Royal Canadian Small Batch

Sourced from over 200,000 barrels of Canadian whisky from Sazerac, much of which is used in inexpensive blends. Standard amber color. The scent is typical for Canadian whisky: butterscotch/caramel, maple (not overly sweet), raw grain, and dusty rye. Earthy, slate, and minerality. Cedar, lemongrass, chalky. Faint dill, even fainter mint. Some tangy citrus. Broad, but weak. The taste is even weaker: green apples, faint wood, slight maple, pickle, ginger. Vanilla, caramel. A hot ginger beer sensation on the finish, with some orchard fruits, pickle juice, and some tannic bitterness. The overall experience alternates between sweet and spicy, which is characteristic of Canadian whisky. It's somewhat interesting, and avoids many pitfalls of other Canadian whiskies (it's sweet but not excessively so; it has at least a hint of spice; its vanilla/caramel notes seem natural, not artificial), but it's still constrained by the style it represents. Ultimately, a decent example of a style I don't particularly enjoy.

Vanilla, oak, and butterscotch on the nose carry through to the palate, with added caramel and heavy oak. It has a long, sweet finish with a lingering taste of grain alcohol.

It offers notes of sweet, creamy praline while bold citrus and spice flavors provide balance and complexity, leading to a very smooth finish. May 2017 / September 2022

Sweet, light, with abundant honey, caramel, and vanilla. Some dried fruit is also present. It's sweeter than my preference, but not excessively so. An easy-drinking spirit.

Standard Canadian, not much maple flavor.

Adequate but somewhat uninspired