Crown Royal Single Barrel (US)

I thank @paddockjudge for the reviewed sample, which had originally been purchased in the US by a friend

Nose: intense oak, maple, vanilla, high-pitched sugar, some spice from rye grain, and a little caramel, which tastes completely natural. Very nice, and nothing like "your father's Crown Royal". Score: 23/25 points

Taste: lots of flavour; there is more caramel in the mouth than in the nose, and this caramel tastes more like natural caramel from new oak, and not additive caramel. Spicing is stronger in the mouth than in the nose. This tastes a lot more like Canadian whisky than the nose smells, because the used wood flavours are more noticeable here. I don't know the wood used, but it tastes to me like a combination of new and used oak. This is enjoyable. Score: 22/25

Finish: this stays very strong, and picks up a little bitterness and sourness going into the close. Score: 21/25

Balance: an excellent nose is followed by a very good palate and a good finish. Score: 22/25

Total Sequential Score: 88 points

Strengh: very strong flavours in all phases. Score: 24/25

Quality: the individual flavours are all very nice, except the apparent used-wood bitterness encountered on the finish. Score: 22.5/25

Variety: plenty of variety of flavours. Score; 22.5/25

Harmony: excellent in the nose, very good on the delivery, good on the finish. Score: 22/25

Total Non-Sequential Score: 91 points

Comment: I hope to see a lot more of these Crown Royals bottled above 50% ABV. This is very nice. Hopefully Canadians will not have to wait forever to be able to buy Canadian whisky at this strength in their own country

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