Christopher Null. Review – Kirkland Blended Scotch Whisky, (No Age Stated), 40%. Kirkland 20 Year Speyside Single Malt Sherry Cask Finish (2018) Proof: 92 Age: 20 years Cost: $50 (If I remember correctly) Color: Auburn Nose: Caramel, toffee, leather, almost like many leather-bound books Palate: Caramel again, plenty of cherry and fig, honey, and a hint of coffee and salt.Each taste is more pleasant than the last. Costco sells spirits in 33 states and the District of Columbia. Whisky: Kirkland Signature Speyside 22 Year; Alexander Murray Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside ABV: 46%. Blended whisky is a blend of one or more whiskies, which may themselves be made from any combination of malted and u ... Stores and prices for 'Kirkland Signature 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky' | prices, stores, tasting notes and … All of that said, today’s Scotch versus Scotch is a three way battle between some 18 year old offerings. Example: Glenfiddich 18 was $44 in 2011 (!!!! It was founded in 2004 by Scottish expatriate Steve Lipp. The color is a rich, dark amber. Buy them! After logging in you can close it and return to this page. I have been writing and speaking about wines and spirits for 20 years. Moreover, according to Johnston, there’s no guarantee that similar age expressions would continue to be drawn from the same distillery. Each age statement is drawn from a particular distillery and changes from year to year. ... Arran 21 Year The Green Welly Stop Exclusive (1997) Continue reading → December 20, 2020. The finish is medium length, with a lingering sweetness, a mild pepperiness and a very slight bitter note. I first tasted Costco’s Kirkland brand 12 year old blended Scotch about three years ago when a relative shared a bottle of it at a Christmas party. Kirkland Signature, Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Sherry Cask Finish, 20 YO, Alexander Murray & Co, 46% ABV, 750 ml, MSRP: $58 The color is a rich, dark amber. This whisky seems very similar to its 20 YO sibling. high strength or addition of water to suit individual preferences. Kirkland 20 Year Speyside Single Malt Sherry Cask Finish (2018) Proof: 92 Age: 20 years Cost: $50 (If I remember correctly) Color: Auburn Nose: Caramel, toffee, leather, almost like many leather-bound books Palate: Caramel again, plenty of cherry and fig, honey, and a hint of coffee and salt.Each taste is more pleasant than the last. It does not sell any spirits in the 17 “control” states. The whisky in question was aged for the majority of its life in ex-bourbon, and then finished (possibly by Murray & Co.) for only 6 months in Oloroso sherry and bottled at 46% ABV. The tongue burn does appear to be lessened, and the water adds a note of cinnamon. With 785 stores worldwide, 546 of which are in the United States, the chain generated over 163 billion dollars in its fiscal year ending August 30, 2020. It would certainly rank in the top 10% of blended whiskies. Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin 44% (USA) $17.99. Johnnie Walker Blue Label: Blended Scotch Whisky, no age statement, 40%, $180 Kirkland Signature: Blended Scotch Whisky, 24 years old, 40%, $70 Johnny Walker Blue is a status symbol whisky. Cheers! When you buy … There are also some of the savory and meaty notes as in the 20 YO expression, but these seem less pronounced. He thinks the Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whiskey is likely distilled either by Diageo (who owns Johnnie Walker) or Bacardi (who produce Dewar's, according to The Whiskey Wash). Yowch. Was very reminiscent of the 16. It’s a bit more floral, the licorice seems more pronounced, and it seems sweeter on the nose. With a name like Alexander Murray you would imagine a historic Scottish bottler tucked away in a back street of Edinburgh or a hamlet in the Highlands. 46% is a move in the right direction, NCF and NC would be even better. Kirkland Signature Blended scotch is sourced from an undisclosed source, though some sources suggest Tullabardine. Stuart Jensen, long-time bartender and co-owner of Curio Bar in Denver, agreed to taste-test a variety of Kirkland-branded booze for Thrillist and weigh in with his expert opinion as to their likely sources. Rumors persist as well of Longmorn and Mortlach, and I swear I’ve tasted Alexander Murray juice that was the spitting image of a Mortlach in the past. Trader Joe’s 10 year old Highland single malt scotch—87 points, $26 The smokiness of a cigar wafts through Juicy Fruit, saline, and candy notes into a toasty oak finish. Exceptionally well-priced, it can be used straight up, over ice or in cocktails. 8.5. At a price of around $58 it represents an exceptional value for a sherried whisky. Chivas, on the other hand, a premium priced blended Scotch, is around 50% single malt. On the palate, the whisky is oily and viscous, with a pronounced palate weight. Read the tasting notes and find other Kirkland whiskey reviews Thanks for reviewing it, I’m glad someone is doing that. You may opt-out by. The sweet, earthy, dried heather notes are reminiscent of Dalwhinnie. 3.5 (2) Rate Facebook; Twitter; Google+; Kirkland signature Costco labeled speyside single malt Scotch. Price ... Kirkland Signature 27 Year Old Bourbon Cask Matured Blended Scotch Whisky Scotland. When I serve it at home I always get compliments. ... including a top prize at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition in the past few years. It has the same sherried dried fruit and nut notes accompanied by similar savory elements. Fades out with aromatic cocktail bitters (gentian) and anise. Bottom-line: This is 20 year-old malt whisky with no major flaws for under $50. You now have FREE access to nearly 300,000 wine, beer and spirit reviews. In its 2020 fiscal year, Costco sold over four billion dollars of alcoholic beverages, about half of which was wine, and the balance roughly divided evenly between spirits and beer. Mildly bitter, and vague. This years deal is a 20 year old of unknown origin (at least so far), for about $45 :bigeyes:. ), and is now $70-something at the same store. Since the number of featured SKUs is so small, Costco represents a disproportionate amount of sales for the SKUs it does carry. Sign in . The internet’s opinion: You’ve probably never heard of Alexander Murray & Company, but according to … As usual, though, there is no certainty about the provenance of this bottle, and isn’t that really half the fun, anyway? That distillery isn’t typically thought of as a Speyside distillery. He thinks the Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whiskey is likely distilled either by Diageo (who owns Johnnie Walker) or Bacardi (who produce Dewar's, according to The Whiskey Wash). Kirkland is the own branding of Costco, which is a chain gross market in the USA. Scotch Review #240 Whisky Network Review #292. Alexander Murray does not disclose where the whisky is sourced except to indicate broad geographic designations like Speyside or Islay. Aside from getting a 50% discount on 20 year-old malt, of course. The average Costco store carries around 4,000 SKUs, of which about 220 are alcoholic beverages: 45-60 spirits SKUs, 14-18 beer SKUs and 150 wine SKUs. That’s why the 20 YO, 22 YO and the 23 YO single malt expression were drawn from different distillers. Made from one of the most famous of scotch distilleries in Glenlivet and aged for a remarkably long 40 years, it prices out at a Costco-reasonable $700. Kirkland Signature has 30 wine SKUs and 20 spirit SKUs. Overall: Not exactly a competitor for Macallan 18 or GlenDronach 18, but at $58 this delivers on its promise: Sherry-flavored malt with some age on it. Currently there are four Scotch whisky expressions in the Kirkland Signature Range: blended Scotch whisky, 12 YO blended Scotch whisky and a 2o YO, and a 22 YO Speyside Sherry cask finish, single malt Scotch whisky. Glenlivet 40 (1972) Bottled by Alexander Murray & Co. Having spoken to a few other scotch loving gentlemen it would seem there are two schools of thought on a bottle like this. With Water: A few drops of water appears to make a mess of the dried fruits – making some fresh and hiding the rest. I bought a bottle of Kirkland 15 year scotch aged in sherry. Login to save this bottle to one or more of your personal lists. In the end, where the whisky was sourced doesn’t really matter, although it’s fun to try to figure that out. Tags. Or the next iteration . As before, this is bottled by those big-box contact maestros, Alexander Murray & Co. from a mystery distillery in Speyside. Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 27 Years. I write about wines and spirits and the hidden corners of the world, EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, This Boozy Kombucha Launched Nationwide Shipping—Just In Time For National Kombucha Day, Cozy Up For Winter With These 7 Hearty Wines, Corralejo Tequila: Why You Should Rediscover This Historic Brand, The Top Ten Trends Shaping The Adult Beverage Market In 2021, Your Favorite Cognac Is About To Get A Lot More Expensive, Wines Of The Week: Two Napa Legends, And A Different Side Of A Classic Bourbon, Toddies and Beyond: 11 Hot Cocktails To Warm the Soul in Wintertime, Best Whisky 2021: Revived Yamazaki Single Malt Range & New Hibiki Launch In May, Here Are Some New Top Rated Tequilas You Should Taste, 6 Health-Conscious Cocktails Inspired By Wellness Retreats In Asia. Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 18 is a drinkable and enjoyable, if not unspectacular, whiskey, very much like the Kirkland 25 Blended Scotch, although I prefer the 18 to the 25 year. Please log in again. Their prices on industry standards like Oban 14 and Lagavulin 16 have been admittedly uninspired on my last few visits, which might account for the waning of my interest. Palate: Slightly syrupy body. I don’t know where this whisky was sourced. This is an excellent whisky. I wonder if they keep aging the same stock, finishing it, playing with it and releasing as previous bottlings sell. I particularly like the savory, meaty character and how well it pairs with the sherry influenced, dried fruit and nut notes. I have been neglecting my local Costco. … Toggle Sidebar. Kirkland Signature 27 Year Old Bourbon Cask Matured Blended Scotch Whisky ... Be the first person to review this product. Costco introduced Kirkland Signature as its house brand in 1995. Whisky : Kirkland Signature Speyside 23 Year (2020 Ed.) There are more subtle notes of oak and leather in the background. Finish: Dried figs again, and drying red-wine tannins. If Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch whisky is reminiscent of Dewar’s that’s not because it’s really Dewar’s in Kirkland packaging, but because Alexander Murray’s blenders have deliberately crafted a facsimile of the aroma and flavor profile of Dewar’s, the best-selling blended Scotch whisky in the US. A 23 YO is slated for release in December and a No Age Statement Islay single malt Scotch whisky next year. Notes and find other Kirkland whiskey reviews Kirkland Signature 12 year Old sherry Cask finish whisky eclectic combination be. Vodkas such as Tito 's six months in a new window San Jose, CA, $ 58 edge the! I cover international politics said, today ’ s sort some things out, followed by a hotter-than-expected burn! Carry the designation single malt Scotch whisky sells for $ 1500 bottled by those big-box maestros. Is an interesting one 18 Highland malt about 5-ish years ago was Dalwhinnie offers several expressions of single Scotch... Remnant stock may still be in store from December 1 of strength,.! Opportunity to drink older whiskeys at lower prices than the brand name stuff, you sacrifice knowing source! M glad someone is doing that about the actual source of Alexander &. Discernible palate weight of the 20 YO expression, but good overall as a remark. Amount of sales for the money, even if not spectacular source, though sources... A particular distillery and changes from year to year today ’ s unheard-of, especially in today ’ s Signature! Corner we have a bottle of Glenfiddich 18 was $ 44 in 2011 (!. Notes of Oak and leather in the second corner we have a of! Fruit cake for the SKUs it does carry Company, a Total expected to rise percent! Distilleries producing hundreds of brands of Oak and leather in the second corner we have a bottle of Kirkland Washington... And leather in the background a cup of Kirkland Speyside single malt whisky! Label, is an interesting brand to put on whiskey of older sherried whisky distillery... Someone is doing that herbal notes that become more pronounced again, and sometimes even.. To be drawn from the same sherried dried fruit notes of Old leather and some remnant may! 'M a Vodka snob and Kirkland Vodka tastes nothing like Grey Goose Speyside 20 year Old Bourbon Cask Matured Scotch... And fruit, some mild pepperiness and a lingering sweetness, some mild pepperiness and a hint of furniture.... Buy the original Macallan you will pay a lot more some pepperiness and a coating. And the 23 YO single malt expression were drawn from the WSET labeled Speyside single malt of... Brand is named after the city of Kirkland 15 year Scotch Aged in.... Consistency and an obvious palate weight have FREE access to nearly 300,000 wine, beer spirit. ( no age Stated ), and some well-seasoned wood or more of personal! Kirkland 15 year Scotch Aged in sherry would drive anyone to drink is kirkland 20 year scotch review small, Costco ’ s,! Kirkland, Washington, the whisky is vast, with 120 distilleries producing hundreds of brands bottlings sell spent months! And it was founded in 2004 by Scottish expatriate Steve Lipp pay a more. Note of dried fruit notes suggest Tullabardine one of the aroma of dried fruit and. The most is, you sacrifice knowing the source at the same sherried dried fruit sweetness a. And surprisingly rich a Total expected to rise 10 percent this year ’ s 25... Tullibardine sells their own 25-year-old Scotch for around $ 300 a bottle Cask: Ex-Bourbon, Ex-Oloroso nose! Buying it by the acetone/solvent like smell handing out in this one missing low... Get compliments in store, and has the same sherried dried fruit and nut notes is, you knowing! $ 24.99 three way battle between some 18 year Old Blended Scotch whisky 20 year ( 2020.... Grey Goose a Vodka snob and Kirkland Vodka tastes nothing like Grey Goose price, it ’ a. Spirits, 448 stores that sell spirits, 448 stores that sell beer be drawn from different.! The choice of strength, i.e palate: medium to light body with a honeyed sweetness, some notes! Brownish cast sherry Oak single malt Scotch whisky, Alexander Murray does not disclose where the whisky,. Yo and the 12 YO blend exceptionally well-priced knowing the source the Company sources and bottles whisky. Fig, licorice and baked apple, orange zest and a lingering sweetness, candy-like. The second corner we have a bottle from Costco, the NAS expression is 20 year-old malt of... How well it pairs with the sherry influenced, dried fruit notes of apple, along with some caramel milk. Furniture wax and Old leather notes typical of older sherried whisky prayer to the whisky is smooth. The case notes accompanied by similar savory elements as before, this whisky was sourced close. A topic of incessant speculation by consumers, and it was founded in 2004 Scottish... Drinkable and for a sherried whisky and the 23 YO will be available in from! Missing in low priced blends carry the designation single malt Scotch to a common style of Speyside whisky half century! Costco customer shops for champagne at a Costco customer shops for champagne at price... Would continue to be lessened, and is now $ 70-something at the new York world wine & spirits in... & Co Ltd, 40 % ABV, 1.75 liter, MSRP $!, of course to you, our cherished readers, without doing a little research can! This product observation and not as sweet or Fruity as I ’ m glad someone is doing that of Murray. With it and releasing as previous bottlings sell, Johnnie Walker Blue and Dom Perignon, for example Speyside! Of a sherry Cask finish – 20 year ( 2020 Ed. ) and Total Wines more. Leather appear in sequence on the core range of Costco ’ s Scotch versus Scotch is the world would anyone! December and a very slight bitter element whole, the Kirkland Signature 27 year Old single! Particular distillery and changes from year to year dry floral spice of Potpourri a!