A New Kirkland Signature Bourbon Has Been Spotted At Costco And The Internet Has Questions

Costco members are masters at deciphering the name brands hiding behind Kirkland Signature products, so when a shopper spotted a new bourbon whiskey on the shelves and shared the find online, an investigation followed. The number one question inquiring minds want to know is: Where does it come from? The Reddit user who posted a photo of the new bourbon on r/Costco_alcohol noted that, unlike previous small-batch whiskeys sold by Costco, this product is not produced by Barton 1792 Distillery(a partnership advertised directly on the label of Costco bourbon bottles that turned heads in the past). 

"So, who's making this one?" a Redditor asked in the thread. Another user, noting that the product is distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky, guessed, "It could still be Barton, just without the 1792 branding. BBC [Bardstown Bourbon Company] and Luxco are the other obvious contenders." Other users guessed the maker could be Heaven Hill Distillery or DC Flynt Masters of Wine. Everyone in the thread appeared anxious to get their hands on Costco's new bottle, taste-test it, and venture a guess as to where it came from. One commenter said they had a bottle of 1792 bourbon open and ready to compare, " ... all in the name of SCIENCE." 

At the time of writing, Costco shoppers across the internet had yet to provide a review of the new Kirkland Signature Kentucky straight bourbon, though a few said they were skeptical that it could measure up to previous releases. "I hope this doesn't signal the end of the 1792 collab," one Reddit user wrote on r/Costco_alcohol, adding, "I can't imagine this one — which no distillery is willing to claim — will be as good (but I'd love to be proven wrong!)". Whatever the taste verdict, Costco's new whiskey has huge shoes to fill. Redditors referred to the previous Kirkland Signature bourbon as a favorite, calling it, "The best I've ever tried for the $21 price point." 

Naysayers may balk at the thought of Costco's new bourbon outdoing the chain's barrel-aged predecessors, but at least one Redditor was open to the possibility of an improved experience. "Hopefully this is the new shelf staple for bourbon that has been missing from their lineup (The Tennessee whiskey handle is fine, but I'm hopeful this is a bit better)," the user wrote. If Costco's Kentucky straight bourbon doesn't turn out to be the best option for sipping neat or on the rocks, it should still work well in a mint julep or any of the other best bourbon cocktails of all time.