Crown Royal vs Crown Royal Black: Head to Head!

Discover the differences between Crown Royal vs Crown Royal Black in this head to head comparison and decide which Whisky is better for You!

Crown Royal Deluxe

Nose	Vanilla, caramel, pear, ethanol
Palate	Spice, clove, vanilla, ripe fruit
Finish	Short-lived, caramel, oak spice
Alcohol content	80 proof (40% ABV)
How to drink	Rocks
Similar to	Canadian Club, Canadian Mist

Nose is light and sweet, with notes of vanilla, caramel, pear and whiff of ethanol coming behind.

On the palate, Crown Royal feels thin and watered-down lacking in texture. Flavor hits with rye spice and clove up-front, followed by vanilla and notes of pear and apple providing balance to the pour.

The finish is barely present, with caramel and a touch of oak spice.

Overall, the Crown Royal (Similar Whiskeys) is smooth and polite as a good Canadian. Very little warmth to it making an easy sipper and a good introductory bottle to Canadian Whisky or liquors in general.

This whiskey has a fair amount of spice that feels on the first sips. This spicy notes sits well in cocktails and especially in an Old Fashioned.

Crown Royal mixes well with Coke and ginger ale so it becomes handy making it a versatile dram.

Not the most interesting whisky, but there’s nothing terrible about it and can get the job done when looking for a smooth whiskey to make cocktails.

Every bottle includes a purple velvet pouch that makes a good token.

There are a few facts worth knowing about this whisky:

• Crown Royal Deluxe is a blend of 50 different whiskies from 5 different mash bills.

• The whiskies in the blend aged for a minimum of 10 years.

• Crown Royal is not a rye whiskey but you can tell that there is a high rye content in the mash bill.

Crown Royal Black

Nose	Caramel, cinnamon. cherry
Palate	Caramel, molasses, rye, vanilla, coffee
Finish	Medium, rye spice, caramel, baking spice
Alcohol content	90 proof (45% ABV)
How to drink	Rocks
Similar to	Jameson Black Barrel, JW Double Black

Nose is subtle, with a light caramel note coming first, followed by cinnamon and cherries.

On the palate, the Crown Royal Black shows more body than the regular due to the higher proof providing a good mouthfeel.

First sip feels smooth and sweet, rich in caramel and molasses, along a pleasant hit of oak spice, vanilla a touch of coffee and a pleasant note of oak char.

The finish has a medium length, with a subtle rye spice that lingers, along caramel, baking spice and a bit of oak char.

Crown Royal Black is good, it has a higher proof than the regular but it does not feel warmer while making it more tasty and robust.

It drinks nicely with a drop of water as it becomes sweeter while tuning down the oak char.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Crown Royal:

• This whisky is produced in mass at the Gimli Distillery in Manitoba. It holds an inventory of over 1.5 million barrels of whisky making it one of the largest in the world.

• Crown Royal is owned by Diageo, the British spirits giant, who also owns Johnnie Walker, Bulleit Bourbon, Don Julio Tequila, Casamigos, among 200 other brands.

What’s the difference between Crown Royal Black and the regular Crown Royal?

Additional proof & barrel management

• Black is bottled at a higher proof (90 vs 80) than the regular. In general, when spirits have a higher proof they become richer in flavor and more robust as they went through less water dilution.

• Crown Royal Black in heavily charred barrels. This makes the whisky darker in color while providing bitter oak char notes.

Crown Royal Deluxe vs Crown Royal Black: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whisky	Price
Crown Royal Deluxe	$18
Crown Royal Black	$30

Crown Royal Deluxe vs Crown Royal Black: Which is better?

Whiskey	Deluxe	Black
Nose	✅	✅
Body		✅
Palate	✅	✅
Finish		✅
Value	✅	✅

• Crown Royal Black is a more tasty whisky, while remaining smooth delivering a better experience than Deluxe.

• Additional proof makes it more robust and tasty while adding body to a thin whisky.

• If you feel it hot add a drop or two of water and that will suffice to make it sweeter and easier to drink.

• Oak char is present but is just a note and not the main theme allowing caramel and vanilla notes shine making this a sweet and enjoyable dram.

• Black is a better whisky well worth the upcharge.