Crown Royal Black Blended Canadian Whisky (1000ml)

"...oaked to within an inch of its life, but Crown has taken it just to the edge — and brought it back again." - drinkhacker.com

Crown Royal Black is a more robust and intensely flavoured take on traditional Canadian whiskies, which often place emphasis on 'mellowness'. This expression is not only extra-oaked, but also bottled at 45% abv, which is unconventional given that high-proof bottlings fell out of common practise in Canada around the 1950s. It pours a deep bright copper / mahogany colour and follows with sweet, heavy scents of dilute maple syrup, vanilla wafer and cocoa. A soft, light entry leads into a semi sweet burst of vanillan oak, light maple syrup and lively spices with a touch of rye kicking in the finish. It's finally medium dry and gently peppery with fresh cut wood emerging late into the aftertaste. All-round a richer offering than your standard CR, and with zipped up spiciness, bourbon drinkers should enjoy this as an alternative, as should lovers of PX matured malts. 45% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... Defintely and imprvement from the last time I tasted this, which was something akin to being hit over the head by a branch from a maple tree... Chewier and sweet sugars now seem to enjoy a pleasant toing and froing with the toasty oak and spice. Plenty to grapple with here. 87 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2023

...Not exactly black. (More like russet, but Crown Royal Russet isn't as catchy.) It's nice to see the higher strength, and there's definitely more flavor here than the standard Crown Royal or Crown Royal Reserve. But it's missing the smoothness and elegance I cherish in other Crown Royal whiskies. Notes of molasses and maple syrup, accentuated by burnt fig, hints of pedro ximenez sherry, and raisin. There are suggestions of dark rum and bourbon in here. (Perhaps an alternative to both?) A whisky to drink on the rocks or as a mixer. 78 points - whiskyadvocate.com

Crown Royal Black is, as you may expect, an added-oak version of the venerable Crown Royal Canadian whisky. In this case, “black” is no joke. It may very well be the darkest color whiskey I’ve ever encountered, a deep hazelnut color in the glass. The spirit in a full bottle is nearly opaque. This concerned me. Over-oaking is a serious risk in whiskey, and the worry of a ruined whisky was on the top of my mind. The good news is that Crown Royal Black isn’t too far gone. Yes, it is oaked to within an inch of its life, but Crown has taken it just to the edge — and brought it back again. The body is sweet like standard Crown Royal, but laced with intense oily wood notes, cinnamon, black pepper, and dried figs. Surprisingly mild for 90 proof, that wood character even overpowers the alcohol out of the spirit. Long and smoldering finish, like a campfire turning to ash. That, of course, has good and bad connotations. I expect CR Black may be too much whisky for many. Others will find it’s got a rustic, frontier character that also finds a bit of balance in its own odd way. - drinkhacker.com