Crown Royal Vs Canadian Club: Which Whisky Makes A Better Old Fashioned?

When most people set out to make an old fashioned, they typically reach for a smooth bourbon or spicy rye whiskey as the backbone of the classic cocktail. Yet, with the Canadian province of Ontario recently banning American-made spirits in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, some folks in The Great White North may soon be looking for alternatives to comprise the body of the drink. After all, not all bourbon comes from Kentucky, but it can only be made in the United States. Crown Royal and Canadian Club both produce blended whisky north of the border, but understanding which works better in an old fashioned requires a closer inspection of the flavors that make them unique.

A blended whisky from Canada is exactly what it sounds like: various whiskies blended together to form a cohesive spirit after aging for at least three years in adherence to Canadian law. This blending creates a wide range of flavors depending on brand and the distiller's preference. Despite both Crown Royal and Canadian Club whisky being of the blended variety, there are stark differences in their flavor profiles.

Crown Royal is known for its sweet, smooth, vanilla-forward flavor – which tends to be more representative of bourbon commonly used to make old fashioned cocktails. Canadian Club whisky boasts a more robust spicy bite, mimicking a model rye that some prefer in their cocktail. Each interacts differently with the other components in an old fashioned, allowing you to make a mixed drink tailored to your favored tastes.

An old fashioned is a simple mixed drink that highlights the spirit in its foundation. The correct use of bitters can make or break the cocktail, so a quality product like Angostura Aromatic Cocktail Bitters is key. You also want to use just the right amount of simple syrup in your old fashioned so it is sweet, but not too much so. However, the ratios for each of these ingredients may alter slightly depending on the drinker's preference and which type of liquor is used as the star of the cocktail.

As Crown Royal is more akin to a bourbon than Canadian Club, it creates an old fashioned that is sweet and mellow, carrying the tender whisper of alcohol in each sip. The simple syrup accents the fruity notes in the whisky, while the bitters rounds out the flavor profile. Canadian Club whisky offers the palate a zestier experience. Being similar to a rye, an old fashioned made with Canadian Club will be drier and contain a spicy bite that balances the sweetness of the simple syrup and works with the bitters to create a cohesive cocktail.

Ultimately, which is better can only be decided by the person enjoying the beverage. If you like your old fashioned to be on the smoother side, Crown Royal will likely be a winner in your eyes. Then again, if you want your cocktail to be a bit more feisty, Canadian Club whisky might be your preferred spirit. Like many other aspects of life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.