Castle & Cairn

Distilled by Barton 1792 on behalf of Spirits Direct, Total Wine's private label brand,  Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve is an elevated proof iteration of the standard Wolcott bourbon. Barton does a huge number of other private bottlings while at the same time many of the 1792 branded iterations have become somewhat difficult to find. The most comparable bottles are likely 1792 Full Proof and Kirkland Single Barrel, both quite elusive these days and packing a handful of extra proof points. It is worth noting that the Wolcott brand has changed producers over the years from Buffalo Trace to Barton 1792 in 2022. Both distilleries are owned by Sazerac, so it is unlikely that the mash bill has changed though the equipment itself can impact the flavor and aging conditions in the rickhouse will differ as well. The Barton editions have their lineage marked clearly on the front label if you have any question and this particular richouse reserve iteration was introduced after the distillery switc...

Distilled by Barton 1792 on behalf of Total Wine, Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond is a cousin of Costco's Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond and the bonded version of 1792. Barton does a huge number of other private bottlings while at the same time many of the 1792 branded iterations have become difficult to find. It is worth noting that the Wolcott brand has changed producers over the years. The version that won double gold in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2022 was produced by Buffalo Trace. There are still a few of those floating around, so it's definitely worth checking the label for collectability (thankfully these Barton bottles have it emblazoned in big letters on the front). Both distilleries are owned by Sazerac, so it is unlikely that the mash bill has changed though the equipment itself can impact the flavor. 🛒 Sourced:  $36.99 on sale, normally $39.99 - Total Wine, GA 750ml - Note that this is roughly 2x the price of Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond (1L bottle) and about $1...

Both produced by Sazerac's Barton 1792 distillery, Costco's Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond is a value darling of the wider internet and Total Wine's Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond has placed well at international spirits competitions, though most of its metal finishes were while it was still made at Sazerac's Buffalo Trace distillery. As both are private label bottles contracted distilled by Barton, we are left to ask the question: which one is better? The Contestants - Kirkland and Wolcott You can find our full bottle write-ups on both whiskies here: Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond Review Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond Review The broad summary is that the Kirkland bottle is significantly cheaper though both the Costco and Total Wine brands here cost less than the equivalent 1792 Bottled-in-Bond, a hard to find iteration that is only now starting to show up reliably on shelves again. Per the Bottled-in-Bond act , both drams will be 100 proof, aged a minimum of four years, and made in batches of b...