The $35 Costco bottle outperforming your $60 shelf pours

TOP SHELF

Costco's Kirkland Whiskey: Shelf Turd or Secret Weapon?

Walk into any bourbon group and mention Costco whiskey. Watch half the room cringe while the other half quietly admits they've got three bottles at home.

Here's the truth nobody wants to say out loud: Kirkland Signature Scotch is actually… pretty damn good for what you pay.

Not "impress your collector friends" good.

But "I'm not spending $60 on a mixer" good.

The Costco Play Nobody Talks About

Costco doesn't make whiskey.

They're not out here running copper stills in the back of the warehouse between the toilet paper pallets and rotisserie chickens.

What they do is partner with established Scottish blenders and bottlers — often Alexander Murray & Co. — to bottle whiskey under the Kirkland label. Same juice. Different label. Fraction of the price.

The industry knows this. Y

our local store manager knows this.

The only people who don't know are the ones paying $45 for Famous Grouse when they could grab Kirkland 12-Year for the same price.

What You're Actually Getting

Kirkland Blended Scotch (Regular)

Around $20 for a 1.75L bottle. This is your Johnnie Walker Red competitor. Slightly sweet, easy-drinking, built for mixing.

Is it complex? No.

Will it change your life? Also no.

Will it make a perfectly acceptable highball without costing you $40? Absolutely.

Kirkland 12-Year Blended Scotch

$35-40. This is where things get interesting.

Smoother than the base blend. Subtle fruit and nutty notes. Drinks like a budget Johnnie Walker Black or Famous Grouse 12.

Some people sip this neat and don't hate themselves afterward.

For the price, it's borderline ridiculous how drinkable this is.

Kirkland Single Malts & Special Releases

When Costco drops an Islay Single Malt or a 20-Year Sherry Cask, bottle codes start flying in online groups like it's a Buffalo Trace allocation drop.

These aren't always available, but when they are, they punch way above their price point.

Some have been traced back to recognizable distilleries, which explains why they sell out fast.

The History You Didn't Ask For But Need

Costco started selling Kirkland whiskey in the mid-2000s as part of their private-label expansion.

What began as basic blended Scotch grew into 12-year, 18-year, 20+ year expressions, single malts, and regional bottlings.

The strategy? Partner with legit producers, bottle quality juice, slap a Kirkland label on it, undercut everyone else on price.

It worked.

Now Kirkland whiskey has a cult following among value-conscious drinkers who figured out you don't need to spend $80 to get a decent pour.

Who's Actually Making This?

Costco won't tell you.

The distilleries won't confirm it. But industry insiders and bottle-code detectives have connected the dots to Alexander Murray & Co. and other respected Scottish blenders.

Which means you're not drinking mystery warehouse juice.

You're drinking rebranded legitimate Scotch at a discount because Costco's buying power is insane.

The single malts especially have been sourced from recognizable operations. Do the research, decode the bottles, and you'll find yourself with big-name whiskey at a no-name price.

The Real Question: Should You Buy It?

You'll love Kirkland whiskey if:

• You need a house pour that won't break you

• You're making cocktails and refuse to waste good whiskey on mixers

• You want drinkable Scotch without the markup

• You understand "value" doesn't mean "cheap garbage"

Skip it if:

• You only drink allocated bourbon

• You need impressive labels to show your bourbon group

• You're hunting for complexity and depth

• You think warehouse clubs are beneath you

Rick's Final Thought

Nobody's putting Kirkland 12-Year on their top-shelf next to Pappy.

But for daily pours, cocktails, or just having whiskey around that doesn't cost $60? It's a legitimate play.

The snobs can keep overpaying for fancy bottles. The rest of us will be at Costco grabbing 1.75L of perfectly drinkable Scotch for the price of a mediocre dinner.

Not world-class. Just smart.

And sometimes that's exactly what you need. 🥃