Liquor Review: Crown Royal

    Here we have another Canadian whiskey, only this time everyone knows about it.  Most of the folks who read this review are probably already well experienced drinkers of Crown Royal.  If you fit that category I can understand this review boring you a bit.  After all, this stuff is everywhere, from almost everyone’s personal home bar to every single restaurant, bar, and club in the country.  It seems to me that when it comes to whiskey, the average Joe can only think of Jim, Jack, and this stuff.  Those poor bastards have no idea what they are missing, but that’s okay.  Crown is good stuff.  First, let’s talk about some Crown Royal facts, then we’ll see how it faired with the BoozeBasher crew.

    Crown Royal is distilled at the Gimli Distillery located in Gimli, Canada.  The distillery utilizes natural local grains, pure water from a local source, and the perfect climate that supports the distillation process.  Aside from Crown Royal, there is the Cask No. 16, Extra Rare, and Special Reserve.  Crown Royal is the baseline whiskey of the brand and is derived from a blend of premium whiskies.  The individual whiskies are matured in special oak casks, blended, and set aside for aging.  The result is a rich, golden-colored whiskey with a smell of fruit and vanilla that boasts a sweet oak and vanilla taste.

    I have to admit, I wasn’tsurprised that the BoozeBasher staff had mixed opinions for the taste tests.  First up was a pour of Crown on the rocks.  The taste of alcohol seems to overpower the whiskey flavor.  After the initial bite, we noticed a sweet floral flavor followed by a mild sour aftertaste.  Overall, it doesn’t seem like Crown Royal on the rocks lives up to the hype.  This may cause some controversy amongst Crown fans, but our consensus is that there are simply much better whiskeys out there for sipping over ice.  Are you upset now?  Do you hate us?  Well, I hope this makes you feel better. 

     The next test was performed with a splash of good old Coke, resulting in that mixed drink we all know and love.  These two liquids were simply meant for each other.  Crown and Coke is a great mix.  The mixture produces a good floral whiskey flavor with about half the bite of the pour on the rocks.  It’s quite tasty and refreshing.  In fact, this drink tastes so good that even the ladies tend to dig it.  No disrespect to the whiskey drinking ladies, but let’s face it, most women don’t like whiskey.  Nevertheless, if Crown Royal makes the ladies happy, then it makes me happy, because sometimes it makes them make me really happy.  I’ll end it there.

    After enjoying four drinks each mixed with Coke, loaded with at least a shot and a half, I was feeling great.  The drunk was very smooth and energetic but not extreme. While some of the BoozeBasher staff and I were out, I did my best to stick to Crown Royal in an effort to keep a pure drunk.  I think I can add about four more to the total count.  By the end of the night, I was pretty intoxicated, but I was able to function quite well.  Crown made a good showing in the drunkability department.  Even after the good drunk, the hangover from Crown was surprisingly mild.  I noticed just the typical hint of dehydration, but I was up and about pretty quickly the next morning.  I’ll have to highly recommend this stuff if you really want to get trashed while not risking death the next day.

    One of the only things that brings Crown Royal down is the price.  Let’s face it; it’s not that cheap compared to other whiskeys.  A 750ml bottle averages around $20.  That isn’t ridiculously pricey, but it would be nice if it were a few bucks cheaper.  Nevertheless, Crown Royal is pretty good stuff, and most drinkers tend to like it.  So if you have a few extra bucks and are in the mood for a good whiskey, why not invest it in a bottle of Crown Royal?

Sipability - 6.0

Mixability - 7.5

Drunkability - 8.0

Hangover-ability - 7.5

Bang for the Buck - 6.0

Overall -  7.5   

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