Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is a hot-ticket item this season

It's a first for a Canadian whisky, and Edmonton consumers are noticing.

Crown Royal Northern Rye was named the best-of-the-best whisky by Jim Murray, writer of the annual Whisky Bible.

And Edmonton liquor retailers can't keep up with demand. Dave Scott is a manager at Keg N Cork Liquor Company in south Edmonton.

He said when the winning whisky is announced each year, it creates quite a frenzy.

"It's something that just evaporates off shelves and then we won't see it for, sometimes it can be up to a year, two years," he said.

While Scott sold out of the product days ago, he brought in his last sips to test with Edmonton AM's Mark Connolly and Garrette McGowan.

While Connolly noted the distinct sharpness, McGowan couldn't decide if he liked it or not. 

"I don't think I have a well enough defined palate in this particular department," he said.

Lacklustre reviews like these are not uncommon. Scott said when the product was released in May, it received modest but mainly favourable reviews, with no one saying it was the best in the world until Jim Murray made the claim in November.

Since that claim of greatness however, retailers country-wide struggle to keep the product on the shelves.

For those with untrained palates, Scott explains how the now-famous Royal Harvest whisky differs from regular Crown Royal whisky.

"The whisky itself is 90 per cent rye, whereas, usually, regular Crown Royal will have just sort of a seasoning of rye, just a sprinkling of it, whereas, this one is predominantly rye," he said.

Scott said this makes it a bit more hearty tasting, bringing along hints of vanilla, toffee, cloves, and cinnamon.

The award is great for business, but comes with its own problems.

"I love and hate the award because it's good for the industry and it gets people excited, gets people trying whisky, but that whisky in particular is just going to be gone," Scott said. "So very few people will be able to get it." 

The price difference between the two Crown Royal whiskies is only about $10, not bad for the "best in the world."

Keg N Cork Liquor Company is not the only liquor retailer sold out of the product. CBC called several Edmonton retailers, but only a few had any left. Call ahead to check supply.