Kirkland Reposado

Many people have told me in the comments of my Instagram account, that the Kirkland (Costco) tequila is the best tequila deal available. They are wrong.

Indeed, Kirkland sells a full liter of this reposado for just over $17 (local pricing may vary). But when you can get Lunazul Reposado for low $20s, and Espéralo for $19.99 (for a 750ml) at Total Wine? The price argument doesn’t compel me; and it shouldn’t compel you.

Even for a big batch of margaritas, this Kirkland could be a rough ride, and it’s not really a sipper in any conceivable scenario.

It’s made at the large-scale distillery, “Newton” (NOM 1173) in Tesitán, Jalisco. Kirkland has never - as far as I can tell - disclosed the production methods for this expression, but the distillery makes ample use of industrial diffusers, and at that price point this is most likely a diffuser-created tequila.

Furthermore, while it clearly states 100% Blue Agave on the label, Kirkland (Costco) is currently embroiled in a class action lawsuit that alleges the bottle contains significant amounts of alcohol that is not derived from agave.

For aging, the bottle states only a “blend of American and French oak.” But again, at the price, I’d guess it’s on the young end of reposado aging, likely two to four months.

Aroma: Strong alcohol and nail polish notes dominate, backstopped by some honey and citrus character. A little sawdust, too.

Palate: Thin, watery mouthfeel. Flavor is very astringent. Woody, but not the vanilla/caramel/butterscotch notes you might find in typical reposado. This is more bitter, with Red Hots candy and white pepper up front, and quite a bit of fruitiness following.

Finish: Longer finish that I anticipated, although not sure that’s a net positive. Spicy, fruity is the final impression, with more throat-burning sensation than I prefer.

I understand the premise: You’re at Costco already. You need tequila. It’s soooo inexpensive. Your friends aren’t tequila snobs. But you can do a lot better than this.