Crown Royal Black Canadian Whisky Review
By Richard Thomas
Rating: C+
(Credit: Crown Royal)
Crown Royal Black is essentially the first step up the Crown Royal line ladder. It has the same bottle, same faux velvet bag, and a slightly different label, with whisky that is billed as a more robust rendition of the Crown Royal blend. That more robust flavor is the intended result of increasing the proportion of whiskies aged in charred, new oak barrels (i.e. bourbon style) in the blend, as well as stepping up the proof of the liquid to 90 (45% abv).
The Whisky
The coloring on Crown Royal Black is a deep amber, leaning decidedly into brown. The nose is a little oaky and very vanilla, with a hefty measure of rye-driven cinnamon, ginger and pepper.
The texture doesn’t live up to the robust billing, being quite thin and watery. That said, the flavor is nice and simple, in a place where bourbonesque vanilla meets rye ginger and cookie spices, with a little dark fruit and caramel butterscotch added for good measure. It’s not deep or complex, but because of that I can see it as a sound choice for serving on ice.
You might need that ice on a warm summer day (or you might not if you are in Canada), because the finish is very warm and lengthy. Like the rest of the whisky’s experience, it’s a simple, plain finish, but it has some heat and takes its time in winding down.
The Price
Crown Royal Black averages out at about $32 a fifth in the U.S. Since they very point of Crown Royal Black is to take a Canadian blended whisky and tilt it towards something more like bourbon, you would probably do better to just buy bourbon because there are bourbons out there better and cheaper.
Couldn’t disagree more with that review. The flavor profile of this whiskey is nothing at all like a bourbon so buying a bourbon would send you in a completely different direction. That being said this is not a great whiskey, but an adequate step up for those who are seeking a decent smooth Canadian whiskey.
heheheh
Sounds like somebody like to hit the sauce
Totally agree with JD, the last comment of this review is out of place, the RCB is nothing like a bourbon and shouldn’t be compare and less in that way. If we start like this I should ask RT why to buy bourbon when any Scotches are better?
Only suitable as a mix. No character , bland and just tasteless.
Just like your opinion.
Well y’all. I do drink me to glasses of crown XO on ice every night after work if the store is out of XO then I go with reserve. Well all the stores have been out of those two so I got a crown black and I hated it!! The bag was nice. But I don’t agree much with the review I did taste the notes they mentioned but it just was nasty to me I had to end up buying some Gibsons cause there is non of my crown any where in my town. But never again on the black.
Great over all taste and feel. While I find Crown smoother, this blend is strong and reminds me of Jim Beam Devil’s Cut a bit. Definitely not for light weights. Enjoy it if you get a chance.
I have lived under an old army truck for about eleven years and had nothing but dregs of old wine bottles. However, I did find a container of Crown Royal Black almost full in a dumpster and man what a great drink! It must have been one of you above that had thrown this lovely drink away. My thanks!
Crown Royal Black is like the bold sibling of Crown Royal, with a bit more kick at 45% alcohol. It has a simple and nice flavor – think vanilla, spicy ginger, and a touch of dark fruit. Great on the rocks, but it’s a tad thin. The warm finish lingers, making it a cozy choice. Priced at around $32, it’s meant to be a Canadian whisky with a hint of bourbon style, but there might be better and cheaper bourbons out there. Cheers to exploring flavors! 🥃 #CrownRoyalBlack #WhiskyVibes