Last night I tried Crown Royal Cask No. 16 for the first time. Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant, as I’m no fan of Crown Royal. Sure it comes wrapped in purple velvet that feels great against my beard, but you can’t hide mediocre whiskey behind purple velvet.
Crown Royal Cask No. 16 keeps the velvet but trades purple for black and ups the flavor ante over its flagship friend. Cask No. 16 is a blend of more than 50 whiskies aged in French oak cognac casks. The oak casks impart some sweet vanilla and fruit notes that are pretty pleasant. Consumed neat it goes down very smoothly, but much of the rye bite you expect from a Canadian blend is lost. Although, during the long finish it ditches some of that sweetness for a bit more rye.
All in all, I liked the stuff and might order a glass after a nice dinner, but I don’t plan on plunking down $100 for a bottle any time soon. Call me old fashioned, but I like my whiskies to assert themselves a bit more as they go down.
CE Rating: ★★★
Cask 16 I have this in my cabinet along with like 10 other bottles some crown and some jack this cask 16 i find so good that it hides in the back of the cabinet just for me,just right for sipping not to sweet just smooth
i did the holy trinity of crown, now there are 6 of them (c.r., c.r.black,c.r.maple,c.r.reserve,cask, & xr). regardless of price, nothing compares with the smoothness of cask. it’s like comparing an ashton cabinet to a dutchmaster. you only walk this earth one time, then you’re a long time dead. spring for the good stuff.
I’ve tried every Crown Royal product other than the XR and I was hooked with the Cask No. 16. Like some of the other guys on here, I’ve had my Crown with Coke but my favorite is with 7-up. Anyhow, with Cask No. 16, I didn’t bother…the price of it made me feel to even think of mixing it so I tried it the way it’s supposed to be…on the rocks. Man, that stuff was smooth and to let it weld with the melting ice, well, let’s just say I can’t wait to see what the XR is all about. That was the first time I could actually drink whiskey on the rocks so I’m sure I won’t be disappointed with the XR.
I like the Crown Reserve, then I tried the XR, that is a very, very smooth drink. I like both with coke. I am going to try the cask 16.
Ltgrw@aol.com
Well as a Crown Royal Special Reserve and Remy Martin VSOP fan I was hesistant in buying a $45 350ml bottle of whiskey. So I gave it a shot and three bottles later I can’t keep enough of it in the house. I normally drink all my whiskey’s and cognac’s with coke (I know most people think I should be shot, but I am paying for it so I don’t care) and was shocked at the blend of Whiskey and other flavors. It is like someone took Reserve and VSOP and poured them into a bottle and called it Cask 16. I should take out some stock in the company because this is really good stuff.
I have drank alot of whiskeys but crown 16 taste the best
I have been a neat whiskey drinker for 25 years and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the great taste and smooth finish. I have tried many whiskeys but this is the best I have tasted so far also the most expensive. I feel the price wasn’t out of line and would recommend it.
Robert, Cheaper dates will get you herpies…….
I call myself the Will Rogers of whiskey – I never met one I didn’t like. But, I usually prefer hanging out with those that have a bit more personality than most Canadians have. Having said that, it’s hard to not like Cask #16. The flavor is swirls of sherry and vanilla. The finish is oh so smooth, and then quietly fades away. If bourbon is a rowdy friend, then Cask #16 is a beautiful woman. The only problem is, I prefer cheaper dates.
Problems with the Canadian folk…keep on being the little race horse you are…cheers…
Admittedly, I like Crown to begin with. Starting there, I love Cask #16. I don’t intend on buying it too often, given the price, but I hope to always have it on my liquor cabinet for special occasions. Perfectly rounded, not sweet but vanilla-ish. Worth $99/bottle? Hard to say. But it’s great.