Crown Royal recently unveiled the second installment in its Extra Rare Whisky Series, a blend that includes select remaining whiskies from the LaSalle Distillery in Quebec, Canada.Crown Royal XR marks the second Extra Rare whisky for the brand. As part of this on-going Series, each Crown Royal XR blend will be created including a batch of rare whiskies and distributed for a limited time.
The spirit is handcrafted by Crown Royal Master Blender Andrew MacKay, for whom the new installment of XR marks a personal legacy. The LaSalle Distillery, which opened in 1924, is where he began his career as an apprentice.
LaSalle is also significant to Crown Royal, as it was the first distillery opened by the Bronfman family, the folks who are responsible for creating the original Crown Royal in 1939 to commemorate King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Canada.
Andrew MacKay is responsible for blending the yearly formulations of all the Crown Royal whisky variants. He achieved the status of Master Blender in 2002 after years working as a Seagram distillery lab assistant, a two-year detour into a geology career, and two years as a blender for Crown Royal.
Crown Royal was my grandpa’s favorite indulgence, so I leapt at the chance to speak with MacKay about Crown Royal XR.
Q. How is this second installment differentfrom the first?
A. It’s differentseveral ways. The original was crafted from the Waterloo Distillery whiskies.As stocks began to run down I was asked, what would you do now? I couldn’t makeit the same. I looked through all the inventory and found little bits andpieces left over so to speak that had survived over years, including some ryefrom the LaSalle Distillery. I thought that would help create something new anddifferent with rye characteristics of clove and cinnamon and built on that withother base whiskies including some bourbon-style. I ended up with a nice, richCrown Royal Extra Rare with a top bit of floral note.
The fact that this is comingout of the LaSalle Distillery and has rye in the blend is what’s so special andis the main thrust of what defines this installment in the XR series.
Q. Ryes are very popular now, so is it acoincidence there’s rye in this blend?
A. Not really. I’vealways liked ryes. I was already thinking in those terms about a year and ahalf ago. The fact that there’s now a tendency to reinforce rye in market justhelped.
Q. What about ryes appeal to you?
A. I like the spicynotes, the richness they bring. Good rye has a nice rich yet smooth flavor. Thisis blended whisky, so it won’t hit you like ton of bricks. It’s designed to bemuch smoother. You get that impact in the mouth, with smooth character. The challengefor me is to balance flavors so you still get a creamy smooth mouthfeel yet stilllet the bourbon and rye flavors come through. That’s what this one is allabout.
Q. What’s your recommended ‘proper tastingmethod’?
A. The stock answer isany way they like. But the way I would do it is with one or two very small icecubes. In the lab we look at 20 percent alcohol strength; it’s bottled at 40percent. In the lab we let it sit 20 minutes in a covered glass and thenappraise it. Home consumers starting at 40 percent will initially experiencestrong vanilla, wood and creaminess; as the ice cubes begin to melt it dilutesthe spirit so other odors pop out and make an appearance over time. You don’twant too much dilution or it becomes thin and woody with too much water but witha few ice cubes and sipped slowly the experience is full.
Crown Royal XR is available nationwide for alimited time at a suggested retail price of $129.99 for a 750ml bottle. Formore information visit www.crownroyal.com.Please enjoy responsibly.
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