Carefully packaged in a gold-lined velvet bag and a purple box with a crown design, the whiskey is easy to recognize and difficult to confuse. The contour of a flat bottle also repeats the outlines of the crown, and the name Crown Royal leaves no room for fantasy – this drink is made for kings. Or rather, for the British king and queen, who, after the coronation in December 1936, made a visit to Canada in their immediate plans. Created on the occasion, Canadian whiskey has gained a wide range of admirers and received international recognition. This is confirmed by 4 gold medals at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco – in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010, and the title of the best Canadian whiskey in 2016 (World Whiskey of the Year) according to Bill Murray’s Whiskey Bible.
Historical reference. The desire to visit the country, which at that time was part of the British Dominion, was reported to the Canadian government in 1937, a few months after George VI ascended the throne. According to Seagram, which has been restructured and is now called the Crown Royal Distilling Company, the order to create a drink in honor of the royal visit came from Elizabeth. The well-known Canadian blender, owner of the Seagram distillery on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, Samuel Bronfman, took up the honorary task.
By that time, he already had several dozen drinks on his account, and work on a new brand did not start from scratch – he was just experimenting with aged spirits. To create the Crown Royal, Bronfman had to test dozens of compositions. The result was a harmonious blend, which included about 50 spirits with a minimum exposure of 10 years.
By the arrival of the monarchs, the blend was ready. On the train on which they traveled around the country, 10 samples of whiskey were delivered, “Craw Royal”, according to legend, the king noted immediately. It is his taste and color, and not just design delights.
Whiskey was released in a limited series and at first was supplied only to the royal court. The volume of the domestic market increased after the Second World War – in the 50s. And Crown Royal became available to foreign connoisseurs of spirits only in 1964.
According to Seagram statistics, Crove Royal has already sold 25 million bottles.
About the distillery
The Seagram distillery was built in 1857 by farmer Joseph Seagram. At first, he had no plans to conquer the alcohol market: the distillery was conceived as a way to process excess grain. But the owner suddenly got carried away, enjoyed creating blends and stated that whiskey production can earn no less than wheat trading. His son Johnny smuggled whiskey there during the years of Prohibition, but was so careful that he never had problems with the law.
During this difficult time for alcohol, production facilities were working at full capacity, a huge part of the drinks received remained in warehouses. When the law was repealed, it was the reserves that allowed the Seagram distillery to take a leadership position in the Canadian alcohol market. In 1933, the distillery has a new master blender – Samuel Bronfman, and began to focus on the development of new varieties of whiskey.
In the 60s, the heirs of Joseph Seagram began to expand the scope of the company’s interests: they opened the production of soft drinks, acquired a media holding, and modernized the distillery. But in the 90s, the distillery with all the stocks of whiskey, its 50 hectares of land and the Crown Royal brand became the property of the alcohol giant Diageo. At the suggestion of the new owners, the Seagram distillery was renamed Crown Royal. Thus, the accents were placed – the main whiskey and the company’s area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbactivity were designated.
Types of whiskey Crown Royal
Crown Royal (40%). The color of the whiskey is cognac-chocolate, which is explained by the aging of spirits in oak barrels burned to charring. The blend contains 50 spirits with different aging: the “youngest” is 10 years old, the “oldest” is 60. The aroma is spicy, multifaceted, with notes of caramel, nuts, baked apples and rye toasts. The taste is full, balanced, with floral hints – violets and lilacs, with hints of apples, cinnamon and vanilla. Recommended by experts as a digestif, best drunk neat.
Crown Royal APPLE (40%). Flavored drink of light amber color. Whiskey pleasantly smells like a green apple, there are light spicy notes in the aroma. The taste is balanced, with a touch of caramel sweetness. The whiskey was rated 87 out of 100 by the American magazine Wine Enthusiast. Blend received a silver medal at the Canadian Whiskey Awards in 2015.
Crown Royal VANILLA (40%). Blended whiskey rich golden color, with a bright aroma of vanilla and light tart oak notes. Smooth creamy taste, short warm aftertaste with a touch of crème brulee.
Crown Royal MAPLE (40%). Flavored blend of warm cognac color with the smell of maple syrup and vanilla. Soft creamy caramel taste with hints of honey, maple syrup and light woody notes.
Crown Royal BLACK (40%). A dark blend with a touch of mahogany and a complex aroma with notes of oak, maple syrup and vanilla. The color is due to aging in oak barrels charred from the inside. The taste is creamy, velvety, with tones of dried fruits. The American magazine Wine Enthusiast rated the whiskey 94 out of 100 and named the drink the best buy (Best Buy) in 2015.
Crown Royal Fine De Luxe (40%). Canada’s top selling whiskey according to ACD sales figures for April 2016. Amber color blend with golden reflections. The aroma is vanilla-fruity, the taste is soft, creamy, with hints of vanilla and oak tones. Long warm aftertaste. The drink was awarded a gold medal at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco in 2012. The whiskey was rated 92 out of 100 by the American magazine Wine Enthusiast, according to this magazine, the drink received the status of the best buy (Best Buy) in 2015.
Crown Royal NORTHERN HARVEST RYE (40%). Blend blend for 90% consists of rye spirits, this explains the pronounced aroma, which combines notes of rye croutons and traditional Crown Royal vanilla. Smooth creamy taste with hints of vanilla, pepper and rye bread. The drink became the 2016 World Whiskey of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible. The whiskey was rated 91 out of 100 by the American magazine Wine Enthusiast, according to its version, the blend became the best buy (Best Buy) of 2015. In the same 2015, it was named the best Canadian whiskey (Canadian Whiskey Award of Excellence) and received a gold medal from the Canadian Whiskey Awards.
