Crown Royal Jumps on the Single-Malt Whisky Bandwagon

It really wasn’t all that long ago when we all largely understood the term “single malt” as referring to one type of whisky: Scotch. But over the past several years, the product category has massively expanded.

First, we saw the rise of Japanese whisky around the turn of the new millennium, with that nation’s own Scotch-influenced single-malt expressions drawing accolades and adoration in the West.

Then, just over the past couple of years, we’ve witnessed an explosion in the American single malt category to the point where it’s on the cusp of becoming the United States’ first new officially classified spirit in decades.

The latest nation to join the single malt fray in a big way has been Canada. On the back of WhistlePig’s recent 25-year Canadian single malt, iconic Canuck whisky brand Crown Royal has now launched the first single malt in the label’s 85-year history.

Yep, Crown Royal makes single-malt whisky now

Crown Royal

Crown Royal Single Malt Canadian Whisky

Crown Royal has introduced its first single malt Canadian whisky. It’s crafted from 100% malted barley and distilled in copper. Priced at $55, it’s supposed to offer aromas of vanilla and banana, with tasting notes of caramel, apple, baking spices, and a warm cinnamon finish. This release aims to attract new consumers to single malts with its approachable and light profile, though it may lack the complexity sought by seasoned single malt enthusiasts​

Specs

ABV	45%
Tasting Notes	Apple, caramel, cinnamon

• $60 at Nestor Liquor

For its inaugural venture into single-malt territory, Crown Royal didn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. The brand essentially makes this whisky the same way it always does, but just with a mash bill made up of 100 percent malted barley instead of the mysterious mix of grains that goes into your standard purple-bagged bottle of Crown Royal blended whisky.

It’s distilled at Quebec’s Valleyfield Distillery in copper stills — Crown Royal’s marketing team describes the whisky as being “cut from the cold” due to Canada’s cool climate. There’s no age statement, and Crown Royal hasn’t disclosed what barrels were used to age the whisky (Canadian whisky rules are far more lax than those that govern bourbon and Scotch), but the liquid is bottled at 45% ABV and retails for a refreshingly affordable $55.

Is single-malt whisky still special?

Some single malts will always be special, while others … not so much. It’s really always been this way, but I do think that the proliferation of single malt whiskies on a global scale will naturally lead to an overall reduction in quality in the category as a whole.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

That’s because not every area producing single-malt whisky is playing by the same rules. Single malt built its sterling reputation on single-malt Scotch, which is a heavily regulated industry. Canadian and American single-malt, by comparison, are basically the Wild West by comparison. (That’s part of the reason why a consortium of American distillers are lobbying for stricter rules governing American single malt.)

That’s not to say Crown Royal Single Malt Canadian Whisky is bad, I’m sure it’s perfectly lovely (the brand calls out tasting notes of caramel, apple and cinnamon). But as more single malts get released from more places, with little to dictate what’s going into the bottle, it seems inevitable that the category on which Scotch’s reputation is based is bound to take a hit.

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