Crown Royal 13yo Blenders' Mash...

Crown Royal 13yo Blenders' Mash (45.0%): You might remember the post I wrote back in May about the Crown Royal "Bourbon Mash" controversy. If you don't please take a moment and click this "link" to read the post and the review just to remember the whole backstory... So, now we have that covered we can talk about the Blenders' Mash sample sitting on my desk. But... This is not the Blenders' Mash which replaced the NAS Bourbon Mash. It is a limited edition release from Crown Royal Noble Collection. The whisky is 13 years old and unlike its NAS sibling it is bottled at 45.0% and aged entirely in new charred oak barrels. So, the expectations are definitely higher... To tell the truth this whisky is not a new experiment Gimli Distillery came up with recently. They were distilling this particular mash bill for years and years to use as a flavoring component for different Crown Royal expressions but they never bottled it as a separate expression. It is distilled from a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley.

Color: Polished copper, medium amber. Almost the same color but this time with fat and slow moving legs.

Nose: Dairy desserts and burnt sugar... Cinnamon, burnt rice pudding and light caramel. Lime juice, caraway seeds and glowing hot charcoal.

Palate: Although its texture is still little thin the difference is as night and day. It's not watery and packed with flavors... Heavily toasted oak, crushed red pepper, hazelnut skin and lemon zest. Bread crust and bitter cinnamon sticks.

Finish: Medium but definitely longer than its NAS sibling... Red pepper flakes, tannins and cinnamon.

Overall: A huge step up from the NAS expression... Especially on the palate and at the finish. It is still little bit thin for my taste but it's flavorful, layered and bold. At this price category this whisky is definitely capable to claim a firm shelf space between its American counterparts. Don't know how much of it will be available around US, probably not enough to watch a good competition but it is a great example what Canadian distilleries are capable of these days. I would recommend it to every bourbon fan out there... Many thanks to The Whisky Jug for sharing the end of his sample with me.

Price: $60

85/100