Crown Royal Maple Finished combines Crown Royal Whisky with a touch of maple flavor. The liquid is then sent through a unique maple toasted oak finishing process for added smoothness. The iconic purple bag has been altered 
to fit the look and feel of this first variant to the Crown Royal brand. The Crown Royal Maple Finished bag is brown with gold embroidery to complement the copper and auburn highlights found in the whisky. – Brand fact information
80 Proof / 40% alcohol
Suggested Retail Price: $25 range
Availability: Nationwide
Crown Royal Maple Finished Tasting Notes
Color: Beautiful copper in the bottle. Appears lighter in the glass, but still contains deep reddish, auburn highlights.
Aroma: Just opening the bottle released immediate maple aroma. Smelled just like maple syrup. Made my mouth water for pancakes and bacon smothered in maple syrup. Also detected caramelized brown sugar. No burn.
Tasted Neat: Some burn. Some sweetness. Can really taste the caramelized brown sugar. Warming. Lovely maple flavor. Bit of vanilla, buttery. Lightly, sweetened maple. To be honest, I wish maple syrup were as gently sweetened while remaining as lush on flavor as this has come across in the first sampling. I love the balance of sweetness to maple flavor.
Mouth Feel: Medium with nice lingering maple finish and warmth.
Possible Uses, Pairings and / or Cocktails: Leaning towards classic 
cocktails, the Manhattan makes perfect sense with this flavor profile. I might try using a mix of Praline Pecan Liqueur and Sweet Vermouth to enhance the maple flavor. There’s an example of this Manhattan variation using Woodford Reserve in the Praline Pecan Pie cocktail I created in 2010.
Another that makes a lot of sense; a really good apple cocktail variation. I played with three variations trying to come up with something that allowed the maple flavor to shine while giving the sensation of a deliciously crisp, yet lush apple.
Sample 1: 1-1/2 ounce Crown Royal Maple Finished, 3/4 ounce Caramel Apple Liqueur, 1-1/2 ounce Cranberry Juice, 1/4 ounce Fresh Lime Juice, Lime Twist Garnish. Shake liquids with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with 
lime twist. Notes: Tastes like a lush caramel apple. Maple flavor gets a little lost with the caramel. Red cocktail like a juicy red delicious apple.
Sample 2: 1-1/2 ounce Crown Royal Maple Finished, 1/2 ounce Berentzen ApfelKorn, 1/4 ounce Buttershots, 1 ounce Cranberry Juice, 1/4 ounce Fresh Lime Juice, Lime Twist Garnish. Shake liquids with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime twist. Notes: Detect bit of burnt sugar in immediate taste. Not enough maple shine through. Red in color like a Honey Crisp apple.
As the saying goes, three times a charm. The third sample was my favorite of all.
Maple Apple Royale – created by Cheri Loughlin
1-1/2 ounce Crown Royal Maple Finished
1/4 ounce Butterscotch Schnapps
1-1/2 ounce Apple Juice
1 ounce Cranberry Juice
1/4 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
Lime Twist Garnish
Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime twist.
The color stays truer to the spirit with its warmer color. Apple flavor is much clearer. Maple shines through in deeper clarity. Buttery notes of the butterscotch schnapps complements the maple flavor rather nicely. Sipping this is like biting into a lovely buttery caramel covered apple. The buttery caramel is lightly sweetened and the apple remains fresh and crisp tasting.
What others are saying – I placed a photo on Facebook the day I sampled Crown Royal Maple, opening the discussion up for any thoughts and opinions for those who had sampled it, too. This is what others had to say:
Lisa N: I’ve tried only the Crown Royal Maple. Typical Crown Royal flavor with a long maple finish. Reminds me of pancakes. Very good
Warren B: The Crown Royal Maple is all wrong.
Vanessa S: Tried the Crown Royal Maple. Wasn’t impressed.
Rubén C: I’m sure Crown Maple is a good drink cause I’ve tried it. But it should be in cocktail.
Kevin H: Crown Maple has a nice nose of maple. I can’t say I really like it straight. I’m sure that maybe if it was mixed correctly then I may like it more.
Joe G: Both times tasting CR Maple I longed for a side of bacon, which isn’t a terrible thing, but it is just a bit too sweet. Has anyone found a decent mixer?
I recently stopped in at Nosh in Omaha. Brandon was working the bar that evening and told me about a new drink they’re offering. It’s warmed coffee that includes Crown Royal Maple Finish and RumChata with whipped cream and a few grated spices served in a large snifter. I haven’t sampled it yet, but the photo looked good and he made it sound delicious.
Review sample courtesy representatives of The Crown Royal Company – Crown Royal on Facebook – @CrownRoyal on Twitter
Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon – str8upcocktails @ gmail.com – ©2013 Cheri Loughlin-The Intoxicologist, All Rights Reserved.
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