Crown Royal Bourbon Mash

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.

I've read some of the least flattering reviews and I must say that I'm disappointed in anyone giving this less than 4 stars. I'm a young guy who, despite trying different whiskeys in high school and college, only recently begun to experience the full complexity of different liquors. This taste amazing. With out a doubt one of the best whiskeys I have ever tried. I genuinely like the more smokey flavor of a scotch, but this is by far the easiest liquor to sip on, I have ever tried. After cracking open the bottle the first time, you might get a strong mix of flavors that are hard to differentiate. No, it does not smell like poop(manure) like some have tried to state. If you smell manure from this at all, you probably crapped yourself. After a couple days, go back and take another smell and you'll be plesently surprised by the vanilla notes. I always here people talk about liquors(mainly whiskey) like how people talk about cigars. "I can taste the mullbery, the pine tree, and the rodents ball sack!" I have tried my fare share of cigars and liquors and can say to anyone new to alcohol, that all of that is B. S. I can taste the vanilla and the caramel esce flavors from the oak barrels, bit no, there is no poop, mullberry, cinnamon(this ain't fireball) or any other non present flavors. It is smooth and does not taste like acetone or nasty alcohol. I suggest trying this on the rocks does not need to be mixed. This is the closest to a root beer smell/taste that I have ever had, and I love root beer.

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.

I went to the liquor store contemplating buying a nice and inexpensive bottle of scotch. After about 15 minutes or perusing the available options, I decided to forgo the purchase and just get a bottle of crown royal for my wife. That's when the Crown Royal Bourbon Mash caught my eye. I had no idea that it existed so it was a pleasant surprise indeed. It's a lovely copper and gold colour in the glass, giving it a closer resemblance to Makers Mark than to the classic Crown Royal. The nose has a nice bourbon smell to it with stronger notes of corn and cracked pepper, and lighter notes of vanilla, woody oak, and a touch of dried fruit. The Palate is definitely not as smooth as some bourbons, with corn and pepper being the more predominant flavours. The finish is what I can only describe as a short breath of vanilla that is swiftly overtaken by the oak, before they both disappear rather quickly, not leaving much else to linger or savour. For the price it's not a bad whiskey, but it's not one I would be likely to buy again. Final verdict: If you are new to bourbons this is a good place start, as it will likely only get better from here. Cheers.

COLOR/ Dark Honey, Maple Syrup AROMA/ Sweetness, Sweet Corn, Slight Spice, Slight Solvents (Vanilla?) FIRST SIP/ Smooth, Light, Sweet, Candy, Tartness TASTE/ Sweetness, Slightly Spicy, Vanilla, Butter Scotch Candy, Butter, Oils, Tart FINISH/ Smooth, Spice, Warm, Oil MT GLASS/ Sweet, Corn, Alcohol, Oak, 80 proof This is a Great sipper me friends, this is a Sweet beverage, so it might be a good after dinner drink... But either way this is a nice flavorful blended Whiskey! This is from the Crown Blenders' Series my bottles number is 0044685... Very Enjoyable pour, enjoy with friends and family, if the like theirs on the rocks it might pull a bit more Sweetness, Vanilla, Candy, Nugget? Please keep in mind I had about 8-10 drams and then I let the bottle sit for about 12 months... Then I did me tasting with me lovely wife! November 2018 Keep it Real, be Responsible, be Kind, be Generous! CH33RS!

Usually when i review a spirit i have to have it on a couple of occasions to appreciate and compile my experiences. Bourbon mash for the first time splashes the mouth with a fresh taste to the crown line up that’s very different. I really enjoyed having this for the first time based on the experience and flavour. When i returned to this on another evening I didn’t have the same experience, although good in nature, something seemed off putting with this dram. One thing that really stuck out to me was the nose on this. Funny as this may seem, but the faint smell of Iced Tea came about. Taste was fine, but nose wasn’t all there. I have had worse drams and not to say its bad, but there are some other options out there with better quality for $10 more. Experience this if you are a crown fan, but for someone who dabbles across whiskeys, move forward.