We all know that Costco is huge, and doing a Costco run is an event more than it is an errand. Not knowing exactly what you are looking for could cost you hours walking alongside the shelves choosing the best product and the best price.
Since they have everything of everything, the Costco stores are known for carrying many brands of many products. Among the vast selection of products, Costco is also known to carry a wide range of alcoholic products, not only from their signature brand, Kirkland but also from other labels.
Among the many products Costco is known for, bourbon is one of the alcoholic beverages that increases Costco’s rating among the customers.
They carry everything from beer, to vodka, to whiskey. Some of their bottles are better than the other ones, and again, if you don’t know what to look for, it is easy to get lost between the racks.
They carry great bourbons for affordable prices.
Also check: 12 Best Whiskey Brands at Costco
In addition to Kirkland Signature bourbons, Costco offers bourbons produced by other brands as well. Among that huge selection of bourbons at Costco, it is easy to stumble upon some that aren’t that good, but you may also find some that will mesmerize you.
Top 15 Bourbon Brands at Costco
In this article, I will give you a list of the best 15 bourbons you can get at Costco and hopefully save you from wandering among shelves, reading labels that mean nothing to you, and ending up with a bottle of bourbon you don’t like.
1. Kentucky Owl Batch
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So rich that it is almost buttery, this bourbon is at the steeper end price-wise. Costing about $342, it is definitely a little out there, but it is undoubtedly worthy of price and praise. It is a craft bourbon made with utmost care and attention to detail.
This is a very popular bourbon at Costco, and despite of the price tag, many enjoy its uniquely rich and delicious flavors. It combines flavors of honey, vanilla, and toasted oak.
Also check: 20 Best Costco Tequila Brands
2. Jim Beam White Label
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Jim Beam has become a synonym for bourbon and a genuine pillar in the bourbon-making industry. This is a classic bourbon with all the textbook markings of the spirit in general. Rougher than whiskey and gentler than vodka, the Jim Beam Single Barrel bourbon charms you with its vanilla and citrus notes, ending smoothly yet assertively.
Priced at roughly $25, this bourbon is an absolute bargain, offering you more than what you expected.
More: 15 Best Bourbon for Beginners
3. John J. Bowman Single Barrel
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Best described as bold and edgy, this bourbon has been pronounced as best in 2017. It is a very popular drink as it has enough character to tease an experienced bourbon enthusiast, but at the same time, it is delicious and flavorful enough to appeal to a beginner too.
Combining tones of vanilla, toasted oak, caramel, and chocolate, this bourbon has made quite the fan club at Costco. Priced at about $50, it offers you way more than what you paid for.
More: 20 Best High End Bourbons
4. Blade and Bow
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Priced at about $53, this bourbon uses the Solera system in the maturation process resulting in an unusually flavorful and decadent drink. It combines very noticeable fruity notes, especially dried apricot and pear tones, as well as roasted grains and toffee.
It is an exquisitely smooth drink, very good for beginners, and very exploratory for seasoned bourbon aficionados. It is easy to drink; it is exceptionally pure and balances excellently the sharp and tame aspects of its personality.
Also check: 15 Best Wheated Bourbons
5. Rabbit Hole “Cavehill”
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Another flavorful and very teasing bourbon. Tasting like honey and fresh apples mixed with spices, it invites you to explore it further. With a price tag that says $55, it is a premium bourbon at a very reasonable, if not low, price.
Mid-palate, it gets even more decadent, almost creamy, with distinct roasted grains notes as well as mint and some more honey. The finish is smooth with a lingering aftertaste and warm burn. Excellent for both slow sipping and mixing, you will be surprised at how colorful this spirit is.
More: Blanton’s Bourbon At Costco
6. Smooth Ambler Contradiction
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The bourbon that tastes like rum might just as well be the second name of this spirit. Made with for grains, i.e., rye, corn, barley, and wheat, it has an expressive grain dimension. Mid-palate, it tastes fruity and buttery, sweet, and slightly burnt.
It is visibly seductive, with dark amber color with shades of honey and gold. Priced at about $43, it is an exceptionally high-quality drink, and you shouldn’t think twice about whether to buy it or not.
7. Woodford Reserve
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Probably one of the best-known on this list, the Woodford Reserve bourbon has made a name and a very good reputation in the bourbon department. It is a textbook bourbon enhanced by the craftsmanship of its makers.
Experienced bourbon enthusiasts will recognize over 200 tasting notes, whereby the beginner will call it simply delicious. It incorporates the standard bourbon tones, i.e., vanilla, citrus, and oak, enriched by the abundance of flavors it acquires during its maturation.
Reasonably priced at roughly $40, the Woodford Reserve bourbon is one of the Costco customers’ favorites, and rightfully so. It won’t empty your wallet, but it will fill your senses.
8. Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
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Kirkland Signature is Costco’s own brand, under which they make and sell various products from various departments. If you have heard about Kirkland Vodka, this is the same label, only for bourbon.
As a token of courtesy and respect for their customers, Costco sells its own brand for exceptionally affordable prices, i.e., a bottle of this bourbon would cost you about $23. Tasting like candied dried fruits, clove, and vanilla, this is an excellent spirit whereby the price doesn’t say anything about its quality.
9. Kirkland Small-Batch Bourbon
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Following the exact mash bill from Barton 1792, this bourbon is made mostly of rye, corn, and barley. It has oak, rye spice, caramel, clove, and cinnamon tones, and that is just the beginning. It slowly evolves, unraveling layers of flavor, teasing the taste buds as well as making you think and explore it more deeply.
It keeps going exhibiting cinnamon, vanilla, mild pepperiness, and caramel notes mid-palate. It is well-rounded, so you experience all tasting notes at the same time without feeling overwhelmed and overburdened.
This little piece of heaven will cost you short to nothing, i.e., about $22.
10. Kirkland Signature Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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Pure and unblended, with each bottle tasting slightly different but recognizable and distinct, this Costco original will cost you about $31. It is a bit sharper and rougher than the rest of the bourbons under the Costco’s proprietary label.
Nevertheless, it is easy to drink and is deeply enjoyed by slow sipping. It is rich, buttery, and creamy, with the burn starting from the palate. The finish is warm and smooth, leaving you with a strong aftertaste for a while longer.
Also check: 25 Best Kentucky Bourbons
11. Michter’s Single Barrel 10-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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Exquisitely elegant and exceptionally refined, this isn’t a cheap bourbon. Priced at about $512, it is definitely worth every penny, but if you decide to treat yourself to a bottle of really classy bourbon, go for it; you won’t regret it.
Although it is publicly known that this bourbon is ten years old, rumor has it that it is closer to 15. It is abundant in flavor and smoothness. The floral and citrus notes mashed with the standard vanilla and oak flavor characteristic of bourbon make this bottle an irresistible piece of heaven.
12. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Aged 9 Years
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If you like spicy bourbons, you can have a bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Aged 9 Years for about $71. Reasonably priced, full-flavored, and well-rounded, it is not a mild bourbon, but the roughness has been well-balanced with the rest of the flavors.
Since it ages for nine years, the maturation period certainly makes it smoother and easier to drink; however, this bourbon is not for everybody, as it is distinctly specific and somewhat restrictive.
Nevertheless, it has many fans who can see its beauty, but if you don’t like spicy drinks, I don’t recommend you have this one.
13. Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask Cedar Ridge Iowa 5-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Made predominantly of corn, this $100 bourbon is expressively sweet and rich. It has notes of rye and toasted oak, as well as vanilla and slight fruity tones. Mid-palate, the flavors intensify, while the finish is smooth, warm, and lingering.
If you are looking for a bottle to relax with slowly sipping by a roaring fire, this is it.
14. Baker’s Single Barrel Aged 8 Years 1 Month
Priced at $60, this is an explicitly herbal and high-rye bourbon. It is delicious, but it is kind of heavy. Therefore, if you don’t like explicitly herbal flavors and don’t enjoy the rye flavor all that much, I recommend you don’t give it a shot.
It is nevertheless of high quality, and it is excellent for slow sipping as well as for cocktails.
15. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel
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Wild Turkey is a class-A bourbon and has already established itself as an excellent label. Classic, refined, assertive, and a tad rough, this bourbon is a definition of the bourbon spirit. A bottle of this bourbon would cost you around $60, and it is absolutely worth even more than that.
With the textbook sequence of flavors, it starts with vanilla, then exhibits some citrus notes, and in the end, it finishes smoothly with a warm burn and a lingering aftertaste. Definitely, a great choice if you want something standard and delicious.
Is Costco’s Bourbon Good?
The exact mash bill of the Kirkland Signature bourbons still remains a mystery, but it is assumed that these expressions consist of the high rye mash bill.
The age of the Kirkland bourbon is also still unknown on the Kirkland bourbon whiskeys, but according to the flavor, viscosity, and overall quality, it is assumed that they have been aged for at least two years.
On the nose, you can feel notes of caramel and oak, rye spice, cinnamon, and a whiff of clove. There are also notes of caramel, vanilla, and candied fruit, along with certain discrete cinnamon and clove spice tones.
The oak wood note intensifies mid-palate as the bourbon starts opening up.
Depending on which Kirkland bourbon you are having, the aromas change, so not all of the aromatic notes are present in all Kirkland bourbons. Nevertheless, they are all aromatic and very enticing as well as inviting.
On the palate, all Kirkland bourbons are smooth and sweet with notes of cinnamon and clove, followed by caramel and vanilla flavors.
The dried fruit, honey, caramel, and vanilla notes continue from the nose to the palate, which gives the Kirkland bourbons somewhat of a tropical dimension with whiffs of melon and banana.
There is also a noticeable pepperiness combined with cinnamon and clove tones. There are also expressive notes of dried tropical fruit and a tad of stone fruit. There is a noticeable pepperiness that accompanies the cinnamon and clove notes.
The Kirkland bourbons have a tad oily texture giving them a buttery feel. They have a medium viscosity, which isn’t typical for the bourbon spirit, and they coat the mouth nicely.
Still, no matter how gentle, smooth and sweet, Kirkland bourbon is still a bourbon, so expect a fair amount of burn on the palate and in the throat.
The finish of the Kirkland bourbons varies from medium length to very long, with a lasting aftertaste of caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon, along with a mild pepperiness, spice, oak, wood, vanilla, and dried fruit.
Again, each Kirkland bourbon has some of the abovementioned features, while the other ones are contained in other Kirkland bourbon labels, so don’t expect to feel everything in each bottle.
Nevertheless, if you like the tasting notes and aromas included in the Kirkland bourbons, it is only a question of which one you decide to try.
The Kirkland bourbon prices are very competitive, and the spirits are very affordable. It is a courtesy of the Costco company to its customers to offer them fine products with excellent quality.
Overall, the Kirkland bourbons are excellent spirits, flavorful, aromatic, sweet, and smooth.
FAQ’s
Who Makes Costco Signature Bourbon?
Barton 1792 Distillery makes Kirkland Signature Bourbon. It is located in Kentucky, owned by Sazerac.
The distillery’s name, i.e., 1792, was given to it as a token of honor of the year Kentucky when it became part of the United States. The distillery was first commissioned in 1879 and has operated with full steam since then.
Kirkland Bourbon is made according to the Barton 1792 mash bill, i.e., 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley, although the exact Kirkland mash bill is still unknown. The bourbon is aged in charred white oak barrels.
The result is a delicious, smooth, and flavorful bourbon with a seductive amber color.
How Much Is It For A Bottle Of Bourbon At Costco?
The bourbon prices at Costco vary from $20 to over $500. There are bottles priced at $50 or $60, also bottles priced at $100, as well as under $20.
The prices depend on the bourbon brand as well as the bottle sizes. Moreover, it depends on which time of the year it is and whether or not it is a discount season. In general, the bourbons at Costco have slightly lower prices than the same ones in specialized liquor stores or gas stations.
Costco Bulleit Bourbon Price
The Costco Bulleit bourbon goes for roughly $30. The Bulleit bourbon price generally varies from $25 to $35.
Who Makes Costco Bourbon?
The Costco bourbon is Kirkland Signature bourbon, and it is made by Barton 1792 distillery situated in Kentucky. There are three Kirkland Signature bourbon expressions, bottled-in-bond, single barrel, and small batch bourbon.
What Is Kirkland Bourbon Similar To?
Although Kirkland signature bourbon is an original spirit, it does bear a striking resemblance to Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey. They are both smooth, with medium to high viscosity, and both are delicious and very aromatic.
Moreover, both Kirkland signature and Crown Royal bourbon expressions are easy to drink and of exceptionally good quality.
Resources:
- https://uproxx.com/life/costco-single-barrel-bourbon-whiskey-blind-taste-test/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemicallef/2021/06/20/why-you-should-buy-costcos-kirkland-signature-bourbon/?sh=5a2ddd738077
- https://whiskey.rocks/reviews/kirkland-bourbon/#:~:text=Kirkland%20Signature%20Bourbon%20comes%20from,the%20town%20of%20Kirkland%2C%20Washington
