Crown Royal Noble Collection Barley Edition

The aroma is gentle and delicate, with notes of graham cracker, raw barley malt, bubblegum, cooked pear, a musty barnyard character, leather, tobacco, and damp, green wood. It's distinctive. However, the ethanol is distractingly strong for the low proof. The flavor maintains the subdued character with notes of tea leaf, rice cake, butter, caramel, dates, tart green apple, and vanilla. The flavors are well-rounded but lack intensity. The finish disappears quickly, but while present, it offers sweet tea, toasted oak, dates, licorice, and nutmeg. I must highlight the mouthfeel, which is creamy yet simultaneously effervescent and bubbly, almost to the point of seeming carbonated. It's truly delightful and elevates what might otherwise be a very unremarkable spirit. The finish is very dry. As a lighter interpretation of a malt spirit, I found much to appreciate, but everything here is so subdued it borders on muted. That said, it's not bad, but at $80, it's simply too expensive for what it offers.

This bottle needs time to mellow: Hello banana extract and caramelized sugar! The ethanol notes will eventually fade... (My Crown rye also took ages to develop notes of cotton candy.) If Crown were to make a Speyside-style scotch, it might taste like this, but with that signature Crown sweetness and unique wood character. It's still excessively priced, but it's distinct enough to stand on its own. I'm again surprised by how much better Crown gets with air in the bottle.

Quite light, neither overly sweet nor very spicy. Notes of peanut, maple, green tea, and a touch of peat.

Maple, nutty, tea, dried fruit.