Crown Royal is a popular brand of Canadian whisky that has been around since 1939. Over the years, Crown Royal has released many limited edition and special bottles. Some of these are incredibly rare and fetch high prices from collectors. But what is the rarest Crown Royal bottle ever released? Let’s take a look at some of the contenders.
Crown Royal’s History
First, some background on Crown Royal. The whisky was created in 1939 by Samuel Bronfman, the owner of Seagram’s, to commemorate the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Canada. Bronfman was looking for a whisky to represent the best of Canada to the royal couple. The purple bag and crown shaped bottle that contain Crown Royal today were inspired by the royal visit.
Crown Royal was originally produced solely at the company’s distillery in Gimli, Manitoba. Over the years, it also began being distilled in a facility in Amherstburg, Ontario. However, the Gimli plant remains the primary location for distilling Crown Royal’s base whiskies.
The brand focuses on blending whiskies to create a smooth, creamy, and fruity flavor profile. Their blending technique helps give consistency to the Crown Royal products. This allows them to release special bottlings while maintaining the core flavors people expect from a Crown Royal whisky.
The 1967 Canadian Centennial Bottle
One of the rarest Crown Royal bottles is the special edition released for Canada’s 1967 centennial celebration. This was one of the first unique bottles Crown Royal made to commemorate a special event.
Only 1,967 of these bottles were produced, one for each year since Confederation in 1867. The bottles featured a decanter shaped like a maple leaf made of frosted glass. They also had a plaque on front commemorating Canada’s 100th birthday.
These centennial bottles were never available for public sale. Instead, they were gifted by Seagram’s to dignitaries, politicians, and others involved with the centennial celebrations. This makes the 1967 centennial bottles incredibly scarce. When one shows up for auction, it can fetch $10,000 or more.
The 1939 Royal Visit Bottle
Considering Crown Royal was created specifically for the 1939 visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Canada, it’s not surprising there was a commemorative bottle released that year.
This bottle featured frosted glass with an etching of the royal cypher, the monogram of the royal couple. It also had etchings of the dates of the royal visit. Only 600 of these bottles were produced and given as gifts to guests at the royal dinner in Winnipeg.
For Crown Royal collectors, the 1939 royal visit bottle is the holy grail. Its rarity, along with its historical significance, means this bottle has sold for over $12,000 at auction when it very rarely surfaces. Most change hands privately between elite collectors.
Millennium Bottle
As the year 2000 approached, Crown Royal planned a special release to celebrate the new millennium. This resulted in the Crown Royal Millennium Bottle.
The millennium bottle featured gloss black glass with gold accents. One side had the years 2000-2050 etched on it while the other had the Crown Royal crest. Each bottle was numbered as one of 2000 produced for the millennium.
These were available in duty-free shops in Canada and the Caribbean in late 1999 leading up to the year 2000. However, they were still quite limited in number. The matching gloss black gift bags have made the millennium bottles highly desirable to collectors. When sold at auction, they can fetch $300 or more.
Other Rare Bottles
In addition to those already mentioned, here are a few other very rare Crown Royal bottles:
- 1935 Silver Jubilee Bottle – Released for King George V’s silver jubilee, only 350 made.
- 1949 Royal Visit Bottle – Commemorated the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Canada that year. Extremely rare.
- 1967 Montreal Expo Bottle – Created specially for Expo 67 in Montreal. Less than 1000 bottles exist.
- 1976 SPI Bottle – Released in Texas ahead of the state’s bicentennial. Believed to be less than 200 bottles.
- 1989 Saskatchewan Roughriders Bottle – Made for the Riders’ Grey Cup championship. Less than 500 created.
Crown Royal’s 1972 Centenary Bottle
In 1972, Crown Royal celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first royal visit to Manitoba. This was by the then Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, in 1872.
To commemorate the centenary of this visit, Crown Royal released a special purple velvet covered box. It contained a distinctive triangular bottle meant to replicate the shape of a Canadian prairie grain elevator.
Only 200 of these centenary boxes were produced. Each held a bottle numbered 1 through 200. The packaging and unique bottle shape make this one of the rarest regular issue Crown Royal bottles. When one appears at auction, it can sell for upwards of $1,500.
Small Batch and Other Limited Releases
In recent years, Crown Royal has produced a number of limited run specialty whiskies under their Crown Royal Master Series and Noble Collection labels. These are sold at a higher price point than regular Crown Royal blends.
Some examples of these limited releases include:
- Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel – Released in 2013. Less than 5000 bottles produced.
- Crown Royal Cornerstone Blend – 2014 debut. Limited to 3600 bottles.
- Crown Royal Wine Barrel Finished – 2016 limited release. Less than 2000 bottles.
- Crown Royal XO – Ultra-premium blend released in 2018. Meant to be an ongoing product but released initially in very limited quantities.
- Crown Royal 13-Year Old Blenders’ Mash – Sold only at duty-free shops. Believed to be less than 1000 bottles.
- Crown Royal Noble Collection Wine Cask Finishes – Various limited cask finish editions such as Cabernet Sauvignon and XR Extra Rare.
Because they were sold in such small amounts, these specialty bottles are also becoming collectible. However, most are relatively new so exact rarity is hard to gauge. The older releases tend to be the hardest to find.
One-Off Bottles
Crown Royal has produced a number of ultra-limited one-off bottles that were never made available for sale:
- Kurt Harland Larson Bottle – A stealth bottle created for the metaphysical artist known as KHL in 2008. Only 1 was made.
- Renee Zellweger Bottle – Given to the actress during a charity auction in 2010. The only one in existence.
- Brendan Benson Bottle – Made for the rock musician and gifted to him backstage after a show in 2011. Believed to be the only one.
- 1971 curling bottle – Created for the 1971 Silver Broom World Curling Championship in Saskatoon. Less than 10 made.
These type of bottles are the holy grails for serious Crown Royal collectors. Most change hands privately for astronomical sums due to their utter rarity.
Most Valuable Crown Royal Bottles
Based on auction prices and private sales, here are some of the most valuable Crown Royal bottles:
| Bottle Name | Year Released | Approximate Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 Royal Visit Bottle | 1939 | $12,000+ |
| 1967 Centennial Bottle | 1967 | $10,000+ |
| 1949 Royal Visit Bottle | 1949 | $8,000+ |
| 1972 Centenary Bottle | 1972 | $1,500+ |
| Millennium Bottle | 2000 | $300+ |
As you can see, the earlier bottles released for royal occasions and important anniversaries tend to be the most coveted by collectors. However, even more recent limited releases are quickly gaining value.
Factors Making a Bottle Valuable
There are a few key factors that make a Crown Royal bottle rare and valuable to collectors:
- Age – Usually the older the bottle, the rarer it is.
- Small number produced – Low production runs obviously mean each bottle is harder to find.
- Historical significance – Bottles made for royal or major national events are more prized.
- One-of-a-kind status – Prototypes and one-offs command huge prices.
- Special packaging – Unique decanters and embellished bags/boxes increase value for collectors.
- Condition – Bottles need proper storage to maintain quality. Damaged items lose value.
Bottles that check multiple boxes from the list above are the ones that fetch astronomical prices from wealthy Crown Royal enthusiasts.
Spotting Valuable Bottles
If you come across old bottles of Crown Royal, here are some signs they may be quite valuable:
- Vintage bottle style – Old style decanter shape, colors, embossing, etc.
- Commemorative etchings – Marks noting royal visits, anniversaries, events, etc.
- Low bottle number – Numbers like 39/600 or 103/1967 indicate a limited bottling.
- Fancy materials – Crystal, frosted glass, cut velvet, etc. used for decanter/packaging.
- Excellent condition – No dust, dings, fill-level issues. Indicates proper storage.
Researching any distinctive text or markings on the bottle can provide clues about the potential rarity. Checking for a certificate of authenticity is also a good idea for possible valuable finds.
While most Crown Royal bottles have minimal value, there are certain ones collectors covet. With a little detective work, an old bottle stashed away could turn out to be worth its weight in gold!
Conclusion
Crown Royal has produced many rare and valuable bottles over its 80+ year history. While the 1939 royal visit bottle is arguably the holy grail, there are other extremely scarce bottles like the 1967 centennial release. More modern limited releases are also quickly gaining collector value.
The keys to a bottle having high worth are age, very low production, uniqueness, and historical significance. Finding one of these rare bottles in excellent untouched condition would be like winning the lottery for a Crown Royal collector.
While most drinkers enjoy Crown Royal without ever thinking of collectability, there is a whole subculture of enthusiasts always on the hunt for the next super-rare bottle. The Crown Royal brand has capitalized on this by producing special anniversary and limited edition decanters knowing their high value potential.
So next time you crack open a regular bottle of Crown Royal, just imagine you could have one of the ultra-rare versions worth over $10,000! It makes that everyday bottle seem a little more special.