Crown Royal Northern Rye Whiskey

There seem to be a big hullabaloo ever since Jim Murray has declared “Crown Royal Northern Rye Whiskey” the 2016 whiskey of the year (see http://thewhiskeywash.com/2015/11/20/2016-whisky-of-the-year-goes-to/ )

Bottles are flying off the shelves in Canada and it even had local TV airtime (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l3wagx8CGA )

Just wanted to say not everybody agrees with Murray and my favorite whiskey reviewer (a Canadian himself) places Alberta Premium Dark Horse above Crown Royal Rye (see http://jason-scotchreviews.blogspot.ca/2015/11/whisky-review-crown-royal-northern.html)

That being said, if the award pushes more Canadian producers to make Rye I’ll be happy! I love Rye!

A follow on my bourbon board was talking about it. Was thinking of tossing into his Manhattan barrel. Good not great. A nice rye in the $30 range from what I hear

Crown Royal in a purple velvet bag is a Canadian Christmas classic. I remember when every boy at school had a purple bag full of marbles.

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For 2016? Already? Heady statement…I’ll hafta give it a try

Finally found a bar with some and gave it a try, on the rocks.

It was fine! It’s a very decent rye for $30. By no remote means would I call it the “whiskey of the year”, or even the whiskey of the month. It’s good at its price point.

I’ve imbibed with Jim Murray, and normally I agree quite a bit with his selections, but the past few years I feel he has been a bit off. No way do I think that Crown Royal Northern Rye Whiskey is anywhere near being a great whiskey. A nice rye, with it’s own unique character, but not world class. Alberta Distillers rye’s can world class in my opinion. (Think Whistle Pig Rye, Masterson’s Rye and Jefferson’s Rye, the bottles that say produced in Canada.)

I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye as a Xmas gift, and though it is more than decent, I was surprised that it was named 2016 World Whisky of the Year. Is it the best whiskey made in Canada or even the best rye? No. For an excellent rye try Lot 40, which just received first place in the Canadian Whiskey Awards (by blind tasting), or Gibson’s Finest 18 year Old which is simply sublime and one of the best Canadian whiskey’s I have ever tasted.
Crown Royal Northern Harvest is like a very good burger, whereas Gibson’s Finest 18 yr Old is more like a perfectly cooked melt in your mouth filet mignon. Both have room in your diet, but which is best?