Crown Royal Black

An initially subtle, sweet and floral nose with a hearty dose of char that you really need to give time to develop. Notes of vanilla candy, caramel syrup, juicy plums, apple blossoms, Rainier cherries, charred wood, dried figs, and subtle yet sharp rye hinting at a bourbon character emerge. Caramel sweet and quite spicy on the palate, with gobs of vanilla and candied dark fruits, quickly followed with heat in the form of cayenne, ginger, and cinnamon, as well as a few green notes - rye and dried dill. Then, bitterness takes center stage, akin to Tung oil finished wood. It’s a bit unbalanced honestly. The body is thin at first, then fluffs up a little (but not as much as the original Crown Royal) as it sits on the tongue. There are no legs, and the sheets that drape the glass after a swirl go down fast leaving a few dots. The finish is mild and moderately long, with a fair amount of lingering dark honey sweetness, a hint of mint gum, green wood, plus a touch of cocoa and raisin. Intended to be a step up from classic Crown, but I personally feel it sacrifices what Crown excels at to be just a little spicier and darker, but without the balanced refinement of its predecessor. Nose: 8 Taste: 7 Body: 7 Finish: 8

Ok so I am NOT a fan of Canadian whiskey. Find them very weak and lacking in flavor.....to quote "brown vodka". I figure maybe I just haven't tried the right one. This CRB seems to have decent reviews and a buddy of mine picked up a bottle so I scored a 100ml from him for review. Poured neat, color looks good enough. Nose is....uh oh where's the nose.......damn canucks. I get some faint spice, a touch of candied corn/maple maybe some distant wood. Kinda smells like ginger ale soaked into a cardboard box. Palate however redeems somewhat. Good flavor delivery of sweet ginger , maple syrup and light toasty oak. Its easy and smooth without the notes of vodka grain swill like many ive had. Finish is flat cola and bitter wood with trailing spice. Overall its a friendly mild dram that is more suited for whiskey novices and mixing. Would I pick up a bottle for myself?......Hell no, but I can see the appeal of Crown with the image and fancy purple bag and such. I will say its the best from Canada Ive had..........62/100.........unfortunately that's not sayin much. I do not think it tastes like JD, would take #7 seven days a week and twice on Sunday over crown

This was an accidental purchase. I would not have bought this had I realized that it was 90 proof. At the time I purchased my first bottle of Crown Royal Black, everything else in my liquor cabinet was no higher than 87 proof. After realizing that this was 90 proof, I banished this to the cabinet above my fridge which is the hardest to reach cabinet in my house. Yet, one evening a few months ago, I looked at the contents of my liquor cabinet, and I was just in the mood for something different. So, I stood on a chair to get to my most out-of-the-way cabinet, brought down the Crown Royal Black and poured myself a shot. I was blown away. It was much more mellow than I expected. On the palate, I taste maple syrup with a tinge of wood. This is a bit thin, but very good nonetheless. Prior to opening my first bottle of this, I was mostly a scotch drinker. I hadn't touched Canadian whisky or bourbon in years. Now I'm once again expanding my tastes, and I'm also starting to explore higher proof whisk(e)y offerings. Additionally, I'm lightening my wallet now that I'm not going after single malt scotches.

This whiskey is very familiar, but is indeed a darker, slower, and warmer dram as the name implies. The nose is far less bright then deluxe or northern rye, presenting hints of corn, vanilla and oak, much more reminiscent of bourbon then Canadian whiskey. The palate brings some initial sweetness, but it fades quickly to dark toffee and corn notes. In this expression you can tell it wants to be different then it’s siblings.. it wants to play with the American whiskeys. The finish is where the name gets to prove itself.. the charred barrels this was aged in make themselves known here with oak tannins and some of that peppery spice from the palate. Overall this isn’t remarkably complex, nor something you think someone would write a 4 paragraph review about, but if you enjoy Crown, and don’t want an overly sweet version, this is the Crown for you.

Interesting, a little different from other canadian whiskies i have had. Bottled at 45%abv, with a beautiful dark color, actually "brown sherry" color. On the nose, it is not that strong, and it is hard to nose it really. Brown sugar notes, maple syrup (same in every canadian whisky ever lol) and some citrus note, like lemon or prune peel. On the Palate, starts with caramel for just a moment, then a spice bomb. Lots of spices, with a hot wood flavor and some orange notes. Very spicy. Medium bodied, but gets you mouth full of flavor. Not that pleasant though. Finish is medium, with the same profile. A little harsh, liked the color, i am not fond with the whole profile on this one, but i got to say it is not a bad dram at all. 68 out of 100.

Crown Royal Black 45% abv. Min. age: 3 years. I believe made/bottled in Canada. then imported into Norwalk, Connecticut (Diageo). Aged in heavily charred oak barrels. Aroma: very light, fruity, minor oak, a little bourbon like Taste: minor spice, heavy charred note on the back end, minor lingering char finish. Light to medium sweetness up front. Minor bourbon notes, mellows out over time. Very smooth, light to medium body. Overall its a decent/good whisky but I expected a little more flavor and a bolder profile. Cost: 26.95 plus tax for a 750 ml. Grade: B-