Customers Say These 5 Kirkland Whiskeys Are Worth Adding To Your Cart

There are many reasons why a Costco membership can improve the state of your culinary life. Among the best Costco deals on offer is an ever-rotating list of foods and household items priced at a significant discount, thanks in part to the bulk quantities in which they are sold. Many of the warehouse chain's most impressive deals are found in its Kirkland Signature product line, Costco's in-house private label, and, perhaps surprisingly, some of the bes are found in the liquor aisle.

Particularly in the world of spirits, brand names can command a lot of customer loyalty. A good distillery may produce some interesting one-off products, but the bread and butter is an always reliable flagship that customers know they can consistently rely on. As such, it may be something of a surprise that a store's signature brand could compete in the spirits market, but the range of customer-approved Kirkland whiskeys does just that.

The secret of Costco's Kirkland Signature whiskeys is that the warehouse chain itself isn't producing the liquor. It would be hard to imagine that a company focused primarily on slinging free samples to customers and filling carts with oversized packages would also be able to produce a nice dram. But while Costco's liquor won't immediately garner the respect and admiration that other distillers enjoy, there are real brands behind those bottles of Kirkland Signature spirits, some of which you may already know and enjoy. The bonus, of course, is that because it's sold under the Kirkland Signature name, these bottles are also often quite a bit less expensive.

To start this list of Kirkland Signature whiskeys that customers say deserve a spot in your home bar, we're going to look at a smooth and eminently mixable bottle with a reasonable price tag attached. Of the many types of whiskey out there, Canadian doesn't receive quite as much attention as, say, bourbon or Scotch. Despite its relatively lower profile, however, it is an immensely popular style among many drinkers.

By the letter of the law, Canadian whisky is less defined than other styles, but there are characteristics (like a hefty dose of rye in the grain bill) that give the designation a recognizable flavor. One particular brand of Canadian whisky draws an outsize share of the intrigue from customers, with bottles that arrive in a purple and gold cloth pouch. Looking at the packaging of Costco's offering, that influence is clear, and some have suggested that it may be Crown Royal that makes the Kirkland Canadian whisky. While this is unconfirmed, all it takes is a small pour — or a conversation with a Costco customer — to make it clear that, at the very least, this Kirkland whisky is a Crown Royal dupe in flavor.

"I'm a big Crown fan," one user wrote on Reddit. "I haven't bought it since I tried the Kirkland Canadian Whiskey." Others note that the product is not quite the same as that favorite Canadian whisky brand, but many prefer the Kirkland bottle for both mixing and drinking neat. When you stack the prices side by side, there is simply no comparison. A 1.75-liter bottle of Costco's Canadian whisky sells for about $22, with that same size of Crown Royal running about twice as much.

Hopping across the pond, another Costco whisky that deserves to make the leap from the shelf to your oversized cart is the Kirkland Signature 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky. While single malts tend to garner the majority of the fanfare, blended Scotch whisky doesn't have to be basic, and this bottle is certainly worth trying — or at least reading a few online comments about — before turning your nose up. When it comes to Kirkland-brand blended Scotch, it does pay to do a bit of research. Particularly if you're looking for something to drink neat, the standard Kirkland blended Scotch is a don't-buy.

However, if you stick to the blended Scotch with a few more years under its belt, well, that's a whole different story. Customers on Reddit describe it as, "balanced, smooth, [and the] perfect way to end the night." It isn't a whisky that's likely to really wow, but it is a nice, agreeable bottle, especially for its price. Just like the Canadian whisky mentioned previously, Costco's 12-year blended Scotch comes with a significant markdown when set beside comparable brand-name offerings like Chivas Regal or Buchanan's. For under $40 for a 1.75-liter bottle, it's between 40% to 50% cheaper than those other brands.

The maker of this Kirkland-brand Scotch whisky is a company that you might not have heard of, but it is one that has been in the whisky business a long time. Alexander Murray & Company does not produce spirits itself, but rather buys, blends, and bottles mature whiskies from other distillers — and has been doing so for over a century. Between the long history and the kind words from internet forums, it's clear that this value bottle deserves a spot in your home bar.

For those who prefer to wet their whistle with something domestic, this is another Kirkland offering intended to compete with a major brand name. Tennessee whiskey is tied to Jack Daniel's quite closely, thanks not just to the brand popularizing the style but also its work to influence state laws. Tennessee whiskey must be made following the exact Jack Daniel's style, known as the Lincoln County Process. While this can be troubling for other whiskey makers in the area, the benefit is that you can rest assured that anything called Tennessee whiskey is going to taste a lot like what you find in that iconic black-and-white-labeled bottle.

According to folks online, this whiskey is similar to a good old JD, but maybe even better in a few areas. For starters, it is a touch cheaper. While not quite as discounted as the previous bottles mentioned, the Kirkland Signature offering is about $10 cheaper. It also drinks just about the same, making it a simple choice for those that enjoy a Jack and coke. Some customers do say that the Kirkland offering may have a bit more bite and contains sweeter maple notes to it, but if the plan is primarily to use this spirit in mixed drinks, that should be just fine. When paired with sour mix and orange liqueur in a classic Lynchburg lemonade recipe, for example, you won't notice the difference.

In a sharp departure from the previously listed whiskeys, we have Costco's own bottling of single malt Islay Scotch. For those that don't know their regional Scotch whiskies well, Islay is a style that is particularly heavy on the peat. Brands like Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Ardbeg are likely familiar names from liquor store shelves, doubling as distilleries putting out this style from the same small island in the Inner Hebrides. Given the heavy peat flavors in Islay whiskies, they are more often taken neat than they are mixed. Fortunately, according to customers across the internet, this Kirkland Signature bottle stands nicely against its peers, offering a good sip on its own or with a scant few drops of water.

Bottled at 50% alcohol by volume (ABV), this whisky has some heat to it, but customers routinely score it quite high in their personal taste tests. Like Costco's other Scotch whisky offerings, this single malt is also bottled by Alexander Murray & Company, but given the small size of the isle, there are only so many distilleries that the product can come from. The general consensus seems to be that Caol Ila is likely the direct supplier, which makes this bottle a good deal at any price that it is likely to be found. At the time of writing, it is listed on Costco's website at about $56 for a 750-milliliter bottle, but others report seeing this bottle selling for as low as $30. With a bottle of Caol Ila going for $100, this Kirkland Signature Islay whisky is clearly one that you ought to bring home.

For the final entry, we have another special whiskey from the good-old "U.S. of A," the Kirkland Signature Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. To be considered "bottled-in-bond," a bourbon must be produced by a single distillery in a single season, aged for a minimum of four years in a federally bonded facility, bottled at 50% ABV, and receive no additions other than plain water. Given the legal requirements attached to the designator, you know that any bottled-in-bond bourbon is going to be something special, and the Kirkland Signature offering doesn't disappoint.

"Drinks like a bottle twice its price," writes one user on Reddit, which may be an exceptionally apt description. The distillery behind Costco's bourbons, including this bottled-in-bond selection, is Barton 1792. There is another brand of bottled-in-bond 1792 bourbon out there as well, which happens to sell for just over twice as much as this Kirkland-brand offering. The Costco bottle may not be the exact same as its more expensive counterpart, but it isn't far off either. With good reason, many consider this $25 bottle to be one of the best deals on bourbon out there. For this one, we don't even need to take the word of internet whiskey connoisseurs. Even bourbon experts think this Kirkland selection is a steal.

Costco likely isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of buying an exceptional bottle of booze, but perhaps that is an opinion that needs to change. Especially if value is part of the equation, there are some really excellent whiskeys just asking to be scooped off those giant warehouse shelves.