dhsilv2
Crown Royal Noble Collection 16 Year Rye
Canadian — Manitoba, Canada
Reviewed
October 19, 2020 (edited December 9, 2020)
So full disclosure, I loved the blenders mash for what it was and the price. So I'm kinda I guess a bit of a fan of these aged crowns.
nose - sweetness comes right out of the glass. This really nice balanced sweet rye, spicy and menthol and then just well made sweetness. This one is giving me some vanilla and caramel, far more than I generally get on a rye, but I get all that rye spice up front. There's even some sweet cereal notes and hints of cloves.
Taste - The taste is a bit more spice driven with all that classic rye spice you expect and then the sweetness is pleasant but it doesn't shift the balance from the spice, it just provides a nice platform to prevent spice over powering the experience. Anise and cloves and cinnamon, light mint, and an even so light touch of barrel just barely on the finish. Deep vanilla notes and some light fruits on the malt side.
This is surprisingly a nice easy drinker with the complexity and depth I'm looking for. To be honest put this at CS and I think you've got a better rye than Kentucky Owl.
At 80 bucks, I kinda feel you're better off putting your money towards a better bottle down the road but I'm not upset with this either. 2.25 score from me. I'm not a rye guy but I'm fully in on this has a good tasty dram that's just a bit too thin to score higher.
80.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@PBMichiganWolverine there's always hope man. With the massive increases in spirits being produced, they'll eventually out pace the market and we'll have a crash. I just hope my body makes it that long to enjoy those days...in what 20-40 years?
@dhsilv2 oh man, don’t even get me started on those days from 9-10 yrs ago. Unfortunately we’ll never see those prices again. 10-15 yrs ago, I had my first Yamazaki 18. For $80. I bought 2 more, and was complaining that I paid $160 for 2! Now, one Yamazaki 18 is like $700-900!
@PBMichiganWolverine man I wish you AND I could try the 23 year kentucky vintage rye I bought for 90 bucks about maybe 9 years ago? If I'd had any idea what i was drinking back then... But yeah this would be the oldest rye I have currently though the 15 year rare perfection is complete crap imo, a case of who cares how old it is, it's bad. I think you'll fully enjoy this but odds are like me you'll feel this was stripped away of what could have been a top tier rye whisky. I'd assume chill filtered, very possibly colored, and of course the abv is just too low. Still, this one really packs on the flavor. If you're a rye guy, I'd say buy. I maybe should adjust my review for that. As more a scotch guy first and bourbon guy second....this isn't where I'd want my 80 bucks (60....now at 60 maybe I'd get a second). But you rye guys should buy this for sure.
I was intrigued by the 16 year statement on this one. Good to know that it's nothing all that special. Thanks!
@dhsilv2 that’s true—-if you don’t like it, any price low enough will still be a waste. I’m a huge fan of rye, so something this old intrigues me. The oldest rye I’ve had was a 14yr, and that was pretty good ( also Canadian, I think—-Stock & Barrel)
@PBMichiganWolverine it's certainly cheap by the market, but if you don't like something, does it matter the age on it? This however is pretty dang tasty, might be a 3 or 3.5 star at cast strength.
@dhsilv2 $60-80 for a 16yr rye?!? Wow...even if it’s not great, that’s a damn good price.