Crown Royal Mesquite Canadian Whisky Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: C-

Mesquite whiskeys are hardly anything new. The wood is a staple of barbecue in the Southwest, and it’s flavor had appeared in all manner of foods and drinks in the American Southwest prior to the first mesquite-smoked bourbons and American malts appearing some years ago.

Still, that is an American, and particularly Southwestern, thing. The last group of people one would expect to get into the mesquite act are Canadians, but here we are with Crown Royal Texas Mesquite. It’s like north of the border reaching down to the southern border.

Yet despite the strangeness of the idea, it actually makes some sense when viewed from either of two angles. First, Crown Royal has been doing some strange things lately, such as their Bourbon Mash Whisky (which they can’t actually call bourbon, because bourbon is American), which raised so many hackles in the bourbon blogger community. After a stunt like that, a mesquite whisky from Manitoba doesn’t seem half as weird.

Second, Crown Royal sells pretty well in Texas. Knowing that is enough to make one wonder if this product, specifically labeled TEXAS Mesquite Whisky, isn’t pitched with customers in the Lone Star State largely in mind. Judging from the press materials, the whisky was designed specifically with being used in preparing and being paired with barbecue.

The Whisky
First things first: Crown Royal Texas Mesquite is a flavored whisky, not one made with mesquite-smoked grains. That is an important distinction. It’s an no age statement product, bottled at 40% ABV.

In the glass, the whisky has a pale amber look, being just a little too brown to qualify as any shade of gold. It formed a surprisingly thick, viscous coat on the glass, one that formed a crown of beads and stubbornly refused to drop a single tear for longer than I cared to wait.

The nose has an oily and barbecue smoker personality, with just a touch of caramel to round things out. It’s also a bit hot, which isn’t too appealing in a 40% ABV whisky.

The flavor turns a bit simpler, providing a pretty even balance between sweet caramel and mesquite smoke. Here it’s not hot at all. The finish runs to light smoke.

The Price
This should retail for about $25 or $26.