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Awarded 91 points and a gold medal by the Beverage Tasting Institute, Kirkland Canadian Whisky is known a great value and many in the popular culture have alleged that it is repackaged Crown Royal due to its relative quality for the price. But is it?
📚Background: Kirkland first introduced their line of spirits in the 1990s and has expanded their offerings over time. While I wasn't able to find a first release date for this product, the first TTB label in the COLA database is from 2016. The whisky is imported for Costco by Wide World Importers in Louisville Kentucky. Digging a bit further reveals that Wide World Importers is an alternative name for SAZERAC. For me, this conclusively busts the popular myth that Kirkland Canadian is made by Crown Royal (a Diageo property). Sazerac has a number of Canadian Whisky brands in-house, including: Rich & Rare Reserve ($19.99 for 1.75L - No Age Statement), Seagram's VO ($22.99 for 1.75L - Aged Six Years), and the more premium Caribou Crossing.
🧪Proof: 80 Proof, 40% Alcohol by Volume
🎨Color: R3- Really like R3.5, a light caramel color, somewhat translucent. For six year whiskey, this is more on the Scotch level of color intensity. Canadian whisky, much like Scotch, is usually barreled in used bourbon casks which have already done some work/had some of their chemicals extracted into the preceding spirits. My conjecture would be the more temperate climate of Canada and use of ex-bourbon barrels likely results in the lighter color. Pretty much no legs.
🥔Mash Bill: I see many blogs/articles citing 94% corn, 2% rye, 2% barley and 1% Sherry, but have not found an official source for this (please let me know if you do have one). Based on its label as "Blended Canadian Whiskey", there are likely multiple different distinct whiskies with differing mash bills at play within the bottle. Seagram's is listed on multiple retailers' sites as being a blend of fifty unique whiskies, and Crown Royal uses five distinct mash bills in their blended whiskies. Simplifying this to a mash bill is likely not appropriate as the composition almost assuredly changes between editions due to curation by the Master Blender as they try and achieve a consistent profile over time. For more information on the blending process, I strongly recommend our guide to Whiskey Blending.
Canadian whisky is interesting in that it can contain up to 9.09% of a coloring, flavoring, or other spirit as long as that addition has been aged for at least 2 years. Assuming the sherry component is correct, it likely helps reduce the cost of the bottle while also increasing the sweetness and balancing out the flavor.
Label states six years of age. Considering price, taste, and age, my conclusion is that this is likely either a standard Seagram's batch or a purpose-built blend made by Sazerac for Costco from component whiskies also used in their other products.
👃Nose: Vanilla, toffee, corn syrup, ethanol, and craft resin. Sweet with some industrial chemical aroma
😜Palate: Light mouthfeel, a little oily but not unpleasant, relatively flavorless into the mid palate, you can get some vanilla and a tiny bit of rosin wood. Very little if any alcohol burn.
💦Finish: Short short short, a couple of flavors that I would describe together as cream soda.
🏆 Overall: 4.5/10 - Neat - Not Bad, but Many Things I'd Rather Have - On its own, it leaves a lot to be desired. The flavor is simple and overly sweet though the whole experience but is dampened by an occasional expression of factory chemicals. On ice, the flavor fades away almost entirely and you're left with a teasing sweetness. Both of those things being true.... it's just too cheap to pass up. The internet loves to over hype Kirkland products, but even the membership clubs can only improve so far on the realities of whiskey economics. For a party or overly involved drinking session, Kirkland Canadian is inoffensive fodder for your booze fueled fire(drink responsibly).
7/10 - Mixed - Great Well Above Average Smiles Per Gallon - I will say that this is perfect for bulk cocktails though it doesn't stand out in strong mixers. It plays a role in my nightlife lineup as a stand-in for dark rum and goes great in Coke. For my part, I love mixing Kirkland Canadian 50/50 with diet sweet tea and a little lemon for a nonstick and stomach friendly cocktail. A water bottle full of whiskey tea is my nightly companion for convention parties.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.
5 | Good | Good, an agreeable dram indeed
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.