Kirkland Signature “Tour of Scotland” Lowland Single Malt Whisky

Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Undisclosed.

Bottler: Alexander Murray & Co for Costco.

Region: Lowland.

Age: NAS.

ABV: 40%.

Cask Type: Finished in bourbon oak casks.

Price: Part of a four piece “Tour of Scotland” collection purchased for $55.

Color: 1.0, Deep Copper.

---

Nose: It’s grassy and lightly floral at the start. As you nose it some more, you get some vanilla, custard, and a whole lot of grapefruit.

Palate: Overall it is light on the tongue but rather flavorful. Malt barley is certainly a major note in the form of barley biscuits. You do get a bit of the grassy notes from the notes joined by some hay and a bit of white tea. There’s something that reminds me a lot of those instant sweetened chrysanthemum tea packets as well. The grapefruit comes up big the more you drink of it.

Finish: Medium in length. It is sweet and floral with some wild honey and some more of the grapefruit.

---

Conclusion: Whenever any new Kirkland scotch whiskies pop up in my local Costco, I seem to be unable to resist grabbing them to try. At least in this instance, I get to try four different whiskies. This Lowland whisky by the numbers should probably be mediocre at best – 40% ABV bottled by a budget-oriented bottler for a wholesale store without any age statement – but somehow it isn’t. It punches far and away higher than it has any right to be. There is depth in flavor from the nose all the way through the finish with a well-executed combination of grassy, floral, sweet treats, and citrus. If Costco were to sell just this one as a full sized bottle, I know I’d love to have one on the shelf for a dram that makes both my wallet and I very happy. Guesses on the distillery? I’m going to go with Glenkinchie.

Rating: 81.

---

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.