Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon

Bought the Kirkland (Costco) brand of bourbon a couple days ago. It was $19.99 and it seems pretty decent. It is a 103 proof so it burns a little but overall seems like a good value.

I guess its made by Jim Beam and there are rumors that it is either Knob Creek, Basil Haydon, or some variation of Jim Beam Black. Wondering if anyone has tasted this and can give some insight/opinions.

Had it a few months ago and thought it was pretty good, especially for the price. It does come in a Woodfor reserve shaped bottle...

I think this stuff is fantastic! Tastes like Booker's with some water added.

Yes, it is surprisingly good. Actually, many of their house brand liquors are good.

Interesting. May have to give this a try.

The Kirkland anejo tequila ain't bad either, especially for $20...

Ive heard that Kirkland Vodka is made in the same place as Grey Goose(unk if it is actually rebranded Grey Goose though) and that its pretty good... Never tried it though.

I have a bottle and haven't had any since the first drink. I could barely finish the one pour and it's been relegated to mixed drinks only. I know it's received some good reviews, so I had high hopes for it, but I think it's undrinkable neat. Perhaps it's not consistent and comes from wherever they kind find excess bourbon?

Well, I should have told you that I has this after a good 10 beers or so, but I'll have to try it again.

What's the UPC? That may provide a clue as to who made it. Usually bulk bourbon sold to stores/chains for their own brands is Heaven Hill whiskey, but Beam and Buffalo Trace do provide some bulk distillate.

Dripp, I honestly think my bottle is not the same as yours. Like I said, there has been some very good praise going around for it. Even if I don't like a specific bourbon, I can always appreciate the quality. But not this one. It's just bad.

I'll try to remember to get the UPC one of these nights.

I tend to think there are multiple versions of this, too, based on things I've read here and there on bourbon forums the past couple of days. Regardless I think from what I can find elsewhere that the stuff people rave about at 103-proof and 7 years old is Beam bourbon. But one thing about these store brands, even large multinational chains, is they have to buy what they can get, by and large. And if Beam can put whiskey into a Knob Creek bottle and sell it for more than they get from Costco they can, so it's rarely going to be as good as the better bottlings from the distillery providing the bourbon. Periods of whiskey glut are the exception, but there's not a lot of extra aged whiskey sitting around right now.

I had some and really enjoyed mine. The first batch sent out to Costco locations was sourced from Jim Beam but who knows where it's coming from now. Still, at $20 for a liter it's worth a try. Even if you have to downgrade yours like John it's a decent price for mixing bourbon too.

Old thread, but ... It's Baker's. Seriously, try them side-by-side. If you don't like Baker's, you won't like this stuff. If you do, it's less than half the price.

alanbarnes said:

Old thread, but ... It's Baker's. Seriously, try them side-by-side. If you don't like Baker's, you won't like this stuff. If you do, it's less than half the price.

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Not what I had. Not even close.

I'm with John on this one. I find this stuff undrinkable.

jazzguy said:

I'm with John on this one. I find this stuff undrinkable.

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We are both in California. Might it be a regional distribution thing?

I think the bottle is a liter so for the price and taste, it's very good. I was thinking about buying another bottle to have it around to make Old Fashion.

I think it is an individual taste thing. I love the stuff.

Entirely possible. When I tried to find out what this was all I could discover was Beam. I can tell it's not Baker's. What is likely is that this has been around long enough that there could be different lots with different characteristics. The bottle I sampled was purchased about 6 months ago.

letterk said:

We are both in California. Might it be a regional distribution thing?

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