Barton 1792 Kirkland Signature Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $26 (1 L)

- 100 Proof

- min. 4 years

- Kentucky

Costco has always been a great place to find value in whiskey. Even the regular stuff that you see on shelves everywhere else tends to be discounted to some extent. However, the true value lies within their Kirkland Signature branded whiskeys. At least, that is certainly the case with their Scotches, which in the past have been pretty well-aged and rumored to be sourced from Macallan, among other distilleries.

However, just recently they announced the release of three bourbons all sourced from Barton 1792. Even better, rather than hide the source as with most of their house-branded products, Costco decided to clearly and conspicuously state right on the label where this bourbon is coming from. And in this case, it's Barton 1792 bottled-in-bond, packaged in a 1 liter bottle, and sold for a mere $26!! Given that regular Barton 1792 bottled-in-bond is twice that price for less whiskey, this is already a steal of a deal before I even had a sip.

The nose gave off very traditional notes of cinnamon and almond. It had a certain maple syrup sweetness to it, though, leaning away from your typical caramel or toffee notes. There was also something bright and crisp to the nose, kind of like fresh orange peel. All in all this had a solid nose, one that invited you in for a sip.

As to flavor, the first thing I noticed was this warm cinnamon note right up front. That cinnamon note hit the tip of the tongue and carried all the way through to the finish. It provided a nice coating of both sweet and spice, and really complemented the proof, giving it some kick without a bunch of the heat.

Aside from the cinnamon, I also got sweeter notes of chocolate and brown sugar. In this respect it had somewhat of a cookie-like quality. There were other spices beyond the cinnamon that seemed to come through as well, including a clove note that added a sort of tanginess to it, as well as an allspice note that gave it some richness and depth. At times it reminded me of a spiced cider.

The finish was all cinnamon and brown sugar though. There was no mistaking it. At times it reminded me of a cinnamon roll, but only if that cinnamon roll has no frosting and is very heavy on the cinnamon and brown sugar . . . so not really like a cinnamon roll, I guess.

Overall, this is the best value in whiskey right now. As mentioned above, you get a full liter of Barton 1792 bourbon, bottled in bond so you get decent proof and age, and for only $26. And the best part is that for my money this was right on par with the regular Barton 1792 bottled in bond that runs you twice the price for less bourbon.   That incredibly value certainly adds to the grade I'm giving this bourbon.

Grade: A-