One Of Costco's Best Liquors Under $20 Is A Surprisingly Affordable 12-Year-Old Scotch

If the words "budget liquor" conjure headache-inducing images of Everclear and J.T.S. Brown, then chances are you haven't been shopping at Costco. Many wallet-conscious imbibers applaud Costco's popular oeuvre of Kirkland brand liquor offerings (and rightly so). But, here at Tasting Table, another darling has claimed the apple of our eye. In our roundup of Costco's 12 best under $20 liquor you can't skip, we named Chivas Regal 12-Year Blended Scotch as a category standout.

Chivas Regal 12-Year Blended Scotch may be a traditional Scottish whisky, but it sports an uncommon combination of rich body and mild flavor. On the nose, Chivas Regal arrives with a rugged bouquet of heather honey, orchard fruits, wild herbs, orange peel, and vanilla. From there, the palate opens to quintessential Scotch grain and caramel with a pronounced floral note, followed by layered tones of honeyed apples, butterscotch, and hazelnut that end in a dry, medium-length finish with notes of jasmine. This amber hued spirit gets oak-aged for a minimum of 12 years, yet it doesn't arrive with any harsh woodiness, instead yielding smooth, well-balanced dimensionality at an industry standard 40% ABV.

This premium offering has a longstanding brand history in Speyside region. Chivas has been crafting whisky in Scotland since the early 1800s, emerging as a luxury spirits brand in 1843 after receiving an honorary royal warrant to supply whisky to Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle. Centuries later, that reputation rooted in quality still holds up. 

As we mentioned in our review, we appreciate Chivas Regal for offering a taste that's complex enough to enjoy as-is on the rocks or to use as the foundation of a flavorful Scotch-based cocktail (Rusty Nail, anyone?). Customer reviews posted to TotalWine praise this bottle as an ideal introduction to the spirits category for unacquainted imbibers: "Chivas 12 is a great place to start with scotch whisky, it has some of the basic tasting notes of a non cask finished scotch. The flavors in [Chivas] are mild and very balanced, this is one easy drinking and flavorful scotch." Elsewhere online, a Reddit thread in r/Scotch echoes its pleasant, unoffensive profile, which many (even beginner) sippers can enjoy: "not too smoky or too sweet. Because of its 'neutrality', it's something most people don't love or hate." Another post praises Chivas Regal as "A rather nice dram for an affordable price [...] I would buy again if I was looking for a nice affordable whisky to have with a few friends."

Perhaps best of all, at Costco, this impressive aged bottle can be secured for far below average retail price. A 750 ml bottle of Chivas Regal currently sells for $30.99 at Target. According to Warehouse Runner, the same sized bottle is sold at Costco for $10.07 to $23.09, varying by location, at an average price of $20.78.