Small Batch Blended Canadian Whisky
"Classic 12" Aged 12 Years
Batch C12-014
40% ABV (80 proof)
paid $21
Color: medium brown with a burnt red tint.
Smell: maple syrup and - especially - toasted marshmallows. I love the smell of this whisky. It's light, it's sweet, and reminds me a lot of the nose on the Crown Royal Hand-Selected Barrel I previously reviewed. It smells creamy, soft, and smooth, with just enough wood influence to keep it interesting.
Taste: mellow and muted. A bit of a letdown from the nose. There's some imitation vanilla sweetness on entry (French vanilla flavor shot from Dunkin Donuts comes to mind). The transition and finish are jumbled. A little bit of oak influence comes into play, but it dissipates quickly as the finish brings the cloying vanilla and butterscotch sweetness back.Overall: it's unobjectionable, but uninspiring...C+/B- for me. That said, it's $20. It smells better than it tastes, but the one-note palate (imitation vanilla and pancake syrup) gets old quickly. Fine for mixing and fine for ice cubes or sipping, but I vastly prefer Crown Royal in the budget category (and its aforementioned big brother for true slow-sipping appreciation).
