Brand

Crown Royal whiskies

Crown Royal is the world’s best-selling Canadian whisky, recognisable by its crown-shaped bottle and its purple velvet bag. It was born at the end of the 1930s as a tribute to the first official visit to Canada by a reigning British monarch. Today it belongs to Diageo and is made in Gimli, on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, in the province of Manitoba. Its style is smooth, sweet and very easy to drink.

Created
1939
Owner
Diageo
Origin
Canada
In the catalogue
3 whiskies

History, style and where to start

3 whiskies

Guide to Crown Royal

History

Seagram, the Bronfman family’s company, created Crown Royal for the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Canada in 1939. The blend was presented in packaging designed for the occasion, with the crown and the purple bag that are still used today. For decades it sold mainly in Canada, and from the 1960s it reached the United States, which is now its big market. When Seagram was broken up at the beginning of this century, the brand passed to Diageo. The range has expanded with flavoured, older and rye versions.

House style

Crown Royal is a blended Canadian whisky, made from several grains distilled separately and combined afterwards. The style is light and sweet: vanilla, caramel, orchard fruit and a touch of rye spice, with a smooth, short finish. It has no peat or rough edges and is designed to be drunk neat, on the rocks or in mixed drinks. The higher-rye versions are spicier and drier.

Average flavour profile of its 3 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
3.3
Fresh fruit
2.0
Ripe and dried fruit
0.8
Floral and herbal
1.0
Cereal and malt
1.7
Vanilla and creamy
2.7
Oak
1.8
Spicy
2.3
Toasted
1.3
Smoky
0.0
Maritime
0.0
Body and intensity
2.3

Where to start

Crown Royal Fine De Luxe is the classic version and the one in the catalogue. It is a good option if you’re after a very smooth, sweet whisky, or for making simple mixed drinks. If you like it, compare it with Canadian Club, the other great Canadian classic, to see how the style changes between two houses from the same country. Drink it on the rocks or with ginger ale to enjoy its sweetness.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

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