International

Crown Royal Blended Whisky comes from Canada and is produced at the Crown Royal Distillery in Gimli, Manitoba, on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. The distillery was founded in the late 1930s and is now one of the largest and most modern production facilities in the country. The harsh climate of the region - cold winters and warm summers - contributes significantly to the maturation of the whisky, as the temperature fluctuations intensify the exchange between the wood and the distillate. Crown Royal is a blend of around fifty different whiskies, each of which is produced at the distillery and then married together. The components mainly include Canadian rye, corn and malt whiskies, which are distilled on different stills - both in column stills and in pot stills. This variety of base distillates allows for a wide range of flavours, which are brought together during blending to create a harmonious overall picture. The individual whiskies are matured in different types of cask, mainly in American white oak casks. Both new, heavily burnt casks and used bourbon casks are used, occasionally supplemented by casks that previously contained sherry. This combination creates a complex spectrum of flavours. The taste of Crown Royal is soft, round and balanced. It combines sweet vanilla and caramel tones with a hint of grain, light spice and a smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel, which makes it typically Canadian and particularly accessible. Crown Royal Blended Whisky is Canada's flagship when it comes to premium whisky. It was created in 1939 in honour of the visit of the British King George VI.

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye combines the flavours of a typical rye whisky with the well-known smoothness of Crown Royal. The rye content in the mash is a proud 90%.

The Blend was named Whisky of the Year by Jim Murray in 2016. Crown Royal was the first Canadian whisky to achieve this ranking in the Whisky Bible. In Germany, the bottling has been difficult to obtain so far.

Pike Creek matured for ten cold winters before it developed its full aroma. Unair-conditioned warehouses and an extremely fluctuating climate allow the casks to breathe particularly strongly. To further intensify its character, the whisky was post-matured in rum casks.

Seagrams VO is balanced with a distinct spiciness of rye and the smoothness of a good Blend. At the same time, the Canadian whisky has a particularly good price/performance ratio.

For the price-conscious!

Lot 40 is distilled partly in Pot Stills and matured in fresh oak barrels, which is rather unusual for Canadian whisky. The rye is then bottled as a small batch. The use of 100% rye makes it particularly spicy and full-bodied in taste.

The 10-year Blend from J.P. Wiser's is a modern interpretation of original Canadian whisky, which used to have a very high rye content. This bottling also consists of a lot of rye as well as small parts of barley and corn and matures in three different types of barrels. In addition to fresh oak and bourbon barrels, barrels that previously contained Canadian whisky were also used. The result is a complex whisky reminiscent of the times before American Prohibition.

Bain's Cape Mountain is South Africa's first Single Grain. It is named after the builder of the pass road at the foot of which the distillery is located.

After three years of ageing in first fill bourbon casks, the Grain was transferred to new first fill bourbon casks to mature for a further 18-30 months.

The Ondjaba Triple Grain Whiskey comes from Namibia and consists of very special grains. One of the grains is mahangu (pearl millet), which is a staple food for much of Namibia's population. The malt is dried over elephant dung instead of peat, as is customary in Scotland. Under the hot Namibian sun, the whiskey matures in fresh oak barrels as well as in the company's own former wine barrels.

M&H Classic is one of the first Single Malt Whiskies from the first whisky distillery in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since 2015, whisky has been produced there in a Pot Still from Germany. The maturing conditions in the Israeli climate are particularly good. The Classic matures in bourbon barrels as well as in reclaimed red wine barrels.

M&H Elements Sherry Cask is the first Single Malt from kosher sherry casks. These were specially saturated with Oloroso and PX sherry for the Israeli distillery in Jerez, Spain. M&H is the first whisky distillery in Tel Aviv, Israel. Whisky has been produced there in a Pot Still from Germany since 2015. The maturing conditions in the Israeli climate are particularly good.

Ondjaba Whiskey comes from Namibia and is made from a very special grain. One of the grain varieties is mahangu (pearl millet), which is a staple food for the majority of Namibia's population. The malt is dried over elephant dung instead of peat, as is usual in Scotland. The whiskey is matured under the hot Namibian sun in fresh oak barrels and the company's own former wine barrels. This further development of the original is then matured in gravino casks from the Erongo Mountain Winery, a type of port wine cask.