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Crown Royal Limited Edition

Average score from 7 reviews and 7 ratings 88

Crown Royal Limited Edition

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@Megawatt
Crown Royal Limited Edition

I'm revisiting this bottle after many years, and I'll tell you up front that my impression hasn't changed much. One thing that has changed is the 10 year age statement on the bottle, though I've read it has always been a ten year old and only the labeling is different.

Nosed from the bottle, this has a distinct pungency which I attribute to higher than normal rye. The effect is less pronounced in the glass, but the peppery rye is still there along with hints of orange peel and vanilla. Definitely Crown Royal, but a darker, heavier version.

Medium-bodied on the tongue with some good spice offsetting the caramel and citrus. Really exceptional mouthfeel, if a little on the light side. Smooth and satisfying with oak dryness coming up late. The finish is subtle but lasting.

This Canada-only bottling is often overlooked but in my opinion it is one of the finest representations of the classic Canadian style of blended whisky. It has a quiet complexity that might be lost on drinkers more accustomed to Scotch or bourbon. I actually prefer this bottle to the more expensive Reserve. You might say it drinks a bit too easy but that's what it is meant to do.

I also love the bottle. A bit gaudy to be sure, but it is solid in the hand and has a wonderful screw cap which I prefer to a cork.

@JasonHambrey

The whisky is very light, yet surprisingly sharp. I find it's often one that I use to introduce friends to whisky, and it does pretty well because of its approachability. It still retains some signature crown royal fruitiness, bourbon nods, and rye backing - but it is a bit lighter and silkier than many of the other bottlings. I find I enjoy it more with each sip!

Nose: Bourbon notes, with lots of fruit from grapes to orange, along with floral elements like orange blossom with some firm rye still in the background. Light, yet rich.

Taste: Light and sharp, with grape, apricot, and other fruit, along with some spice. Well balanced and elegant.

Finish: Light and grainy, with some green grape and nutmeg, oak, vanilla, and a touch of spice.

For a more in depth review, see whiskywon.wordpress.com/2014/07/…

@hunggar

Whenever I have friends or family flying in from elsewhere, I usually ask them to bring in a bottle of something “exotic.” If there’s time, I do some research and ask them for a particular bottle that tickles my fancy. But if they don’t have the time or opportunity to seek out anything specific, that’s cool too. I just tell them “Grab me a bottle of whatever’s local.” Of course it’s a hit or miss system, but at least I know I’ll end up with something unique.

That’s how I ended up with my bottle of Crown Royal Limited Edition. I know, you’re laughing at the concept of Crown Royal being exotic. Well, don’t. For one thing, I’m in Asia and Canadian whiskies are simply impossible to find out here. For another, the Limited Edition is sold exclusively in Canada. So there! Anyway I’d never tried this one, so I didn’t know if my opportunistic buy would turn out to be a good one or not. Let’s find out.

Nose: Cloves, grass, rye, sawdust, nutmeg, citrus zest, and anise. There’s a burn to this reminiscent of apple vinegar. With time comes more sweetness in the form of vanilla and crème brulée, with emphasis on the brulée. Quite a busy and interesting nose with a strong Canadian character.

Palate: Very creamy, soft, velvety mouthfeel. The development here is very interesting. A very subdued, sweet rye comes in first. Big vanilla, whipped cream, bananas, and roasted nuts. This tastes like a banana sundae served beside French toast drizzled in pancake syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon. As it develops more spices begin to come through.

Finish: Ah… This is the best part. On the surface there’s some oak and a minty, vanilla, caramel creaminess that reminds me of Bailey’s. Underneath there’s an intricate dance between rye spices and banana bread. Within the rye we get grass notes, spearmint, cloves, and heaps of nutmeg. Then there’s banana bread with walnuts and cinnamon. Medium long, complex, and quite lovely.

The nose is somewhat deceptive. It suggests much more sharpness, graininess, and tang than is delivered on the palate. However, once tasted, this is astonishingly rich and luxurious for a Canadian offering. Creamy, soft, gentle, and complex. Sweeter than expected, but never cloying. The palate and finish are superb here, with quality flavours wrapped in a velvet blanket of creaminess. I could grumble about the low abv. or the twist-off cap, but why bother? For only $40 a bottle, this is a steal.

Nice Review. The CR Limited Edition was at one time the pinnacle of Crown Royal expressions. It has since been surpassed by CR Special Reserve, and possibly some of the exotic offerings of late, such as Crown Royal XR Extra Rare and CR Cask16 (Cognac finish). This is a nice easy sipper and has been for some four decades. Try the Reserve next time, it is a step up.

@paddockjudge: Thanks. I'll add the reserve to the ever-growing list of Canadians that I have to check out.

@Victor

The reviewed sample from bottle #BAH 075, was provided compliments of @paddockjudge. The bottle was opened almost one year ago. For additional information on the distillery, etc. see the Connosr review of this whisky by @talexander. Sequential review format

Nose: lush, strong intensity very Canadian blended whisky nose, combining sweet silky maple, spicy rye, and floral wine flavours. Very beautiful...if this had no rye flavours I would say that this reminded me very strongly of Jameson's Rarest Vintage Reserve. Score 23/25 All whiskies; 24/25 Canadian Category

Taste: rich and beautiful, even better than the nose. Quite sweet. The rye grain flavours are pointed and excellent; the body is silky smooth; the wine flavours are strong but do not overwhelm; the wood flavours are delicious with just a hint of bitterness. Score 24/25 all whiskies; 25/25 Canadian

Finish: the flavours stay long, with the bitterness of the wood becoming stronger into the finish. Score 23/25 all whiskies; 23/25 Canadian

Balance: this is certainly one of the finest Canadian whiskies which I have tasted. The combination of wine and great sweetness is counterbalanced by the strong spicy rye flavours, and, as well, by the slight bitterness of the wood. It is a form of balance which not everyone will like, but it has its own logic, and within the Canadian style, this is one of the best examples I have encountered. @paddockjudge has done an excellent job of showing me first hand that there are more than a few high-quality whiskies made in Canada. Thank you, @paddockjudge! Score 23/25 all whiskies; 24/25 Canadian

Total Scores: 93 all whiskies; 96 Canadian Category

This is a bottle which hasn't been sold for quite a while. On a more recent note, the one excellent recently-released bottle of Crown Royal Reserve which I reviewed about a year ago tastes VERY close to this bottle. This tells me that the Crown Royal blender is completely capable of continuing to blend excellent whiskies

Excellent review Victor. Although this particular bottling has long been unavailable, I agree that CR Reserve closely resembles this '75 Seagram's CR Ltd Ed, and more so than does the currently available CR Ltd Ed. Another recent offering that I find reminiscent of the '75, but to a lesser degree, is Sazerac Royal Canadian Small Batch. Drew Mayville is responsible for the recent Sazerac Canadian Whisky releases - his roots can be traced back to Seagram's.

I am glad that you enjoyed this vintage expression, after all, great whisky becomes legendary when shared with friends.

@talexander

Now comes something quite unique, from a sample courtesy of @paddockjudge. Crown Royal Limited Edition is one of the few Canadian whiskies that is only available in Canada, so it is something we can truly call our own (and only our own). This particular sample, however, comes from a bottle with a 1975 tax stamp! And what makes this particularly interesting is that, since 1992, Crown Royal has been produced at the Gimli Distillery in Manitoba; but before that it was produced at Seagram's Waterloo Distillery. Now, the only way today you can usually taste spirit from the old Waterloo Distillery is through Crown Royal XR (the old expression, not the new one from the old LaSalle Distillery that is not yet distributed in Canada). You can still get the old Crown Royal XR in Canada ($180), and so may be more like this 1975 LE than the modern LE, since the XR and the 1975 LE are both from Waterloo. For those who are interested, this comes from Bottle No. BAH075 and has been open since May 29 2012 (both mine and @paddockjudge's birthday).

The colour is a medium gold. The nose is very weighty, deep, rich and full - more so than the modern CR LE that I remember (and I think more like the old XR.) You could easily confuse this with a bourbon: tons of oak, vanilla and caramel, but richly vegetal. So much going on! Damp campfire and wet rubber boots, even. Totally unexpected delight. A few drops of water bring out more rye notes.

The palate is where the rye comes in, all dusty and fruity, with the light caramel in the background. Balsamic, grapefruit pith and peaches. As with the nose, water brings out more rye character: grapefruit, wet slate and caraway. Crisp and delicious.

The finish is long but gentle, with pencil shavings and cotton candy. Wow. This has seriously blown me away. I very much like the modern CR LE but this is in an entirely other category. This is an incredible whisky, and if this what they were routinely drinking back in 1975...we have a lot to live up to.

It is now clear to me why I was slow to discover Bourbon and Malt; with great Canadian blends such as this one populating my cabinet, I was not in a hurry to leave my own backyard and explore other parts of the whisk(e)y world.

As I sample this 1975 gem, I find it has opened up even more (with some additional months of potentially damaging exposure); it is well known that the act of keeping an open bottle can be a double-edged sword.

@talexander, it is satisfying to know that you enjoyed this scarce juice and @Victor, I'm anxious to see your appraisal of CRLE Bottle No. BAH075.

Highlights of 1975

Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa disappears.

Halderman, Erlickman, Mitchell convicted of conspiracy.

Microsoft boots up.

5 song U.K. - The Band Of The Black Watch - Scotch On The Rocks.

UK inflation continues to spiral out of control reaching 24.2% the price of Petrol increased by nearly 70%.

Margaret Thatcher elected leader of British Conservative Party.

"Rocky Horror Show" opens at Belasco Theater NYC.

David Frost purchases exclusive rights to interview Nixon.

Czech tennis star Martina Navratilova asks for US political asylum in New York City during the US Open.

Lynette Fromme sentenced to life for attempt on Pres Ford's life. Sara Jane Moore pled guilty to trying to kill Pres Gerald Ford.

Paddockjudge begins sampling Canadian whisky.

Cheers! pj

The disagreement was only with the statement that there are "...few Canadian whiskies which (is) only available in Canada." These half a dozen trips I have made to Canada in the last couple of years have been largely because I haven't been able to get most of the most highly rated Canadian whiskies in the USA.

And I am looking forward to a close reading of your Crown Royal Limited Edition 1975 review after I record my own notes, as I look forward to all of YOUR reviews. Too bad that Sudbury is a long drive from Toronto. Thanks again, @paddockjudge!

@markjedi1

More than 90% of what is produced at Gimly goes to the production of Crown Royal. The other 10% serves as flavouring whisky for other brands from the same stable, such as Canadian 83, Five Star and V.O. Crown Royal is their best selling Canadian. Today, we will try the Limited Edition.

The nose shows more vanilla than the standard version. Burnt sugar too. And a little heavier on the rye and clear hints of cloves. Less sweet, what does not mean that this is not sweet, of course. Au contraire.

On the palate it is fuller and creamier and the rye is the first thing that hits you. Cloves, yes. Hints of saffron and some nutmeg. The same dried banana and something of dark toast with a fat layer of farmer butter. Nice development, without becoming complex or challenging.

The finish is medium long and honeysweet, with mildly drying oak.

I must say, this Limited Edition is not much better than the standard. Just a tad different. Thanks, Jean-Francois, for sending me the sample from Canada.

@talexander

Now that I have a whisky tasting arranged with some friends for in a couple of weeks, I decided not to touch my current stock and pick up a new (but fairly low-budget bottle). Having been non-plussed with the standard CR, and having enjoyed the XR quite a bit, I picked up the Limited Edition (am saving my CR Reserve for the future tasting. Medium bodied with a reddish amber colour, looks like a slightly darker version of the standard expression. Nose is a little more so: vanilla with some cloves and a hit of rye. Definitely sweet in scent. Sweetness explodes on the palate (which I'm not crazy about) but the tell-tale rye is there. Spicy with cloves. Nosing after some water added brings out some banana bread and, dare I say, Colgate toothpaste? Taste however is mostly unchanged - I detect some nutmeg though. Long oaky finish - and still a little too sweet for my tastes (though current relationship woes dictate my drinking a few more drams of this tonight anyway). Not as robustly surprising as the XR but a little more fun than the standard. If a little less sweeter I would love this.

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