jewel of marketing genius.
@BeppeCovfefe I wonder if they did it on purpose to sell more, hoping collectors would buy the labeling error
@PBMichiganWolverine due to national law and trade agreements, Crown(Canada) cannot produce "bourbon" to sell in America as they don't meet the US standards for bourbon this fact was overlooked by CR International as they probably assumed they can do "whatever they want. I think Milliardo is referring to the "Blenders Mash" which is not the same as the Noble Collection, you can search and see what it looks like There was a short run that said "Bourbon" on the label before they realized the legal implication and changed it.
@BeppeCovfefe really? Why?
Hang on to that bottle, it should be collectible.