Who Makes Costco's Kirkland Signature Bourbon?

It's no secret that many of Costco's house brand products (which fall under the name of Kirkland Signature) are made by other, high quality brands. Customers are drawn to Kirkland products because the standards are high and the prices are reasonable. This even applies to Kirkland Signature liquors, like the 1-liter bottles of Small Batch Bourbon, which is actually made by Barton Master Distillers at the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky.

This distillery is considered the oldest fully-operating distillery in Bardstown, having been founded in 1879 but named for the year in which Kentucky officially became an American state. Barton was actually purchased by the Sazerac Company in 2009; Sazerac also owns such bourbon brands as Buffalo Trace and W.L. Weller (some of the smoothest bourbons you can buy at Costco), along with many other spirits.

A lot of assumptions have been made about famous brands that may be behind certain Kirkland products, but there is no guessing with Kirkland bourbon; the Barton Distillery name is right on the front of the Costco brand bottle. In the past, there have been three Kirkland Signature bourbons that were made by Barton: Small Batch, Bottled-In-Bond, and Single Barrel, but you should check what's available first near you on Costco's Same Day website. (Some Costco locations actually don't even sell liquor depending on state laws and the licenses it has.)

When you look at the descriptions of Kirkland Signature Small Batch Bourbon and 1792 Small Batch Bourbon, you can see some similarities. The Kirkland brand states that it "is enjoyably smooth with its notes of oak and rye spice accented by vanilla and caramel. These notes grow and meld together, ending in a sweet, lingering finish," via Costco. Meanwhile, on the 1792 website, it is noted that the Small Batch has "unmistakable spice mingled with sweet caramel and vanilla."

There is no claim or sourcing that suggests the two bourbons are the same product, but with having the same distiller, it's easy to see why the two might share some similar flavor notes. Price wise, the Kirkland brand sells for just over $20 at the time of this writing — a bargain for this amount of liquor, and an incredible value considering we voted this bourbon as one of the very best liquors to buy at Costco. Reviews on Reddit agree, with one user saying, "I personally feel it's outstanding for a mixer bourbon. Can you sip it? Sure, but much better options. However, for $20 it's a steal." Another concurred, writing, "It's the best I've ever found even close to that price. There are better bourbons out there, but I will happily sip this any day."