Father’s Day Edition 2024

CBC’s History of Canadian Whisky

according to me

Crown Royal’s Canadian Single Malt

Crown Royal Single Malt Canadian Whisky

(45% ABV)

To say Crown Royal is the best-selling Canadian whisky in Canada and abroad is to miss the point. Yes, Crown Royal sells more than the next six top-selling Canadian whiskies put together, but as a brand it is also a safe haven for the wild minds of Canada’s most innovative whisky makers.

Diageo, which owns Crown Royal, already produces an impressive range of Scotch single malt whiskies, from the dainty Dalwhinnie to its muscular Lagavulin, and recently it has seen success with two American single malts from Balcones and Bulleit. It was just a matter of time before they would leverage those successes to craft a Single Malt Canadian Whisky.

The result is just wonderful with so many layers tightly integrated into a complex whole. Rich, almost nutty cereal notes, hints of caramel and vanilla precede sweet fruits, soft peppers and bracing spices with herbal tones on a mildly oaky framework. Unlike so many Canadian single malts, this is not Scotch and it is not “finished.” Everything you taste is 100% whisky, and assuredly Crown Royal – a Canadian single malt true to the Crown Royal house style.

Nevertheless, those expecting a Canadian addition to Diageo’s Classic malts may need a second dram to get the gist of this whisky. And do take one. Opportunities to expand your palate with well-crafted whisky are rare, and this is one of them.

Distilled to approximately 66% ABV in a copper still at Diageo’s distillery in Valleyfield, near Montreal, the whisky has been matured in new oak barrels. However, cold winters ensure that the spirit matures more slowly than in Scotland or Kentucky, and the oak remains more an accent than a flavour.

Canadian Whisky: The Essential Portable Expert

Updated and Expanded Third Edition

For whisky loving dads, the full-colour, definitive source for Canada’s Wonderful World of Whisky. Explains how all types of whisky are made and where their flavours come from. Tells how Canada became a major whisky nation and what its future holds.

Pulls back the curtain on the mysteries of how connoisseurs taste whisky and how Dad can enhance his enjoyment of whisky. Surprises history buffs with things they never knew about whisky, or about Canada – intrigue, adventure, scandal and more.

Helps Dad taste along with a new tasting wheel to guide him through over 120 carefully written tasting notes from top-selling and exclusive whiskies.

Available at online booksellers and wherever books are sold.

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