Crown Royal Regal Apple has been out a few months now and it’s a perfect example of how fads work in the liquor biz, especially whisk(e)y. A few years ago every brand and their momma made a honey whiskey. Then everyone moved on to the pancake like Maple flavor. Eventually everyone got tired of seeing Fireball OWN the cinnamon segment and copied that. Lately the “it” flavor has been Apple, and that’s not just whiskey, it’s popping up in ciders and beer brand launches too. I can’t lie though I got pretty excited when I heard Crown was going the apple route. Is it creative? No. But the first thing I thought of was how many times I’m at the bar and hear someone ask for a Washington Apple shot. Seems like a no brainer right?
First Impression: Nothing to see here. Your typical Crown Royal bottle gets a slight make-over with an emerald green hue replacing the classic purple. The “whoa” moment here comes when you crack open the bottle. If I put this to a blind smell test I would swear it was a bottle of Dekuyper Green Apple Pucker. The sweet apple aroma is OVERWHELMING, so much that you get no whisky at all. This is pretty similar to the problem I had with Crown Royal Maple. The sugary maple syrup aroma masked any bit of the whisky Crown’s famous for.
- Tasting Notes: There’s no surprise here, it’s very apple heavy with the whisky behind it. That’s not a bad thing. It’s got a good balance of sweet and heat, but be careful you wouldn’t know this is 70 proof, it goes down pretty easy. Besides the apple there’s definitely some cinnamon and vanilla in here that rounds it out well. The only thing that I didn’t like was in the leftover taste in your mouth, it’s kind of like a burnt sugar, sour taste.
- Proof: 35% ABV [70 Proof]
- Price: $23.99
- Drink Suggestions: On Ice, Cranberry Juice, Lemonade.
- Grade: B
Final Word: I’m a sucker for a bottle of Crown. Where I grew up (Sweet home, Chicago!), It’s king. I wasn’t a big fan of Crown Maple because the maple flavor was to overpowering. Crown Apple dodged that bullet and I’m not ashamed to say If I don’t want something really heavy to sip on, I pour a glass of this, on ice.
Crown Royal Regal Apple Sample was provided courtesy of the brand. For more information visit www.CrownRoyal.com
