Whisky Review: Crown Royal Canadian Whisky

We’re back with another whisky review, and this time we’re diving into one of the most widely recognized names in Canadian whisky: Crown Royal. It’s been a while since we’ve featured a Canadian whisky on the show, and if we're being honest, there’s a reason for that. Canadian whiskies often get a bad rap, especially among bourbon fans, largely because of their production methods (typically aged in used barrels instead of new charred oak, resulting in a lighter flavor profile).

Still, when aged well, Canadian whiskies can hold their own. Crown Royal is known for being a highly blended product, reportedly made from up to 50 different whiskies. Around 80% of the grain is sourced from Manitoba and nearby provinces. This bottling clocks in at 80 proof and is likely aged at least three years, though the lack of an age statement keeps it vague. Today’s sample? A mini bottle that cost just 99 cents.

This review is taken from our episode American Beauty (1999) / Crown Royal Canadian Whisky. Click the link to listen to this review in audio format.

Nose

Brad: When I got onto the nose for this, it is not a complex whiskey, but the notes I got were vanilla, cream soda, and effervescence. Just a really pleasant, sweet experience. It's a 7/10 on the nose. It's fine. It's good.

Bob: I'm going to give it a 6.5/10 on the nose because it smells like it's been watered down. The second I poured it into my glass, the overwhelming note I got was honeydew. Sometimes you'll get pineapple or a little melon, but this was just straight honeydew. Then it became cream soda and vanilla, like you said. It almost reminds me of a diet cream soda. There's a little artificial note going on here, but again, to have just those three notes on a $20 bottle of whiskey is not bad.

Taste

Brad: The palate sticks in that vanilla. For me, it turned into a vanilla bean kind of note. It's very much like yellow cake with white frosting. There was a hint of a light brown sugary vibe going on, which I think you're starting to get from the oak. It's a fine palate. I'll give it a 6.5/10.

Bob: It's really thin. It's really sweet. And then as you kick it to the back of your palate, the barley notes really take over. It reminds me of drinking a watered-down Scotch with Splenda. There’s a really artificial sweet note to it. It kind of reminds me of a Godfather cocktail—scotch and amaretto. If you get down to the very bottom of your glass when drinking it on the rocks, there's just an overwhelming, sickly sweet note that covers up the blended scotch base for me. Not a huge fan. I'm going 5/10 on the palate.

Finish

Brad: The sugariness turns into something closer to a traditional cane sugar. The brown sugar kind of sticks around. For me, the only bit of complexity in the whole experience came on the finish. It almost had a little bit of an ashy tobacco kind of finish that I actually enjoyed. It gave it a little something. Still not great, but it's a 6.5/10.

Bob: It is what it is. You know what you're getting with Crown Royal. This might be the first time I’ve said this, but Crown Royal’s flavored whiskies, like Apple and Peach, are actually top-tier. And I feel like because this has that artificial sweet note, I’d rather just drink the flavored stuff. There's a note on the back of the palate into the finish that is that ashy cigarette kind of thing, just kind of covered up in Splenda, sweet and low, stevia-type notes for me. It hangs on too long. It's too sweet. I'm giving it a 5.5/10.

Balance

Bob:
I’ve got a 6/10 for balance here. I’m dealing with a six, a five, and a five-and-a-half—so six it is. Nothing’s really standing out in a good way.

Brad:
I’ll come out to a 7/10. I think they hit what they wanted. It just falls off a little at the end with the ashiness, even though I kind of liked that.

Value

Bob:
This bottle runs about $28 in Ohio, and that’s just too much. I recently picked up a 12-year Canadian Club that’s way darker in color and tastes significantly better—for about the same price. This is a $15 bottle of whiskey at best, and at $25 or more, it’s not worth it. I’m giving it a 4.5/10 on value.

Brad:
I’m with you. It’s not a great value. At $28, you should be getting a lot more than this. It’s a 5/10 on value. If this were priced at $18–21, it would be a 7 or 8 easily. Honestly, for 99 cents, that mini bottle is a great way to try it.

Final Scores

Bob’s Total: 27.5/50
Brad’s Total: 31.5/50
Average: 29.5/50

At Film & Whiskey, we generally use 35/50 as the threshold where we recommend either buying a bottle or trying it at a bar. While Crown Royal Canadian Whisky has a few pleasant surprises on the nose and a touch of sweetness on the finish, it ultimately falls short of the mark.

If you're looking to explore Crown, we’d suggest skipping the base expression and checking out their flavored lineup instead: Apple and Peach in particular offer better balance and more interesting flavor for your dollar.