Rye

• Rye whisky is typical of Canadian whiskies. It has a smooth taste and adds character to the spirit. Malted whiskies are a mix of milled and mashed grains, and then a small amount of malt is added to turn the sugars into alcohol. Canadian Royal mills the corn and then mashes it, beginning the fermentation process. Technically, the addition of corn means the whiskey cannot be called a "malt."

Malted Barley

• Crown Royal only uses local grains and natural pure water. The barley is malted by soaking it in water and then letting it germinate. This is called green malt and is when enzymes turn the barley into sugars that can be changed into alcohol. The green malt is then dried in a kiln to stop the germination process. The traditional drying medium is peat which lends a smokey, smooth flavor to the beverage.

Corn

• Corn is a crucial source of sugar for the fermenting process. The sugars, when mixed with the yeast, turn the mash into alcohol. The corn is mashed to help it release the sugars as it has a tough skin that would take too much time to break down. The interior of the sweet corn is the catalyst for the alcohol fermentation.