Crown Royal releases second Extra Rare whisky edition

Crown Royal, the Canadian whisky owned by Diageo, has released a second expression in its Extra Rare Whisky Series.

The second Crown Royal XR blend of select whiskies from the former LaSalle Distillery in Quebec with Crown Royal’s own, will be released in the US from June.

It follows the 2006 launch of the original Crown Royal XR whisky blend featuring rare expressions from the Waterloo Distillery.

The new bottle will be shaped and packaged in the same fashion but with a royal blue colour scheme, instead of red, to “echo the regal nature of the product”.

Andrew MacKay, master blender for Crown Royal, said: “LaSalle holds a historic place in the whisky world and is incredibly special to me, because it’s where I first learned about creating memorable blends. To be able to incorporate these Extra Rare LaSalle whiskies into the new Crown Royal XR is an honor.”

Available for a limited period, the 750ml bottle has a retail price of US$129.99.

The launch will be supported by print and online advertising plus PR, POS and digital marketing.