Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Bourbon by Barton 1792

The exploration of Costco pours continues with this Bottled in Bond offering. Tasted neat and in a few different cocktails. A side by side comparison with Old Tub Bottled in Bond and 1792 Bottled in Bond is a good way to start this review. Let's see how this stacks up with something close to its price range and also with something purported to be a close relative with a higher price tag. On the nose the Kirkland is sweet with floral vanilla (think Tahitian over Mexican) caramel and burnt sugar, slight ethanol and a trace of candy bar nougat. The Old Tub has a richer, darker nose (albeit Mexican over Tahitian) that follows along the same line of impressions. They are similar, but not the same. The 1792 takes it just a smidgen further, offering the most interesting nose with elements of pencil shavings, and barrel char layering on top of caramel and richer vanilla. In the mouth the Kirkland has good feel, being silky but not oily. I find it just a tad thin to be a satisfying sipper. There's some nice vanilla and sweet wood notes, with a fair black pepper mid-palate and a drying, short finish. Overall its quite good if not necessarily memorable or remarkable. The Old Tub leans into a cake frosting sugariness, a similar thinness and a trace of boiled peanuts on the exhale. It seems just slightly less peppery and may be preferable as a neat sipper - but this is a very close call. In an Improve Whiskey Cocktail (2.5 oz bourbon, .25 oz Maraschino liqueur, 1 bar spoon rich simple syrup, 1 bar spoon absinthe, 2 dashes Angostura bitters) these were indistinguishable and delicious. Sampled neat the 1792 bib steps up the competition significantly. It's notably richer, creamier, and more complex. The 1792 is a better neat sipper, full stop. Its moderate fade to a clean, barrel tannin finish has kept a bottle in my rotation for several years now. Frankly, I fully expect a $50 bottle to be better than one half its price. Kirkland Bottled in Bond bourbon is a great budget selection, ideal for mixed drinks and completely good enough to stand on its own as a casual sipper. Would I stand in line for this or drive across town to get one? No. Solid and worth a buy if you're in the store and its sitting right there in front of you (pretty much how Costco liquor shopping works, tbh).

Dear the people who control this platform, I learned in a recent review that I can now include emojis. This is a good thing I think. 🥃😁🤣😎❤️🕺✌️😂😱💃🏼🤞🥰🙀😸😭 Those are my 15 most frequently used emojis, in order. I’m proud of that particular selection, and I’m happy that I can now share them with this community despite the weird cat stuff at the end. However, I also learned that I can no longer say the word *****. I’m not editing that out right now, by the way. I’m pasting this in from notes, and I definitely typed the word “*****” in all its glory. I’m obviously not a fan of this, but it necessarily begs the question… what kind of profanity can I still get away with? My dumbass bastard of a “friend” recently shat the bed and damn near fucked over to Hell, Michigan for a good ass spelunking. Journeyman. Shit. Canadian whiskey is good. We will learn together what makes it past the filter. Nose has roses, sugar, lemon. Delightful. Body is honey, fruit punch, vanilla, bit of red apple. Honeysuckle. Sweet cream. I can see caramel. Wow. Finish is chocolate, fruit punch, cinnamon. Caramel lingers. Massively sweet finish. My one criticism of the Kirkland small batch was that it was less dynamic than the 1792 small batch, so if “dollars be 🤬” what’s the incentive beyond volume? This bourbon eradicates that criticism. It has every right to stand tall next to its 1792 cousins… which it does… because it’s a liter of quality bourbon for only $30. It’s kind of absurd how smooth this is. With the disclaimer that I am a bit of a 1792 fan boy (as prior pictures may suggest), I can’t find fault with this Kirkland whiskey. I bring this up, because when it comes to the 1792 flavor profile, I have bought in. For this drink, I think it’s better than 1792 small batch and 1792 bonded. Which is 🤬 weird if you think about it. They really hit a home run with this, and if you enjoy that fruit punch note in 1792, you owe it to yourself to get a case of this.

First pour. This one is substantially better on a big rock vs neat. The Kirkland BiB (3.75/5) is much bigger, bolder, and spicier than the Kirkland Small Batch (3.5/5) despite the minor difference in proof (100 vs 92). Notes: almond croissant | just a pop of vanilla | dark fruit | toasted marshmallow sweetness | honey (but darker honey bordering on maple syrup) | molasses / pecan pie / syrupy | it's pretty hot [in a positive "kentucky hug" sense of the word] | light leather, wet tobacco, sweet at the end. I think that this would work well in many cocktails that traditionally call for a rye, and also as a manhattan. I still enjoyed drinking it straight, especially for the value, and will try it straight a few more times at least. If you want something that's light and soft snd sweet with traditional caramel and vanilla bourbon notes, the Kirkland Small Batch would be a better choice. Note: As of this review, the Kirkland Single Barrel for 2024 has not yet been released.

The thought that immediately sprang into my mind at my first sip of this BIB was “Dammit, I should have bought more than one bottle.” Having tried several of the other Kirkland label whiskeys, and having been slightly underwhelmed by them, my expectations for the BIB were not too high. But they were massively exceeded! Such a burst of intense, complex favors, with a very nice lingering finish. I usually take my whiskey on the rocks, so the higher proof is very nice to maintain some character despite being a little watered down. This is the first of the Kirkland brand whiskeys where, If I was offered some at a party, I’d be genuinely pleased about it. Will definitely stock up on more next time I go to Costco. Great value.

I did a head to head with the kirkland barton bib vs the kirkland barton sib (120 proof). The first thing you notice is the sib is a few shades darker (more red). Bib Nose : astringent , citrus and carmel. Taste: tangy sweet light pineapple, citrus a little cereal. Medium numb spicy finish. This is nothing to laugh at for less than $25 a liter. 3.75 Sib Nose : more rich and smooth with a citrus carmel as well. Taste: wow this shows up the bib. Almost twice as good. Smooth carmel, citrus, cherry, rich and deep. For only $5 more??? ($29)  Finish is sweet, smooth with a little spice. 4.25 but I really want to rank it higher for the value.

Upped to 3.75 to reflect incredible value. Brought down my my buddy in WI. Bright straw/brass color. Sticky on the glass, with slowly emerging legs. Nose is caramel, peanut, and a notable rye spice. A hint of green apple, honey or golden raisin in there, too. Tart and warm up front, with a fruity note, followed by a sticky caramel sweet mid palate and finish. Heat and spice warm the mouth and throat, but not so much as to hit the chest. There's vanilla and barrel char, and that's nice. Tails off triggering memories of an old barn. Well balanced and easy sipping... nothing special. An absolutely outstanding value.