My buddy Bruce and I were having a meeting over nightcaps, and one of my customers bought a bottle of Crown Royal XR and was nice enough to share out a bit.
This extra rare bottling of Crown was made from remaining barrels from the old Seagram’s distillery in Waterloo, Ontario. The distillery closed in 1992, and was later destroyed by fire. Working on the principle of the “Ruined Stills of Scotland” the whiskies produced there will never be duplicated though they are already being imitated at other Seagram’s distilleries.
The idea is that these whiskeys are so rare and wonderful that they can only be released in limited numbers once per year. In other words, it’s a ~$150 gimmick for the Christmas season. Jim Arndorfer’s Brew Blog has a great writeup on the packaging, marketing, and celebrity tie-ins.
I have an amazing respect for Andrew MacKay’s whiskey blending skills, but I’m really dissapointed in this product. I’m reminded of corn whiskey that has spent too many years in a barrel. Too much wood, some of it dry rotted from the outside in, has been imparted to this spirit. The result is a muddy blended whiskey lacking distinct layers of flavor.
You’d be hard pressed to get $10 a fifth for that kind of swill in Kentucky.
