Here's Why You Shouldn't Buy Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum
As far as liquor options go, few would deny that Costco's in-house brand, Kirkland, has some truly tempting beverages on offer. As per Thrillist, some of the options you usually cannot go wrong with include French Vodka, the Blended Scotch Whisky, the Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon, Canadian Whisky, London Dry Gin, and yes, the Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum. That was back in 2017.
However, as of late, Kirkland's spiced rum has been getting attention for all the wrong reasons. Before we get into that, here's a quick recap on the popular drink. As described by Costco itself, the drink has a blend of flavors like vanilla, cinnamon, and clove with notes of winter spice, toffee, and black pepper. A description on the website, reads, "The Kirkland Original Spiced Rum is patiently crafted and distilled five times on the island of St Croix from the first pressing of virgin sugar cane grown in rich soil and tropical sunshine." Sounds tempting, doesn't it? Here's why this drink isn't doing too well these days.
The taste seems to have changed
About 10 months ago, Costco shoppers complained that the rum didn't taste the same anymore. A Redditor user asked fellow users to share their views on the issue. Some commenters said that the distributor had changed, which could be why the rum tasted different. A commenter wrote, "Having had both, I would say that the new blend from the new distributor is a different flavor profile. More spice forward. Probably better for mixed drinks. I prefer the old one for the basic rum and coke." Some responses pulled no punches, and one person said the new version "tastes like coal and bad moonshine. Mostly coal."
One of the participants in a BuzzFeed blind taste test of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum said they would "never drink something that tasted like" the Kirkland version, which she said tasted "like a drunk gingerbread man." Not the most flattering description out there for sure. Opt for a better option that's good value for money from Kirkland such as the Signature American Vodka.