My first Canadian whisky ever! And if I am to believe Davin de Kergommeaux and Mark Gillespie, I have been missing out. I thought it wise to take my first ‘Canadian’ step with a staple Canadian whisky, Crown Royal.

It comes in a flashy bottle with a velvet bag around it instead of a tube or a box. Nice trick to get peoples attention! It is a blend of Canadian whiskies but apart from that there is little information at my fingertips.

Nose:
It starts of with some fresh American oak, very crisp, quite a full nose. Although its bottled at only 40% ABV it doesn’t feel thin. Some red apples, lightly spicy and quite sweet.

Taste:
Sweet spicy dough, a little drying but not tanninous. Some vanilla is added to the mix which gives it a distinct flavour of creme brulee and caramel.

Finish:
Oranges! More fruity than I expected with sweet citrus and vanilla sorbet. Not too long but I like the fact that I taste something new in the finish.

Well, its not a spectacular dram, but it is a lot better than I expected it to be. It has many nice flavours and the mouthfeel is very smooth and gentle. I might have to track down samples of other Canadian whiskies to see if this is where it starts or just a fluke…

Crown Royal (original/fine deluxe), 40%, available at the Whiskykoning for € 30

Nose: 6
Taste: 6
Finish: 5
Overal experience: 6
Price/quality: +2

Total: 25 points

EDIT: As my whisky friend Bas told me, its not my first Canadian whisky, since Whistle Pig is also Canadian. Its just released by an American company. Thanks Bas!