Crown Royal Vs Jack Daniel's: The Better Whiskey May Surprise You

Beyond a shared alcoholic category, few people are likely to equate Jack Daniel's and Crown Royal. After all, the former is an American-made Tennessee whiskey, while the latter is a blended Canadian whisky. Yet, it's also difficult to find a pair of whiskies more well-known and popular across the U.S. Since the two brands are generally available at a similar price point — a 750-milliliter bottle of each cost $29.99 in Harwich Port, Massachusetts as of this writing — I decided to pit them against each other to determine which tastes best.

Now, there are numerous whiskeys sold by Jack Daniel's, as well as plenty of Crown Royal varieties on the market (and several popular Canadian whiskies beyond Crown). But to keep things simple, this boozy battle is exclusively between each brand's signature bottles: Crown Royal Fine De Luxe blended whisky, and Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Tennessee whiskey.

After sampling and scrutinizing each of these whiskies, did a whiskey produced by the oldest registered distillery in the U.S. stand tall? Or did the blended Canadian import, created for a 1939 visit from the British royals, take the ... trophy? Keep reading to find out which is the better whiskey (or whisky).

In order to conduct this taste test with complete objectivity, I set aside any preconceived opinions of these two widely consumed bottles. While I wouldn't classify myself as a full-blown whiskey connoisseur, I'm quite familiar with both of these brands — and my personal favorite has, and always will be, Crown Royal. Still, my personal affinity for the north-of-the-border distillery is largely related to my family's long-running view of the whisky as a special occasion marker, rather than a staunch preference for its flavor profile compared to Jack Daniel's.

With that in mind, I conducted this taste test with zero expectations beforehand and solely judged them based on the liquor inside each bottle. I tried each of these whiskies when served neat, on the rocks, and when mixed with Coca-Cola (both regular and diet).

I took every aspect of the sipping experience into account when comparing them, though the most important factor was the taste itself. This included the depth and balance of flavors in each liquor (both by itself and with additions). I also considered the nose of each, taking my time to engage with the nuances for each bottle, as well as the finish and how well each lingered after sipping.

As I noted before, I'm more familiar with Crown Royal than any other brand of alcohol on the market – whether we're talking whisky or whiskey (because there is a difference). Still, I wasn't willing to rubber stamp Crown as a top-tier product before conducting a taste test, because where's the fun (or journalistic integrity) in that?

The nose offers a sweetness from the start, with subtle hints of vanilla and butterscotch that follow on the palate. The whisky itself rolls smoothly down the tongue as the aforementioned vanilla and butterscotch take center stage, though it's hardly cloying thanks to a barely detectable spiciness (likely from the clove and nutmeg notes mentioned on the label). In fact, that sweet and spicy combo lingers nicely on the finish and left me wanting more.

When sipped on the rocks, Crown Royal retains each of its appealing qualities, though they're dulled somewhat by the melting ice. Of course, my go-to cocktail order is Crown on the rocks, and the reasons why I love the icy, slightly watered down drink were all on display during this taste test. Some purists may believe ice destroys the integrity of a liquor, but I find the addition simply invites further enjoyment, which was the case here.

Compared to Crown, I didn't have as much experience with Jack Daniel's before writing this article. I'm not sure why, but it may be that the brand's Old No. 7 whiskey — which is technically a bourbon despite the distillery's insistence on calling it Tennessee whiskey — is so popular that I've simply gravitated elsewhere. Of course, this just meant I had virtually no expectations ahead of time, and the brand's flagship whiskey sort of blew me away.

Caramel and vanilla surfaced immediately on the nose alongside dried fruit notes, which came through strongly and led nicely onto the palate. On that note, I found the whiskey to be incredibly well-balanced upon sipping. It's so smooth, with notes of vanilla popping up amid the expected sweetness, given the distilling process (Jack Daniel's notes the whiskey travels "through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal" before being barreled and aged). That sweetness lingers ever so slightly on the finish, inviting you in for another sip in a similar manner to Crown.

As expected, the various flavor notes were tamped down on the nose, palate, and finish when I drank this on the rocks. However, I didn't really enjoy this with the Jack Daniel's. While I generally prefer the slightly neutered profile of iced down whiskey (as previously mentioned), the result was less pleasant here than with Crown Royal, and made me long for the neat glass I tried initially.

No whiskey-starring cocktail may be more widely consumed than a Jack and Coke, and for good reason: The combo is genuinely delicious. Even if other whiskies pair well enough with this soda flavor — hence its inclusion as the only real mixer I'm tasting for this comparison — no distillery is as closely associated with the cola-paired mixed drink. Perhaps this meant Crown Royal was at a disadvantage in this particular comparison. But even if I conducted a blind taste test, the winner was clear from the first sip.

Simply put, I can confidently say that Jack and Coke (whether made with regular or diet version) has rightfully earned its place in the pantheon of U.S. cocktails. The flavors meshed together incredibly well, which is hardly surprising given it's a sugar-centric brown soda and a sweet-ish brown liquor. I could barely believe there was alcohol in either Jack and Coke I prepared ... which was unfortunately not the case with the Crown and Coke.

As I've experienced in the past, Crown Royal combines with Coke to create something akin to a flat-tasting cola, with an unpleasantness lingering on the palate. Neither Coke option made the pairing work any better, either, and it simply made me sad to essentially waste the pleasantly delicate profile of Crown Royal whisky.

Before this article, I'd have bet dollars to donuts that I'd declare Crown Royal whisky tastes better than Jack Daniel's whiskey. And while I'm still apt to reach for Crown's purple velvet bag from store shelves before Jack's signature black-and-white labeled bottle, I cannot tell a lie — and the bottom line is that Jack Daniel's won this head-to-head comparison.

To be clear, Crown Royal isn't a loser in this scenario, and I clearly didn't walk away unimpressed with the Canadian import. Yet I simply can't dismiss the well-rounded nature offered by Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 whiskey, or the stunningly smooth sippability found inside that bottle. I can't get over how enjoyable Jack Daniel's was when served neat, or how much I missed its nuances when it was on the rocks (especially given my enjoyment of Crown Royal with ice).

The real deciding factor in favor of Jack Daniel's, though, was just how well it meshed with Coca-Cola. The hype surrounding Jack and Coke is well-deserved. While the two whiskies were neck and neck on their own, Jack Daniel's was far superior to Crown Royal when the brand name cola was introduced (and it tastes even better if you use Mexican Coke instead of an American-produced bottle or can).