Crown Royal Noble Collection 16 Year Blended Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $70

- 90 Proof

- 16 Years

- Canada

Admittedly, I don't find myself reviewing too many Canadian whiskies on this blog. Perhaps that's unfair, or perhaps I just haven't found many that have really blown me away. Sure, I've had plenty of good Canadian whiskies. I've had some very good Canadian whiskies. But I just haven't had one yet that, to me anyway, has really knocked it out of the park.

But, when this was released, I found myself drawn to it and knew I'd need to pick up a bottle. While it was a "rare" release, it was relatively easy to find. It was just set out on the shelf, like any other bottle. That said, it didn't make it much past a week before they were all gone. After all, a 16 year old rye for only $70, even if it is Canadian, is a hard one to pass up. Plus, the one rye I have had from Crown Royal, the Northern Harvest Rye, was really good, so I felt pretty confident I wasn't going to be getting a stinker.

The nose was kind of funky.  It had an earthiness to it, almost like an unsalted, toasted peanut note. That was paired with a sweet honey note as well, with a little bit of black pepper spice. On top of all that, I got a distinct oak note, but somehow that oak flavor came across as sweet, almost like it was mixed with a burnt sugar note to have that sweet balancing any bitter notes.

When I took my first sip, the first thing I wrote down was that this had a thin, watery texture, but was absolutely full of flavor. Right up front I got a tangy amaretto note, as well as a healthy amount of brown sugar, a note I tend to get from Canadian whiskies. It had minimal spice, but rather leaned more caramel in flavor, with a rich sweetness.

I also got that earthy note that I was getting on the nose. While the oak came through, there was almost this dank or musty note. Weirdly, though, I liked it. I thought it worked well with the brown sugar and the oak, which again came across sweeter than I'm used to. 

The finish was probably my favorite part. There I got a distinct cherry cordial note, with the cherry and chocolate flavors, as well as that boozy quality, which I particularly noticed on the finish as I exhaled. I also got this sort of cream soda flavor, particularly on later pours, that I really enjoyed and wish I had found throughout.  

This was a fun bottle, and I ended up liking it way more than I thought I would. It was certainly a different rye, probably due in part to not only the age, but also the location of the aging, that gave some different barrel flavors to the whiskey. I'm so glad I picked this up.

Grade: A-

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky

VITALS:
- $27
- 90 Proof
- NAS
- Canada

Count this among the dozens of other new reviews of Crown Royal's Northern Harvest Rye following Jim Murray's naming it the 2016 Whiskey of the Year. But, the flux of reviews makes sense. After all, for once he selected a whisky that is not only available, but also affordable. I never expected that he'd pick a whisky that has a screw top.

Considering this rye is readily available at nearly every grocery store and liquor store, and for only about $27, it was an easy decision to grab a bottle the next time I was at the store. Who knows if I ever would have gotten around to trying this one if it weren't for Murray telling that I should.

The nose is very good, giving off the traditional rye spices, but in a somewhat muted fashion. It's not nearly as in-your-face as some of the high proof American ryes, even despite being 90% rye.

At 90 proof, there is no burn whatsoever with this (which is common among the Crown Royal line). Though it's definitely a rye, it is also definitely a Canadian whiskey. Perhaps I'm demonstrating a bit of a prejudice, here, but Canadian whiskeys, ryes in particular, always come across as a bit folksy. They're inoffensive and non-threatening. They're not bold and as far as their flavor goes, they play it safe. This one is really no different.

Up front it provided familiar notes of cinnamon and cloves, underscored by a toasty, light wood flavor that carried throughout. It's sweetened just a bit by a very light maple syrup flavor.

On the back end it has a cooling, menthol flavor, contrasting well with the cinnamon notes in a sort of icy hot flavor that I really enjoyed (but it didn't taste like the product Icy Hot, which I'd imagine is not all that enjoyable). Unfortunately, the whiskey comes across a bit watery, though, so the flavors do not linger very long.

All in all, this is not my "Whiskey of the Year." I've had plenty of better whiskies this past year. However, as far as value goes, this one is tough to beat. It's a very good whisky that is affordable and readily available, and there's a lot to be said for that.

Grade: B+