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Produced by Barton 1792, a holding of the same Sazerac that also operates Buffalo Trace, this special offering has been a rare sight at US Costcos for the last few years. Though I've previously had a good amount of both the occasionally offensive Kirkland Small Batch and solid Bottled-in-Bond, the Single Barrel has proved most elusive. In my native Georgia, we only got two pallets in 2025! The fact that they sat for more than a day shows just how much the bourbon boom has tapered off; I'm still showing them in-stock a week later. Kirkland Single Barrel Bourbon provides a huge value, undercutting Total Wine's rival Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve by a good bit even though the juice is likely just about the same (there is some small difference as I somewhat proved in a long blind tasting battery). Further details are sparse, but Master Distiller Danny Kahn's name is on the bottle which has to mean something.
🛒Sourced: 29.99 at Costco Perimeter, GA for 1 liter, around $23 for the standard 750ml serving. Bottles typically show up in late summer or early fall, a few months after the BiB and small batch roll through.
🧪Proof: 120, 60% ABV - This likely does include some dilution from the barrel. 120 is a relatively safe threshold for whiskey barreled at 125 as even low floors don't have too high a chance of evaporating below range.
🎨Color: R5 - Looks pretty darn dark, around the same as the 1792 full proof pick I have.
🥔Mash Bill & Production: Unknown, likely somewhat close to 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malt Barley. Most assume it to be the same mash bill used in 1792 and the Very Old Barton line.
- Age - NAS (Likely 4-6 years old)
- Distillation Proof - 140 (assumed, most Barton is this)
- Barrel Entry Proof - 125
- Char - #3 to #3.5 Char (Independent Stave Company barrels). Barton utilizes a slightly below-alligator char on their barrels.
- Batch Size - Single Barrel
- Chill Filtered - No
👃Nose: Sorta dusty smelling with a lot of caramel character. There is some proof apparent but it comes across more as oxidized molasses. Depending on how those two overlap I get nougat or maple syrup, somewhat rough around the edges but with a butter and fudge appeal.
😜Palate: Not as thick as I would have expected, a medium-bodied mouthfeel. Flavors are again mainly confectionary, butterscotch and toffee with the same chocolate or caramel undertones. Towards the finish, I get a bit of cinnamon spice, dried fig and tingling white pepper. Heat does start to build here.
💦Finish: Decently lengthy, the fig changes towards more of the dark cherry that I'd normally expect from Barton. Suppose it was here the whole time hiding under the thick, syrupy aspects. Does have some heat to it and ends in a slightly tannic bite.
🏆 Overall: 6.5/10 - Very Good - For something that's less than $25 for a normal bottle size serving, Kirkland Single Barrel gets it done and more. I'm not going to say there aren't rough edges, but this is a pretty complex pour that drinks at or below its proof. To be honest, it's a good deal smoother than a number of recent Booker's editions. I'm a bit surprised by how candy-focused this one is whereas Barton tends towards more fruited notes when I think of them. In any case, you get nice sweetness with some great confections and rich caramel around barrel proof. Not bad for a budget bottle at all. I knew this wouldn't be a "meeting Jesus" moment, but this is a solid bottle at a solid price.
💵Would buy again? Yes, a great deal no matter how you slice it. I'm very much interested in learning for myself how much variability there is with these.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Serviceable | Mixing or ice recommended.
5 | Good | Drinkable Neat | An agreeable dram indeed.
6 | Very Good | Any flaws offset by interesting flavors | A cut above.
7 | Great | You find yourself reaching for this one often | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Serve to Impress Guests | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite | You guard this bottle jealously
🙈Blind Tastings:
- 10/7/2026 - 1792 Full Proof SiB > Green River Full Proof > Kirkland Single Barrel - This was a bit interesting. The Green River is more mellow at proof but not as creamy and I find myself liking the overall flavor of the Kirkland more, though the GR has a nice fruity scone thing going. The 1792 name brand offering just tops both of them. I think here the Kirkland shines for its cost efficiency, still very good at less than half the cost.