Have you ever heard the name Samuel Bronfman? He was a Canadian who, in 1924, started a little company in Montreal called Distillers Corporation. With prohibition only five years old in the United States, the call for alcohol from Canada was insatiable. Since there was no prohibition in Canada, Canadian Distillers could sell to whoever wanted to buy and did not need to know or even want to know who was buying it. Sam Bronfman did nothing illegal or immoral, but there is little doubt that much of his production found its way across the border to a very dry United States.
In 1928, Bronfman put his profits to good use by acquiring the Joseph E. Seagram & Sons Distillery of Waterloo, Ontario, and the brand names developed by Seagram which included Four Roses, Seagram’s VO, and Seagram’s 7 Crown. From that not so meager beginning, Seagram’s became one of the top distillers of the world; its products are legendary and its quality uncompromised and uncompromising.
In 1939, to commemorate a visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England to Canada, Bronfman developed Crown Royal, a special whiskey to honor their visit. The fame of that whiskey spread rapidly, but unfortunately for US citizens and the rest of the world, it was available only in Canada until 1964 at which time, it was released for sale internationally.
With all of the whiskeys made in the world, Crown Royal ($27.99) is probably among the top ten best known and easiest to recognize. The distinctive crown shaped bottle, which comes in its own royal purple pouch, boldly announces that inside of that pouch rests one of the most popular alcoholic beverages of all time. Its smoothness and creamy feel in the mouth is legendary as is the aroma and flavor which hints of vanilla and summer yellow fruits. Things in this modern world change rapidly; Crown Royal however, has been around and remained unchanged for 71 years, which says a great deal for the whiskey and a memorial to the inspiration of Sam Bronfman.
What follows is the stuff of epic tales, taking the great and making it greater. There are now five whiskeys that carry the Crown Royal name, each one a variation on the original royal theme. Crown Royal Black ($29.99) is the newest addition to the Crown family whose deviation from the main style is that it has been made to be more robust and fuller bodied, and is somewhat reminiscent of fine Bourbon. Its deep, dark reddish amber color testifies to the extra charred barrel aging given to the “Black” which imparts an oak and vanilla flavor and aroma. It also has a background flavor of figs and ends in the typical “Crown” creaminess and smoothness. This whiskey is a credit to the style and name “Crown.”
Crown Royal Special Reserve ($46.99). Another variation on the royal theme, Crown Royal Special Reserve is the standard Crown Royal formula, but this time, blended with aged malt whiskey (the same grain that is used to make Scotch Whiskey) for added depth and a pleasant smoky flavor. At the 2004 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Crown Royal Special Reserve was awarded gold honors for Canadian whiskey
Crown Royal Cask No.16 ($81.99). Cask No.16 is a blend of over 50 different whiskeys that have been aged and married for many years in old Cognac barrels. True to the style, Cask No.16 is a smooth, creamy; full flavored whiskey and an experience more than a beverage.
Crown Royal Extra XR Rare ($141.99). Crown Royal Extra XR Rare sets a new standard of elegance. Words cannot describe the full flavor and softness of this magnificent limited edition whisky. It will never be made again when it is gone because the prime whiskey for XR was saved from a distillery that burned down in 1993 and what would you try to save from destruction, your best or your worse. Crown Royal XR is magnificent beyond description and definitely worth its price.