Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye

During a family gathering, one of my siblings presented this Northern Harvest, highly praising it based on past experiences. Once opened and shared, we all reacted with a grimace, describing the taste as licking Crest toothpaste off lumber and consuming chalk flavored with wintergreen. The bottle then came to my home and remained in the back of the liquor cabinet for months until a kind individual took it, freeing up space. I decided to sample it for review, and since that person already shared their thoughts, I'll add mine. The aroma is quite inviting, with hints of butterscotch and warm spices, followed by subtle floral notes, then poached pear and tangerine fruits that transition to wintergreen and pine spices with a mild ethanol sting. The flavor has a thin texture, starting with lightly sweetened poached pears and tangerine, then subtle vanilla florals, leading to a mild spice that fades into a wintergreen lozenge and pine syrup taste with a slight ethanol burn. The conclusion is brief and chalky, featuring notes of sautéed apple, tangerine, butterscotch, wintergreen, and scorched pine. This has significantly improved since that initial tasting, making it fairly easy to consume with a mild, drying, chalky finish. Consequently, this rates as average for me, but considering it's a $30 bottle, I find that remarkable. Honestly, this is an affordable bottle you can buy, enjoy, share with companions, and serve mixed, neat, or even in jello shots. In fact, this is the type of drink you'd bring to a wild party where you meet several women, unfortunately and accurately nicknamed like strippers, who claim they're saving for college while their parents foot the bill. They'd dismiss a glencairn as boring, push your glass aside, and fill their belly buttons with the rye, instantly elevating it to a 5-star pour. Yes, it's that kind of spirit you just have a good time with; once it's gone, just get another because it's good, cheap, and easy to find.

Nose - anise, caramel, apple, bubble gum, powdered sugar, mint, stale bread, clove, underripe banana, hay, orange blossom, black pepper, vanilla, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - clove, mint, anise, caramel, vanilla, apple, black pepper, lemon pith, chalky oak, banana, bubble gum, cocoa, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with anise, baking spice, and chalky oak flavors. I’ll admit that I haven’t enjoyed any Crown Royal product I’ve tried in the past, save for mixing with some Crown Peach, but I don’t think that counts. While they strike me as cloying and bland, this one looks more interesting. I’m hoping the rye component will dampen the usual sickliness I’ve found with their standard offerings. So the nose isn’t too sweet. We’re off to a good start. There’s no doubting this is a rye, as mint, anise, and clove aromas are front and center. Behind them come banana, fruity bubble gum, and unfortunately some moldy bread as well. The palate is sweet for a rye, too sweet for my liking. There’s more mint, baking spices, and banana leading to a short, chalky finish. So this is definitely my favorite Crown product I’ve tried so far, but that’s not saying much. Even at a higher proof and with a 90% rye mashbill, they can’t seem to escape that cloying, dosed profile. I don’t think it’s terrible. It’s just not for me. Many thanks to a friend for gifting me his bottle!

Continuing my exploration of Canadian Whiskey. I'm being selective, avoiding neutral grain spirits with added flavors. Based on my research, this expression appears to offer a more authentic distillation process, prompting me to try it. On the nose, I detect notes of lemon poppy seed muffin, spearmint, pine, vanilla, apricot, and bubblegum. There's more ethanol present than expected for its proof. The palate is quite bright, featuring honey, lemongrass, caraway seed, white pepper, mint, and rye cracker. The overall impression is very smooth and delicate. The finish maintains this gentle approach but tends to fade. Hints of clove, tea leaf, and a woodiness that doesn't resemble oak – perhaps walnut? I waited for a spicy impact that never arrived. The mouthfeel has some fizziness but also feels somewhat grainy. While there are appealing aspects, and I appreciate the mild character, I prefer my ryes to be bold and high-proof. It's no surprise this isn't my preference. However, it's a respectable product, and at $29, it's nearly a bargain. Rating this is difficult. Since I wouldn't repurchase it at $29, it falls short of a 4, even acknowledging its market value. It could easily be a 4.5 for someone else.

The nose is well-balanced, gentle and sweet, yet equally spicy and vibrant. It features maraschino cherries, red plums, apple blossoms, a hint of lemon zest, Demerara sugar, tootsie rolls, vanilla eggnog, pink peppercorns, soft, unseeded rye bread, fresh dill, a touch of menthol, watermelon chewing gum, a hint of tobacco, a pinch of cloves, and lightly charred wood. The palate is also complex, sweet and spicy with brown sugar, abundant syrupy fruit reminiscent of a 'Fruits of the Forest' pie filling, more pepper, slightly tart apple skins, mandarin orange, some cayenne, and a pinch of cinnamon. The body is above average, with a silky texture. Distinctive legs take time to form after an initial rapid descent down the glass, teasing with their development before quickly vanishing into a fine mist. The finish is slightly dry and not overly intense, yet it lingers, with plenty of sweet dark fruit leather balanced by semi-bitter nuts, particularly macadamias, herbs, tea, a drop of vanilla, and a whisper of oak. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 8 Finish: 8

I normally drink bourbon or rye. Never had Crown Royal but don’t want to try it now (since this scores higher than regular SKU and this isn’t my thing). This just tastes young and thin. Nose hints of apple and spice. Has some cinnamon spice up front and a decently long spicy finish but this just isn’t worth trying to make a sipper. Tastes very young. This is only good as a mixer, and you can get regular Crown - or different and less expensive stuff for that purpose. Instead of this for a sipper, get Lot 40 (a little more expensive) Canadian whiskey or Redemption or Bulliet rye (both less expensive and taste better). For high high bourbon, better tasting options include at least New Riff bourbon, Four Roses Small Batch bourbon, Woodford Reserve bourbon, Bulliet bourbon, or Redemption High Rye bourbon - all less expensive.

To begin, while I admit I haven't sampled many Canadian whiskies, this is undeniably the finest I've tried from that nation. I've come to appreciate rye whiskies, and this one is an excellent example. Presented at 45% alcohol by volume, it has a deep caramel hue. On the nose, it's sweet and spicy, with honeyed rye notes and red fruits. I also detect coffee, marshmallows, coconut, and even pork chops. After the initial taste, I noticed orange peel and brown sugar. On the palate, sweet caramel mingles with spices. Vanilla fudge, rye spices, and oranges are present. The aftertaste is distinctly rye. It's lovely, with a dry, raw rice character. Overall, this is a very pleasant whisky. The elevated alcohol content provides an extra layer of flavor and aroma. A great experience, I endorse it. My rating is 86 out of 100.