Rich & Rare Reserve

Appearance: The color on this old Canadian blend is of caramel syrup and it has the thinnest legs I've ever seen! But it also possesses a good amount of viscosity. Nose: The nose has no surprises, notes of oak and wood shavings with also a good amount of sweetness: caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, frosting on a sheet cake, maraschino cherry syrup and of course, (at the risk of being racist against Canadian whisky) maple syrup. Taste: Going down there is no burn, which is nice, but as a whole there’s not much there. Rye notes and black pepper spiciness, salty almonds, and sweet maple are woven through the thin palate. Finish: There is the lingering effect of the rye and black pepper spice throughout the swallow and finish. The finish is short but leaves a bitter aftertaste. Thoughts: So this whisky for most would be considered a “bottom shelfer,” not there to be taken seriously only bought out of desperation or if you’re in a financial pinch. Personally, I don’t want my whiskey journey to be prejudice against the cheaper guys, I’m sure there are times I’ll be disappointed, but I’m sure other times I’ll be pleasantly surprised. This was one of those times. Now, this wasn’t a whisky that’s worth raving about, but it was nice. It tasted and smelled pleasant, wasn’t expensive, and is readily available pretty much everywhere. Now I had a pretty low bar going into this dram, so because it was met I was satisfied. And maybe that’s the trick, or maybe it really isn’t bad at all. Either way, Rich and Rare, thanks! I’ll probably mix you in a drink later tonight. Cheers!

What an amazing budget bottle of Canadian whiskey. I opened this with my dad over the weekend and what a wonderful smooth sipping whiskey this is. To me, this is what Crown Royal wants to be. A very smooth full-flavored whiskey that has a clean crisp taste and a pleasantly warm feel as it leaves my mouth. It has soft vanilla and sweet nose and it mixes very well with everything I have tried so far like coke and ginger ale. At $10 to $12 buck in my area, I have no issue with mixing this but it is smooth enough to drink neat or with ice. Well done Canada. This is the only Canadian whiskey I have at the moment but when I am done looking for a few specific Irish whiskeys I will take a hard look at our whiskey brothers to the north and see what they are really about. If anyone has suggestions I am open to them. As far as Rich and Rare Reserve is concerned it is a no brainer it is smooth neat and you can mix it and not be upset about it. It is a keeper.

So there’s a few reasons I know this is going to be awesome. 1) This dram is from a 200 mL plastic bottle that was opened and half-drained over a year ago. 2) My taller and far less attractive friend snuck this into my suitcase as a joke. 3)The bottle boasts that it’s made with “natural flavors.” The nose is sugary sweet. A hint of peppermint. Surprisingly, it reminds be of some barrel strength bourbons out there. Oh crap. That’s the P.C. version of the thing I just said out loud the second this liquid touched my lips. It hits your lips like mouthwash. There’s a spearmint flavor. I get cough syrup. NyQuil maybe? Finish is mercifully short. A bit of cinnamon and mint trail off. This is nasty. I know it’s cheap. Despite that, I still somehow can’t make a value for cost argument here. It’s rare to be able to be a douche to someone via a gift. My taller and far less handsome friend somehow found a way.

Rich & Rare has a gold-to-chestnut, sparkling-clear appearance and some pretty alcohol legs. Aroma is of base corn distillate, for sure, but it is mild, overall, without much burn. Lots of bready barley malt is detected, too. One can also pick up some of the "natural flavors", with a very deep inhalation. Taste is of those elements, but the taster will find more of the brandy, rum, and sherry flavorings, here, which come across as a vanilla character. Rye is not showing, but it might only be used to balance any off-putting sweetness. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Rich & Rare finishes medium quick. I find it to be a shockingly-good value, for the price. RJT

Rich & Rare, Canadian whisky, 80 proof. Owned by sazerac, bottled in Kentucky. The aroma is hard to discern/sweet, the taste is similarly indiscernible sweetness, only the faintest oak on the back end. After drinking it on the rocks, I mixed it with some RC cola and it made it sweeter somehow, and mixed well. Very smooth whisky but very light in flavor. Thankfully I found this in a glass 750ml bottle not plastic. Cost me 7.99 plus tax. Grade: C-

It is more full-flavored than many bottom and mid-shelf Canadians. The vanilla, butter-toffee and toasted oak flavors are well rounded and smooth. There is no real complexity or great depth here; but, I don't always require those. Sometimes it is nice to just have a smooth dram that is tasty and easy to drink, while my mind is elsewhere. It is a bargain at $17 for a 1.75.