Jack Daniel's Vs Crown Royal: Which Whiskey Is More Expensive?

Whiskey isn't a spirit generally correlated with being budget-friendly. A multitude of factors contribute to its higher-than-average price point; there's the years-long aging process, whiskey lost to the elusive "angel's share," and the vast amount of warehouse space needed to store, age, and bottle it. In the gilded world of premium, luxurious whiskey, the most expensive bottles can set buyers back thousands, sometimes even millions of dollars. But if you're looking to enjoy the spirit within the realm of fiscal reality, there are still plenty of high-quality options that won't break the bank. Needing no introduction: Jack Daniel's and Crown Royal sit comfortably within this category. Both brands are nothing short of iconic, and while they generally land in the same price range, Jack Daniel's is the whiskey of choice for the budget-conscious buyer.

Both Jack Daniel's and Crown Royal have an impressive portfolio of whiskeys, whose prices can diverge dramatically. So as not to overcomplicate things, we're comparing the cost of each brand's flagship bottles. For Jack Daniel's, that's the Old No. 7 (also known as Black Label); for Crown Royal, it's Fine De Luxe. Both are considered to be wonderful entry-level whiskeys, meaning they're affordable and approachable for a green palate. While it's only natural that prices will vary from store to store, we think Walmart makes for a solid benchmark. For online purchase, a 750-milliliter bottle of Jack Daniel's Black Label will set buyers back roughly $17 to $20, while the same size bottle of Crown Royal Fine De Luxe costs slightly more at around $23, making it, for the purpose of comparison, the pricier whiskey by a small margin. Please note that in-store prices jump up, and Crown Royal runs somewhere around $36 to $39, and Jack will set you back roughly $30.

Crown Royal was first commissioned in 1939 to celebrate the royal visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Canada. Keeping with its royal-inspired heritage, it went on to become the undisputed ruler of Canadian whisky. In the decades since, it's become the bestselling Canadian whisky in the United States, known to represent Canada's smooth, approachable style; each bottle of Crown Royal blends around 50 different whiskies to maintain this distinctive character.

Dressed up in that elegant purple velvet bag, everything about Crown Royal screams luxury, yet the brand manages to keep its prices refreshingly low. Its flagship Crown Royal Fine De Luxe is generally well-received as excellent value for money, easy to drink, and a wonderful mixer. It also sits on the lower end of the price spectrum within the brand's portfolio. In fact, at Walmart, it's among the brand's cheapest entry-level whiskeys. A 750-milliliter bottle costs roughly the same as Crown Royal's line of naturally sweetened, lower-proof whiskeys, including Apple and Peach. Interestingly, its vanilla-flavored whiskey costs a bit more than $40, likely because its flavor is derived from Madagascar bourbon vanilla, which typically commands a higher price than Regal Gala apples or Georgia peaches.

But not all Crown Royal whiskey is created equal. Alongside its affordable range, it flexes its premium side with the award-winning Crown Royal XR. Part of its Extra Rare series, this limited-release whisky is built from the final surviving stocks of the legendary, now-shuttered LaSalle distillery that can never be replicated once those barrels run dry. At $599 for a 750-milliliter bottle, it's the brand's most expensive whiskey by an enormous margin. 

Few whiskey brands are more instantly recognizable than Jack Daniel's. With heritage stretching back to 1866, it's a true American icon; it survived Prohibition, the World War II whiskey shutdown, and the untimely death of its founder. And through it all, the brand has managed to thrive. Its Black Label Old No. 7 is not only its own best-seller, but also one of the world's best-selling American whiskeys. Jack Daniel's can largely credit its longstanding popularity to its more-than-accessible flavor profile, affordable prices, and of course, the iconic branding helps. Often, modest prices are unfortunately associated with lower quality, but this isn't the case for Jack Daniel's. The brand is able to keep its prices reasonable because it's operating on a scale few other brands can fathom. That's why you'll rarely see a bottle of Jack Daniel's Black Label creeping far beyond the $30 mark. 

Jack Daniel's flagship Black Label is among its cheaper offerings, but the brand's portfolio is expansive, and contained within are considerably more expensive bottles. Sitting on the pricier end of the spectrum are its age statement whiskeys, comprised of 10-year, 12-year, and 14-year batches. Naturally, the more time invested into aging is reflected in the price, and a bottle of its 12-year whiskey can set buyers back around $100. There are also its bonded whiskeys, which are bottled at 100 proof and aged for at least 4 years in federally bonded warehouses, validating the spirits' superb provenance. While not as costly as its age statement whiskeys, a bottled-in-bond Jack Daniel's bottle typically falls within the range of $60.