Costco Cognac, mmm!

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shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,083
49
Las Vegas
I decided to take a chance on Costco's house brand Cognac:

kirkland-signature-xo-fine.jpg

At $45.99 for XO how bad could it be?

Pretty dang decent actually. It's a blend of 12-21 year old Cognacs and produced by Peyrat. As near as I can tell the primary difference between this and the regular label Peyrat is that the regular label starts at 15 years old and is without an upper age:

peyrat-xo-cognac.jpg

Probably better stuff but it's also more than twice the price.

To me, Cognac tends to have either a more fruit forward profile or a more toffee-like (not sweetie sugar) forward profile and the Costco stuff is the latter. It has a great sweetness without being cloying and there's a touch of spice or oak which I think might be the influence of the barrel. It's also very smooth. I've had more complex Cognacs but I also had to pay more.

Overall, just a nice Cognac for a great price.
 

musicman

Lifer
Nov 12, 2019
1,119
6,052
Cincinnati, OH
My dad and I both enjoy the Kirkland cognac. In fact, he just left me a bottle after staying with us for a few days. It’s a damn good deal for an XO, and while it’s not the best around it’s better than average for sure. It holds its own against bottles twice the price.

I’ve had good experiences with most Kirkland products, including booze. The consistent quality of their house brand is one factor (of many) that makes them one of the best retailers around, IMO.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Costco has a business plan that lets the customer in on their economy of scale, since they can buy a zillion cases of everything. You just have to be careful not to make yourself their warehouse by overstocking on their wholesale quantities. Another of their "things" is not offering too many choices, just one or two good deals per category. Otherwise, they feel, the customer just gets undecided and doesn't buy anything. They may not be right about everything, but they certainly make it pay, and have many good deals. Their cognac, malt, and port sound delicious ... making me thirsty. I too am in North Carolina. The ABC stores here ... that's another story.
 

danimalia

Lifer
Sep 2, 2015
4,385
26,440
41
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
I quit drinking before I really started hearing about Costco's spirits, but I love the idea of them, and by all accounts, the execution seems to be pretty good as well. I know my Stepdad likes them, I believe the Canadian whiskey in particular, and my brother does too. The only Costco/Kirkland stuff I use these days regularly are their undershirts. They're a bit thicker than standard, which also makes them decent to wear by themselves. I haven't been able to get them recently, but they also used to make some of the most comfortable boxer shorts around.

Costco also has a reputation for treating their workers decently, which matters to me.
 
May 8, 2017
1,593
1,627
Sugar Grove, IL, USA
Thanks for the review. I’ve wondered about it for a couple years. My usual brandy is Martell Blue Swift, which is a VSOP cognac finished in bourbon barrels. It’s in a similar price range as the Kirkland XO.

I just bought some of the Kirkland Tennessee bourbon. Meh. Pretty hot. Their blanco tequila is fine for margaritas. Until this year’s release, I had absolutely LOVED their Rioja, which was an absolute steal at $6.99. This year’s was not good however. I usually buy just a couple bottles and if it’s good, I buy more. But you have to act fast because the rioja sells out quickly.
 
Jun 18, 2020
3,799
13,539
Wilmington, NC
I live in North Carolina, which is State controlled,
so I’m unable to try to Kirkland offerings. I envy those
of you that have easy access to the discount liquor
prices at Costco. The way shanez described the Cognac
makes it sound wonderful.
If you are close to SC, head down there. We stop by Myrtle Beach and hit up the Costco for a booze run.
 

DangerStranger

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 10, 2020
176
729
Heads up for those interested. Costco just dropped a single malt Islay whisky and a small batch bourbon. Both are in stores now. The Islay is excellent, seems like Bruichladdich to me. Haven't opened the small batch, but the reviews are good and it's only $18.99 for a 1L, the stock at my store was mostly pillaged. They have two more bourbons coming out in rotation. See pic below (not mine).

islay.jpg

costco-bourbon.jpg
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,083
49
Las Vegas
Heads up for those interested. Costco just dropped a single malt Islay whisky and a small batch bourbon. Both are in stores now. The Islay is excellent, seems like Bruichladdich to me. Haven't opened the small batch, but the reviews are good and it's only $18.99 for a 1L, the stock at my store was mostly pillaged. They have two more bourbons coming out in rotation. See pic below (not mine).

View attachment 84817

View attachment 84818
Bottled in bond Bourbon!!!!

I'll be on the lookout. Thanks for the heads-up.
 

Tar Wheel

Lifer
May 23, 2020
1,463
21,192
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Heads up for those interested. Costco just dropped a single malt Islay whisky and a small batch bourbon. Both are in stores now. The Islay is excellent, seems like Bruichladdich to me. Haven't opened the small batch, but the reviews are good and it's only $18.99 for a 1L, the stock at my store was mostly pillaged. They have two more bourbons coming out in rotation. See pic below (not mine).

View attachment 84817

View attachment 84818
I’m curious to know if this is 1792 with a Kirkland label?
I would be very keen to try the Kirkland single barrel at 120 proof to compare to 1792 full proof.
 

DangerStranger

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 10, 2020
176
729
I’m curious to know if this is 1792 with a Kirkland label?
I would be very keen to try the Kirkland single barrel at 120 proof to compare to 1792 full proof.

Bottled in bond Bourbon!!!!

I'll be on the lookout. Thanks for the heads-up.
Here's the back of a bottle. Reads distilled by Barton 1792. Planning on getting into this one tonight. I agree, I'll be looking out for both the Bottled in Bond and the Single Barrel releases.

IMG_9934.jpg
 
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