On the nose, this whisky seems very similar to its younger sibling. A 23 YO is slated for release in December and a No Age Statement Islay single malt Scotch whisky next year. Good. Have tasted a lot of wines and spirits, from 200-year-old ports to centuries old Cognacs to many of the world’s oldest whiskies. Found this deal at a store not listed above? Features. If Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch whisky is reminiscent of Dewar’s that’s not because it’s really Dewar’s in Kirkland packaging, but because Alexander Murray’s blenders have deliberately crafted a facsimile of the aroma and flavor profile of Dewar’s, the best-selling blended Scotch whisky in the US. “How do they get all the carrots in a supermarket to look like perfect carrots? Chivas Regal 4.5L 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. The sherry aromas are quite pronounced, certainly more intense than you would typically expect from six months of finishing in a sherry butt, even if it was a first fill cask. This is an excellent blended whisky. Anyway, to get back to Costco, I was wanting to see if they still had 1.75 liter bottles of Glenmorangie. Costco 500 Redwood Blvd. Price includes delivery ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Compare Product. His writing has appeared in Esquire, Playboy, Whisky Advocate and more. (With a $50 cap, the oldest in our tasting was 13.) “They agree to buy a certain amount of product at a certain price, which is far lower than everyone else is paying. By law we cannot sell this product to anyone under the age of 18. Qty. Chivas, on the other hand, a premium priced blended Scotch, is around 50% single malt. On the nose, there is a pronounced sherry cask influence of sweet dried fruits and almond, followed by notes of cask wood, some licorice and just a hint of salinity. Kirkland Signature Premium Small Batch Bourbon (7 year): This is made by none other than Jim Beam. According to Cameron Johnston, Brand Manager at Alexander Murray & Company: The philosophy of our blended products is to produce a layered and complex flavour profile that is similar to that of market leaders in the category, and yes in this case market leaders are those leading in the US market. The objective is to deliver exceptional and remarkable examples of single malt from a wide range of individual distilleries, whose origin – the best part of the time – remains unnamed. There are also notes of old leather and a hint of waxiness. Costco presents a number of expressions of single malt Scotch whisky. He tells me he know this happens with other big players, like Total Wine. This is hands down my favorite Scotch. Likewise, many whiskey bloggers have noticed that Costco seems to obscure what they actually offer, with no master list available anywhere online. This is an excellent whisky. Appearance 8/10, Nose 27/30, Palate 28/30, Finish: 27/30, Overall Score: 90/100, Kirkland Signature, 20 YO, Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Kirkland Signature, Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Sherry Cask Finish, 20 YO, Alexander Murray & Co, 46% ABV, 750 ml, MSRP: $58. There are dried fruit notes, especially cooked apple, plum and apricot and a bit of anise, along with a bit of “sherry fruitiness.” There are some slight cooked cereal notes, with vanilla and some caramel, along with some very light peat smoke. According to Johnston, the NAS expression is 20% malt whisky and the 12 YO is 25% malt whisky. Costco is the world’s largest retailer of The Macallan, Johnnie Walker Blue and Dom Perignon, for example. Then again, even massive distilleries only have so much room in their warehouses. The number of beverage SKUs expands during the fourth quarter. But all Kirkland Signature Scotches are sold at 80 proof, meaning that these whiskies are watered down to the absolute lowest legal limit and, thus, Costco is able to empty barrels into way more bottles. 4 months ago. Alexander Murray does not disclose where the whisky is sourced except to indicate broad geographic designations like Speyside or Islay. The Secret to a Silkier Cocktail? by Christopher Cameron. Blended Scotch whisky is something else altogether. The names of the distilleries are not disclosed, although all three are located in the Speyside region of the Highlands. It’s right on the western edge of the region, and its whiskies can be legally described as either Speyside or Highland. They’re cheap, too—whether it be a 1.75 liter of Canadian whisky for $20 or an 18 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish Highlands Scotch for $38. On the palate, there is sweetness, almost candy-like, some fruit notes of apple, orange zest and a hint of apricot. Along the way I became a winemaker, Oregon Pinot Noir; a judge for various international, I have been writing and speaking about wines and spirits for 20 years. Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl. In the end, where the whisky was sourced doesn’t really matter, although it’s fun to try to figure that out. In the past few years they’ve also offered a rotating, limited selection of premium Scotch, like a blended 24-year-old for $70 and a Speyside 25-year-old for just $89. It’s a bit more floral, the licorice seems more pronounced, and it seems sweeter on the nose. Likewise, Alexander Murray & Co. shipped out some 165,000 cases of Scotch in 2015. The average Costco store carries around 4,000 SKUs, of which about 220 are alcoholic beverages: 45-60 spirits SKUs, 14-18 beer SKUs and 150 wine SKUs. Currently there are four Scotch whisky expressions in the Kirkland Signature Range: blended Scotch whisky, 12 YO blended Scotch whisky and a 2o YO, and a 22 YO Speyside Sherry cask finish, single malt Scotch whisky. For such a unique, fine single malt we ensure that the presentation is also second to none. Most of their lower-end bottlings come in the popular 1.75 liter “handle,” like Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky ($18) and Kirkland Signature Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey “Premium Small Batch” ($30). Just How Important Is Sherry to Scotch Whisky? New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, How the Infinity Bottle Became a Whiskey Nerd Obsession, Down the Rare Bourbon Rabbit Hole With Sean Brock, How a Homemade Blend Became One of America’s Most Coveted Bourbons, Drunken Socialism: The "Break-Even Bottles" Bringing Rare Spirits to the People. The meaty and savory notes seem less evident, and this whisky seems earthier. View this post on Instagram . 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