Review by: The Muskox
Here’s a whisky I’ve been meaning to try for ages, mostly for the novelty. That said, I was genuinely really curious to see if it was any good. Kirkland, Costco’s signature brand, is renowned for its quality, especially in their spirits (I remember hearing their vodka is made by Grey Goose). This whisky is sourced for them by Alexander Murray from an unknown Speyside distillery.
Distillery: Unknown.
Bottler: Alexander Murray.
Region: Speyside.
ABV: 46%.
Age: 18 years.
Cask type: Sherry cask finish.
Price: $55
Color: Amber, presumably artificial. Chill-filtered.
Nose: I got rich caramel and brown sugar up first, followed by some orange and mild, sweet mint. Dried apple chips. There’s plenty of something like vanilla cake going on in there. There’s also a sweet cream note. Nutmeg and walnuts. Sweet malt. Juuuust a hint of earthy bitterness, but overall sweet. There’s a touch of spice on the nose, more like fresh horseradish root (of all things) than anything else. There isn’t a whole lot of noticeable sherry fruit on the nose, just a touch of prune.
Palate: Nice mouthfeel. Ahhh, here’s the sherry. Big swell of brown sugar and sherry, almost like Bunnahabhain but not dry and musty. Raisins and cherries. Old wood. Creamy and rich. Sponge toffee and dark chocolate. Maybe a hint of smoke right at the end.
Finish: Stays fairly warm for a while. Old pencils. More cream and cherry from the palate. Some orange and banana, as well as something like crushed (slightly bitter) basil. The malt flavour lingers and gets slightly earthier.
Conclusion: Well, this one impressed me. It’s not super complex or life-changing, but it’s full-flavoured, well-presented, and ludicrously well-priced. If you’re looking for the flavour profile of an older Speyside, and you’re not snobby enough to balk at having a Costco-brand scotch in your liquor cabinet, this is as good as you’re gonna get. I might have to pick up a bottle of this myself when I’m next in the US. My final score is, as always, entirely based on the flavour/experience of the whisky itself, but this whisky earns a pretty good score there even without considering price. I give this whisky a 5/5 value score on top of the taste rating.
Final Score: 78.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 