Review #4: Kirkland Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Kirkland Signature is Costco's house brand, and their products range from clothing, food all the way to alcohol. This brand is used to label products made from other companies and sold at a usually lower price. One example is the one I'm reviewing here, their Islay Single Malt. These are usually pretty pricey given a few Islay distilleries there are. And some spoilers: If you like peaty whiskys, go get this.

As I've alluded to in the intro, if you are a fan of peaty whiskys from Islay, do yourself a favor and see if you can find this at your local Costco. I was lucky enough to see a few bottles and picked one up. I should've grabbed two. I don't usually gravitate towards the Kirkland Signature brand, but there are definitely some hidden gems in there.

Nose: Here is your typical Islay peated whisky, tons of mossy peaty goodness on the nose. It makes you feel like you're sitting in the middle of a forest after some heavy rain with a campfire going. After a bit you start to get some sweet notes attached to what I can describe as pencil shavings.

Palate: The peat totally envelopes your mouth as if you bit into a burnt log. But through that comes a bit of vanilla and caramel notes, helping it finish off really well. And it'll stay around for a while letting your taste buds enjoy a smokey bath.

This is a bottle that, given the price, is so easy to recommend. It's not the best Islay you can get, but it's a ridiculous bargain at $36. If you haven't had much peated whisky I'd urge you to give this a try. If you end up not liking it, the $36 will be a bit easier to swallow.