BOTM 11/12: Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon

[dementedavenger]

I gave the Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon a ride when Costco began selling liquor in Washington over the summer. I have to say that it was the worst bottle of bourbon I've purchased in some time (excluding crappy bottles I purposely purchased). I knew immediately it was a Beam product. Thumbs down.

[BigPenguin]

I gave the Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon a ride when Costco began selling liquor in Washington over the summer. I have to say that it was the worst bottle of bourbon I've purchased in some time (excluding crappy bottles I purposely purchased). I knew immediately it was a Beam product. Thumbs down.

isn't KC a Beam product? I'm pretty new to the bourbon thing, and I've had KC mixed with coke so I liked it. Figured the Kirkland stuff couldn't be much worse. But then again, we all have our own personal tastes.

[dementedavenger]

isn't KC a Beam product? I'm pretty new to the bourbon thing, and I've had KC mixed with coke so I liked it. Figured the Kirkland stuff couldn't be much worse. But then again, we all have our own personal tastes.

Yes, KC is a beam product. I'm not a fan of that either, but as you said, we each have our personal tastes. I drink a lot of stuff that many people likely find repulsive - Rebel Yell and Prestige (Kroger's in-house brand), among others - and I'm not one to judge. I think everyone has a different palate. I probably should have noted that in my original post. My issue with the Kirkland is that, to me, it tasted "burnt" and the head was just too much alcohol vapor.

[fishnbowljoe]

Okay, so I finally got a chance to try this one. Thank you Chuckles for sending me a bottle from the Binny's get together via Vosgar . Much appreciated.

About the only decent Beam product to me is Baker's. Now I can add another one to the list. This bottle really surprised me. Great nose. Some eucalyptus and vanilla up front, and what I can only describe as "charred" cotton candy hanging out in the background. Very pleasant. The taste was a surprise too. You can tell it's a cousin of KC, but to me, the Kirkland is better. The Beam yeasty flavor is not as prevalent as it is in their other products. There are spicy and sweet flavors here that compliment each other pretty well. A rye, cloves flavor on entry followed by vanilla at mid palate. The finish is a nice warming mixture of the two, with a little smoky flavor to boot. I very rarely drink KC neat, but I don't think I'll have any problems sipping Kirkland straight. I do find it a little odd that Kirkland at 7 years and 103 proof, drinks easier (to me) than KC at 9 years and 100m proof. I guess that I'd have to say that the Kirkland doesn't have quite the edginess to it that KC does. All in all a pretty decent bourbon at a great price.

One of the reasons I waited so long to post my thoughts on this, was that I also wanted to get some "other" input. I took a sample to the bowling alley last night to share with my team mates, and a couple of other guys that imbibe with us. It was unanimous. We all liked it. Add another good value pour to the list. Cheers!

[BigPenguin]

Hm, maybe it is worth checking out. I mean, you're gonna like it or not. Might as well give it a shot.

[mosugoji64]

Had a bottle of this when it came out and enjoyed it quite a lot. Tasty on its own but cheap enough to mix without feeling guilty. I also did a direct comparison with KC. The KC had more oak but they were otherwise equally enjoyable, though the price difference pushed Kirkland ahead. I think a more appropriate comparison would be with Baker's. Kirkland wins hands down for me there. A little more flavorful and a lot cheaper!

[Chuckles]

You're welcome, Joe. Glad to help out with the BOTM. Coincidentally, Baker's is my favorite Beam product, and I like it a lot. Over the years, I had developed a soft spot in my liver for Jim Beam. It ain't what it used to be, but if there's no other choice, I can still drink it (guess the Beam yeasty profile doesn't bother me that much). Still, I haven't bought a bottle of JBW in years. So many great bourbons to choose from these days. Keep up the good work on the BOTM page. -Charlie

[HighInTheMtns]

I've had a couple pours of Kirkland tonight (thanks Charlie, in an indirect way) - one of which was accompanied by a pour of Knob Creek. I think this is very good. My impressions of it compared to KC are similar to Joe's - despite the extra couple years of aging and lower proof of KC, the Kirkland is an easier drinker, less alcohol burn. Beyond that they're very similar to each other. KC is a little drier and more tannic.

KC is a pretty regular pour for me, but if I had regular access to Kirkland, it very well might supplant it on my shelf.

Also, I didn't ask her any details, but KC is one of my wife's favorites; her initial impression when she had some Kirkland was "Wow, this is good!"

[Infidel]

I tried to put the purchase on my MasterCard, and the clerk said Costco Card only.

What they mean is their American Express, or any other American Express, but debit works. It's good that they want to be sure someone buying a 60" TV is actually in financial shape to pay for it (or a bottle of Jefferson's Presidential) but I'm sure it comes down to a discount they have with American Express. The discount is probably big enough to make the difference between treating their employees like human beings, there is a well documented differenece between Costco and Sam's employee's quality of living... damn off topic there...

Good to hear the various reports of the kirkland product, might look a little harder while I go there to pick up my holiday present to myself of Taylor Rye they have for sub $70

[jeffrey r]

I pass by pallets of this stuff every time I'm at Costco. May need to pick up a bottle next time.