For the price, it’s really solid and you’re definitely getting your money’s worth. I’m a simple man. There is a lot to love in this well balanced bottle. Plenty of dried fruits, bit of fudge, sweet Christmas cake, mellow pepper spice, and subdued sherry sulphur and leather funk come near the end. They are known to do some PX-cask finishing and have quite a large production capacity with very little of that going in single malt, so I'm sure it would make economic sense to them to be selling the large volumes that Costo would need and allowing them to rebottle and sell under their own brand. The Macallan’s own 25 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky sells for $1500. 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. Realistically, it is half the price of the Glendronach 18 and there is a noticeable difference between them. Christopher Null. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content company. Indeed, this single malt compared very favorably to the previous 18 Year Old and 20 Year Old from the same line. The result is a vast constellation of bulky bottles at dirt cheap prices—everything from small-batch bourbon to London-style gin to a 25-year-old Speyside scotch for under 90 bucks. First Name. January 9, 2021. I would say this kirkland is nicely balanced on sweetness, the 6 month sherry finish worked well, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. This edition was easily the most complex of the three and presented the most savory notes to balance against the sherried sweetness. Alcohol 40%. It is very smooth, but a bit nondescript. The Noob’s Top 10 Cocktails; Picking Your First Single-Malt Scotch; Scotch 101: How to Taste Scotch; Water, Ice, or Neat? Kirkland Signature 20 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky rating was calculated by tastings.com to be 88 points out of 100 on 6/27/2018. a subreddit for Scotch enthusiasts of all walks of life and of all levels of knowledge on anything Scotch Whisky related. Today we taste and review Kirkland Signature 20 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch and compare it to Macallan 12. sales tax. I don’t blame you for being hesitant, this one was a good jump in price from the previous. Its a great whisky and fantastic value and I'm happy to have it. 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. Just enjoy it for what it is, IMO. Glenrothes obviously wouldn't want their name attached to Kirkland Signature, especially at an $80 price point, hence why it is a 'mystery' and not named on the label (similar idea to tea-spooned independent bottlings). Kirkland 18 year old Sherry Cask Finished Speyside single malt scotch—90 points, $54 Lush, well-aged, and richly sherried with flavors of candied violet, nougat, ginger, and orange oil. I'll feel better about picking up a bottle next time now. I believe this is Glenrothes. ... beer and spirit reviews. Region / Appellation Scotland. There is a lot to enjoy here and Alexander Murray did a great job creating a balanced and enjoyable dram. Though Costco is notoriously tight-lipped about the provenance of its products, credible theories abound. The 58-year-old scotch is named after the Titan goddess of the moon, and it packs notes of coffee, marmalade, citrus, and lots more. These Kirkland mystery malts are great value and coming in at $70 it was a bit cheaper than the two previous 22 Year and 20 Year editions that came out in 2020. It’s also possible that the Kirkland’s Speyside 25-year-old bottling is Mortlach, Longmorn or even Macallan, the latter of whom Kirkland has openly partnered with in the past. Rating 9.0/10. I had a bottle of this in my hand a my local COSTCO last weekend wondering if it was worth the gamble. Kirkland Signature 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky rating was calculated by tastings.com to be 89 points out of 100 on 7/24/2018. Without a specific distillery name, the big selling point was the $90 price tag for a 25-year old Scotch, considered super-luxury. My guess is this isn't some huge secret and it is pretty widely known. No, I'm pretty sure they've had a bunch of barrels of Scotch sitting in the back of the warehouse for 22 years, next to the socks and dishwasher pods. This is sourced from Glenrothes. Not sure if it’s true or something my ex wife’s extremely frugal family would say. Peated; Sherried; Independent Bottler; Order By: Alphabetical; Date; Score; Price Search for: Welcome! Rating 8.5/10. Review: Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 22 Years Old Sherry Cask Finish; Review: Master of Malt Speyside 30 Years Old (5th Edition) Kirkland Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 20 Years Old Sherry Cask Finish $45. The sherried aspects seem more prominent on the nose and less apparent anywhere else. As we say, even scotch snobs can be Costco enthusiasts. Note on the Grade Scale : Consider an A to be one of my favorites of all time; a B to be something I would buy for my cabinet; a C to be roughly average but still lovely; a D to be acceptable and something I would drink if offered; and an F to be outright undrinkable except in dire circumstances. Multiple testers and one"insider" have said they believe it to be Glenrothes. Realistically, it is half the price of the Glendronach 18 and there is a noticeable difference between them. Delicious, Finish: long spicy finish, oak, leather, molasses. Arran 21 Year The Green Welly Stop Exclusive (1997) Tullibardine sells their own 25-year-old Scotch for around $300 a bottle. And in the third … I know for certain that their beer on the west coast is made in the Gordon Biersch facility in San Jose. I'm lucky enough to have a costco that stocks this and a local community that doesn't seem to be big into scotch, mines had it in stock since late January, and I wholeheartedly agree with this review but I'd rate it at a B+ for me. Kirkland 20 year Speyside Single Malt Scotch: This is produced by Alexander Murray. But I think it’s really cool I get to drink a bottle of a 22 year speyside at an affordable price. Great review! Will that “Blended Scotch ... Here’s a list of Costco’s signature Kirkland-brand boozes to help you decide which ones are worth the gamble. 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). I’ve seen the Kirkland scotch 16 & 21 and just kept walking. 750 ml: Kirkland Signature 24-year-old AMC Blended Scotch Whisky: 24: 40.0 % Vol. Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 25 year is another Costco Scotch independently bottled by Alexander Murray & Co, and the third that I have reviewed. Scotch whisky is vast, with 120 distilleries producing hundreds of brands. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Thanks for the review! Please note that MSRP may have changed since the date of our review. That said, I have heard people say what you said many many times and still think it's possible. A 22 year single malt for $80? Well Alexander Murray founder Steve Lipp has stated before that the anonymity reflects Kirkland/Costco’s desire for their own mark to be upfront and center. Review: Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 22 Years Old Sherry Cask Finish; Review: The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old (2009) Kirkland Macallan Sherry Cask Finish 18 Years Old $80. Today Daniel taste and reviews Kirkland 12 year Blended Scotch and compares it to Johnnie Walker Black and Dewar's White Label. Magnificent Bastard: Ron Liebman 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. Hope this helps make buying decisions for some! Thanks for signing up! But Glenrothes does have tons of aged inventory and isn't a brand name that sells tons of high age OBs. And it is absolutely perfect for any cocktails. At under $20 for 1.75 L, it's one of the most wallet-friendly options on the list.It's sold in a frosted bottle — unlike the glossy clear glass of their popular French vodka — and is reportedly distilled six times for ultra-smoothness. There's other similar names that get thrown around who have inventory and work with Alexander Murray that are just as likely too: Mortlach / Glen Keith / Linkwood - really any of the AM IB bottles with distillery names are in the running. The finish is more vanilla and oak tannin dominant on the Kirkland, while the Glendronach carries the sherry notes for longer and brings spice cake notes from the European oak barrels. Same goes for Trader Joe’s brands. So it has a lot going for it. French Vodka: $19.99. Wine-Searcher is not responsible for omissions and inaccuracies. Kirkland Signature Original Spiced Rum. Kirkland 22 year Speyside Sherry Cask Finish (rumored to be Glenrothes), minimum 6 month Oloroso cask finish, 46% ABV:⁣ Average. For something that’s had some time to age, I was surprised by the acetone/solvent like smell handing out in this one. Kirkland Signature, Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Sherry Cask Finish, 22 YO, Alexander Murray & Co, 46% ABV, 750 ml, MSRP: $80 The color is a … Whisky - Whiskey Blended Learn more. When a bottle of cheap, blended scotch displays its age in months rather than years, that’s rarely a good sign. Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 27 Years. I believe a few years back they had one from macallan too. There is a lot to love in this well balanced bottle. Half a bottle later I grabbed two more bottles for when this first one is gone. Kirkland 18 year old Sherry Cask Finished Speyside single malt scotch—90 points, $54 Lush, well-aged, and richly sherried with flavors of candied violet, nougat, ginger, and orange oil. This 24 year old Kirkland Blended Scotch, like all Kirkland Scotch, is sourced and bottled by Alexander Murray & Co. I love these Kirkland Whiskies. Review #25: Kirkland 20 Year Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Finish (Bottled by Alexander Murray & Co.) Distillery: Unknown Bottler: Alexander Murray & Co Region: Speyside ABV: 46% Age: 20 Price: $57 Color: 1.4, Tawny Nose: Sweet and a little leathery. Yeah! Rating 9.0/10. I think you will definitely enjoy this. Indeed, this single malt compared very favorably to the previous 18 Year Old and 20 Year Old from the same line. I'd say the source is extremely reliable, although there is always slight uncertainty with hearsay. 22 Year Old Whisky A great selection of 22-year-old whiskies, all perfect birthday or anniversary gift ideas. Christopher Null. I see cat and scotch, I upvote. My wife stopped at a Costco store in Delaware, where they are able to sell liquor, on her way to a friends’ house. They produce a lot of bottles from big distilleries and just don't put the distillery names on the Kirkland bottlings. I just about picked this up the other day. Kirkland’s vodka, for instance, is said to come from the same French hands and water source that … Their prices on industry standards like Oban 14 and Lagavulin 16 have been admittedly … Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection Springbank 11 Year (1996) Continue reading → December 23, 2020. The Arran Malt 12 Year Cask Strength Continue reading → December 24, 2020 December 24, 2020. Palate: dried figs, rum raisin, leather, sherry, dark fruit, sweet oak. In one corner we have a bottle from Costco, the Kirkland Highland 18 Sherry. 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. Produced by Costco. Sounds good. If you love a malty dram with a sherry finish then this should please. Delicious All the best ~. I have both. I enjoyed my bottle greatly. whoa, i love glenrothes. 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