Crown Royal is a solid enough whisky on its own, but the Cask No. 16 may just be the smoothest, most satisfying whisk(e)y we’ve gotten our hands on for NeuFutur. The container for the whisky ensures completely safety, while the black bag (with gold accents) provides further authority for this bottle.
When one gets a chance to open up this bottle, what immediately comes out in terms of nose is something that has the distinct whisky smell, but is moderated slightly by a more floral tone. The spirit itself succeeds brilliantly when chilled; I personally was a fan of putting a few whiskey stones into my highball glass to remove any chance of dilution.
By doing this, imbibers have the opportunity to take hints of oak, vanilla, and even the aforementioned floral notes that were present in the nose. While I would think that the Cask No. 16 would do admirably in a mixed drink or in a shot, its more refined nature just screams for it to be sipped and properly enjoyed. For those individuals that end up having to place their whiskys alongside something, I would say to just use a chaser like seltzer water to not reduce or remove the nuances of the Cask No. 16 from the equation.
While I understand that the bottle may be on the slightly pricey side ($100), one has to see this as a unique whisky that brings all the best of the fifty constituent whiskys that make Cask No. 16 without lacking anything in the way of flavor, intricacy, or overall experience. Furthermore, it is another part of the rich whisky history that Crown Royal is crafting currently: besides the common Crown Royal, Crown Royal Reserve ($45) and Crown Royal XR Extra Rare ($180) all provide further bits and pieces to the story that is Crown Royal.
Rating: 9.0/10
This is indeed a rare and extremely fine sipping whiskey. Canadian versus American whiskey is usually a bit drier and lighter. This may be drier but it has a lot of flavor and a nice smooth long finish that separates itself. Might be the extra aging in Cognac barrells? First, I noticed an exquisite nose of soft vanilla with nary an alcohol pungency. I just had to try it neat with a nice cigar. It did not disappoint in the least. The front end is a citrusy (light and smooth) burst followed by an aged vanilla finish that lingered nicely. This is so smooth it’s hard to compare to most whiskeys period…Nary a burning backbite! Plain excellent and highly recommended with some reservation due to price. At $50 I’d call it a bargain, but I guess you get what you pay for and for this aged smoothness it may well be worth the higher prices it is currently going for. I think they need to discontinue CR “Reserve” and just make more of this and lower the price. That probably won’t happen as it is only good business to “milk” an icon for whatever the market will bring. Enough economics and marketing…Enjoy!