Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Bourbon by Barton 1792

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, oak, and cinnamon, followed by dried apple and orange. Palate: Honey, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon red hots, dried apple, orange, and oak. Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of oak and cinnamon red hots.

This bourbon is like sitting down to a slice of Apple Cobbler while sitting outside in an apple orchard in the fall. Fresh tart fall apples on the nose gives way to a vanilla and oat pallet and exceptionally smooth finish which brings some heat, like black pepper and caramel. An exceptional value for the quality. My only wish is that it had a little more power behind the flavors. It’s all very smooth and mellow.

A well done BIB. A little sweet, but who doesn't like a little sweetness??

Just as smooth as 1792's own bottled in bond.

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).

A good pour Probably a 3.5 but bumped it up cause its A BARGAIN, espeically considering the bittles are 1L