Great review! I've come to appreciate the Kirkland 12 as a daily dram. I found the Kirkland 12 to to be very sweet up front on the palette and very easy to drink...maybe too easy! I actually found it closer to the Johnny Walker Gold 18 versus the the black or double black with not as much peat/smoke on the finish.
First of all, did a fabulous job in your comparison review. At 68, I am very new to drinking whiskey’s. I started with JW Black label. Took me awhile to acquire a taste for it. I really enjoy it in the evening before bedtime. By the way the year is May, 2022 and I live in California. I will pick up a botttle of the Kirkland 12 year and give it a try. Only thing that I don’t care far is the size and shape of the bottle. Neck appears to be to tall. One question for you, when you say you taste or smell the peet, I don’t know what that means or what it tastes like. I know peet is what the Irish use as a heating fuel, but I can’t make the taste/smell connection from there. Your knowledge of whisky’s is impressive. I will have to listen to this video to absorb and better understand your teachings. I also subscribed to your channel. Thanks Nick
Hi Nick, thanks for subscribing! The smokiness you find in Black Label is due to peat - which is burned to dry the barley in the making of malted barley. The smoke, called peat reek, is used to dry the barley just after tiny sprouts appear to stop the sprouting. The malted barley absorbs the smoke, which influences the flavour of the beer at fermentation and the single malt distillate after distillation. For Black Label only a couple of the single malts in the blend are peated. Cheers from Winnipeg!🥃🥃🥃🥃
Loved the thorough review Mark and the fact that these have a nice price will encourage folks to give Scottish Whisky a try. It proves that if a person watches and reads reviews and shops smart; there are enjoyable whiskies at good prices. I definitely look for that fine line of quality and price. It was also great to see Rocky again!! Mike
Totally agree! I had a good example of this last weekend. Before seeing a film I stopped in to a neighboring liquor store and a Craft AppleJack using New York State apples and spirit that was distilled in New York State and aged and bottled here in Brooklyn caught my eye. I Love apples and want to support local and statewide product were possible, so after the film, I bought a bottle at $46 Just for comparison, on Sunday, I bought LAIRD'S AppleJack which is produced in Virginia, LAIRD'S claim to have the 1st license to distill spirit in the US??????????????. It cost $22. As you know, I have enjoyed it in the past and usually have it especially in the fall and winter. While the mouthfeel of the craft offering was better at 50% ABV rather then 40%ABV for the LAIRD'S, it was not noticeably superior in total COMPARED TO LAIRD'S and LAIRD'S had a more pronounced Apple note, which I like. Sometimes you get more then what you pay for as your review here and my experience prove. Watching a replay of Stage 8 of the Tour while making Burritos now. SLÁINTE Mike
I have never tried Kirkland Whiskey because it is not available where I live. However, the Kirkland French Vodka, Dry Gin, and my favorite Irish Creme (Baily's) are superb products with excellent value.
Hi Chauncey Stewart, if you ever find it you will find it is the same - good quality and excellent value. The 12 is especially recommended. Cheers🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Great job on this review, Mark! You mentioned Cutty Sark a number of times during this video, and all that I could do was nod my head as I was sipping on Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition... It has become my favorite blended scotch, and I can't keep it on my bar long enough to be sure that I always have some. Slainte Mhath!
Really wish I could get my hands on that CS Prohibition. I've heard a lot of really good things about it, and no one carries it by me. Sounds like a formidable dram. Cheers!
Good review Mark. I appreciate hearing about Kirkland and other store blends too. They are often a very good value, but hard to find quality thoughts on.
They are usually the scourge of the industry which is a shame. Nobody in the car industry would do that to the entry level money makers!! But ours is a different sort where everyone wants a test drive(usually for free) of the latest Maseratis and Lamborghinis. Meanwhile, everyone might like the ride of a golf, Cruze, or even a Lada! Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark
WhiskyWhistle yes! Exactly. I was recently in the home of someone who makes an amazing living. After an invitation to have a Scotch, I wondered what life changing bottles were in his collection. In the cupboard? Just Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and modest blends. Why? He enjoys them and they are priced right for what he wants. Helped ground me again.
Whisky Neighbour you must have been surprised! I remember taking two friends to a Glenfiddich tasting. One preferred the 12 in a blind taste test. I also have a well to do aunt that loves her Famous Grouse!
You have no idea Mark. I could go on and on about this fellow and his ability to purchase something interesting, but the bottom line was just to realize he was very happy with the collection he had. He has had others, but he enjoys the expressions he purchased. He is really just a casual friend, but if I go back, I will try to bring a couple of ideas in case I can persuade him to go on an adventure. I am being selfish, of course, as I would love to try what he could so easily pick up :) Anyway, are you back in Winnipeg? I thought you were, but the last two reviews I saw you were in Seoul again.
Great review Mark, I've found a similar thing when opening some bottles as they can be rather sharp around the top so what I was told is remove the full top bit and no cuts. Cheers buddy and great comparison!
WhiskyWhistle I have the same feeling about it because naked tops look off to me but with some which I find tougher then others I have to get rid of them. Cheers buddy!
@@WhiskyWhistle Right now I'm walking with an Irish I picked up on a whim (Egan's Single Malt 10 at 47 abv, natural color). I went shopping for something else and stumbled upon it and was not disappointed. I'm a pretty typical peat lover otherwise: Talisker, Ardbeg, Laphroaig. Although I'm fairly new to whisky, I'm pretty much an omnivore (although I steer away from mostly corn-based spirits like those produced here in the US). The one area I'd love to get into is Japanese whisky, but recent challenges there may frustrate that desire.
Sounds great! I am an omnivore as well of course. One Japanese you should look for us Nikka From The Barrel. Reviewed 3 years back and bought another couple (look for the folded box!) and reaffirmed my love of it. Cheers again and thanks for sharing🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Since covid 19, I've begun drinking whisky instead of wine. In California, they've lowered the quality of wine without raising the prices. As a result, I began drinking the generic Kirkland blended scotch whiskey. It's better than the wine I used to drink. Next purchase will be the 12 year brand from Kirkland.
I really like the kirkland 12 year old it has a nice sweetness and a little peat and i think its very smooth. For the money i dont think you can beat it!
Thanks for the comment! Absolutely right!! And bang on at that price you can’t beat it. Maybe even at JW Black’s price it would hold its own. Cheers🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Hi K Nakajima - you will thank us! This is the definition of the guilt - free decent pour. It will sing either neat or on the rocks. Cocktails as well! What’s your favourite whisky? Cheers and Happy New Year🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Hey thanks for replying I love glenfiddich 12, unfortunately the kirkland 12 is not stocked on my local costco store... But i'll seek for it until i get my hands on one!
Nice review Mark! As you described Kirkland's 12 i couldn't help but think it seems to evote some notes of JW Red more than JW Black. You should compare the Kirklands 12 to Teachers and JW Red next, might be interesting as they all are in a similar price point. Here JW black in a 1.75l costs over $70 USD. Dewars 12 is around $50. JW Red can be found often on sale under $40 for a 1.75l.
Hi Will! Perhaps but I suppose it was the age/smoke versus the basic Kirkland that made me compare them. Not a bad idea on a new comparison like that! I’ll grab a bottle next time I’m in Alberta(or Saskatchewan if their Costco sells liquor) Hope you have been well despite the strange times. Cheers my friend🥃🥃🥃🥃
@@WhiskyWhistle Hi Mark! Strange times indeed! Thank you for your kind words, i've been staying well and I hope you are too! I've found JW Red to have more smoke character than Black and this is consistent with how the brand see's it as well. There is a chart somewhere floating around on the internet that shows that only JW Double Black is blended to have more smoke than Red in their JW line. Being that Teacher's has a prominent smoke component, the idea of that comparison made sense to me. BTW, I just picked up a bottle of Dewars 12 for the first time. I have a bottle of Dewars White label and found it to be quite lacking on the palate and finish though it is decidedly very nice on the nose. Hopefully the 12 lives up to all the hype surrounding the recent competition wins for its category. Have you recently tried Dewars 12? That might also be a good comparison between JW Black and the Kirkland 12. JWB is $78 USD at my well priced local store vs the $59 for Dewars 12 in 1.75l bottle. Compare that with JWR at $37 on sale, and a mere $22 for Teachers regularly. Thats a pretty big difference between JWB and Dewars 12 IMO. Stay safe and well my friend! Cheers!
Thanks Nitrox buddy! As soon as I tasted it I thought, they’ve nearly copied the JWB! Hence the comparison. Yes, nearly all settled in. Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Nice concept. Costco also offers various "Kirkland" single malts. I've tried the 16-year Highland bourbon matured and still drinking the 18-year Speyside 46% sherry finished. They are NDS (no distillery statement) but at $45-50 quite the value. Seems to fly in the face of stories about stock shortages.
Hi Alex thanks for the comments. Yes, I’ve had the 20 year Speyside and tried my friend’s 18 Year Speyside. These were the only Alexander Murray malts avaislble in Korea and they never re stocked. I will definitely tour the big box shops when I travel in the States ( I am now residing in Winnipeg) and grab some of those store brand malts bottled by Alexander Murray. Cheers🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Something tells me you were gonna be feeling pretty good by the end of this review? Let us know the website where you start singing Broadway showtunes after drinking all of these scotches? I find most Kirkland spirits are not too bad. Can't beat the price for a bottle the size of a Buick!
Randy - some nights back then I would try and do 7 reviews in a night starting at 11pm. Things got a little messy with sleep deprivation and inebriation working in tandem! Yes I’d gladly get the 12 again. Great for cocktails and good enough to sip. Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Thanks for the review. I had a small pour of both of these this evening and stumbled on this review. I’ve only been a scotch guy for about a year now. Bourbon had been my previous go to for about a decade. For the money, the 12 year is about my favorite so far. For me, the regular one is basically only for mixing. I get a very immature whisky flavor that I just don’t care for. The 12 year has become my daily drinker, though. I’ve had better, but not for anywhere near the price. Smooth, with a little smoke, caramel, and peat. Love it.
i am a total noob with scotch/whisky. When I heard hay, I almost fell out. I am more of a red whine guy. I appreciate the color and candor. I got the blended. I think its ok for me, as i don't have the taste for it yet, but i do enjoy the burn. .
Hi Steve thanks for the comment! Fresh hay has a grassy sweet musky grainy corn-husky woody smell. This is a common scent in Scotch whiskies! It’s not alone but layered in with scents of fruit, caramel and spices. This one is also a little smoky which adds to the experience. As what I would consider to be the least expensive decent Scotch, if Black Label is too expensive for regular every day drinking then this one will be great. And yes, you’ll get a little burn! Cheers🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Sorry for the delay! I mean, from a cost perspective the Kirkland is 1/2 to 1/3 the ticket price of the Macallan and 133 percent bigger. But while I am not a big fan of the 12 Fine Oak/Triple Cask, it will be more pleasant for most people. 133 percent more pleasant? No. Cheers🥃🥃🥃 Mark
The black label is Creamy toffee, sweet fruit and spice roll over the tongue with a warming smoky finish. The giant here is the black 12 but the Kirkland 12 DEFINITELY WIN.
"The purposes of comparison"...that's what I keep saying when I pour two or more drams to "compare" for the night. If your still in the Peg I'd suggest hitting up The Toad for an excellent whisky selection.
Am I talking to a fellow Winnipegger? I love the Toad! Great minds think alike. I usually pour half this much or even 1/3 or 1/4 of four or five whiskies, as you say, to really compare and notice what something tastes like. Cheers🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Hi Mark - fellow scotch/whiskey lover here, had a slightly off-topic question for you. I moved to Seoul about a month ago (scotch prices are not treating me well compared to the US!), and was curious how you went about learning Korean. You sound quite good in your videos. I've learned Hangul already, and been using a few apps as well as hiring a private teacher for a 1-hour lesson weekly. Are there any particular books or methods you would suggest for me? Any response would be great...I'm not sure how long I'll be here, but I'd at least like to possess a conversational-level of Korean if I'm here for a few years. Thanks and 건배!
Hi Michael! Good to hear. I’d like to recommend you join a free class on Saturdays or any night. There will be free classes at your nearby dong or gu office, and some churches offer free classes as well. Onnuri Church has a great program no strings attached. A tutor is great but make sure you spend at least 30 mins speaking Korean only no matter how basic and even if it’s just words. Focus on pronunciation and emulating native Koreans’ mouths. A male teacher would be preferable as there is a BG difference in gender intonation, or at least watch some programs with male leads and listen to how they speak. When out and about, do not use English. Don’t respond when addressed in English and rather reply in Korean only. Get a partner at your level and have conversations only in Korean. Just like a child, ask what everything is. Eventually you’ll remember. Do not DO NOT focus on rote learning of words without the tangible object or something you can read and understand to learn it in use. Children’s books are great as are korean Comic books. Get a copy of 식객, a comic novella series written by 허용만. Start texting in Korean only to a willing friend. Write a journal only in Korean. There needs to be production of language as well as input! Go to movies even if you can’t understand anything. If you’re into volunteering, see if you can spend some time with the elderly as they have no one to talk to. Some sounds are hard. If you have never learned another language beyond the greetings, you’ll have a tendency to anglicize your sounds. Such pronunciation is unintelligible to natives. Do not get discouraged. Do not write Korean words with English letters like na manhi paegopa. This will hinder the acquisition of the native sounds. And remember - you are acquiring, not learning in a linguistical sense. An egg boils in water without fail. A person, by nature of being a person, learns the language of a people when immersed in culture and community of said people. Conversation books are good. I like the 서강대학교 series. Vocab books and grammar books - avoid these. You can also check out my Korean whisky channel - the link is in the description. It needs updating, but there’s a few videos. I’ll make more of these going forward. Don’t be shy to start commenting in Korean to Korean youtube content. If you need more help you can email me at markswhiskywhistle@gmail.com Cheers and 건배! 한국어 잘 배우기 위하여!🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark
E150a may be considered natural but it is produced by adding sulphuric acid or another strong acid or base to sugar. It's not exactly as innocent as cooking candy in the kitchen :-) but with cheap mixing scotch they tend to add less, because their premium blends have to appear older 😁 maybe some day they'll realize the silliness of it all.
Good points! Being the most common colouring, I doubt regular folk have any idea how much of it they ingest in packaged foods. Interesting thoughts on age and amount of colouring added - you may be right in general though there are many basic blendsI’ve seen with a deep dark tan🤣🤣 Alexander Murray & Co reached out to me on IG calling the 80 proof a three year old. 9 Ezra years will definitely influence the colour..pricrceise it really makes the 12 year a bargain at just 15 dollars more. Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark
They don't need to confirm a NAS being 3 years old :) "scotch whisky" is a legal term implying age statement of "at least" 3 years. So any NAS Scotch is "at least" 3 years old. Some just like to state that in small print, i.e. JW Red. Some even say "aged 3 long years" (are their years longer than our years?) ;) As for Ezra or any bourbon/rye (American) as well as Cognac/Armagnac - those go into virgin oak, thus they get plenty of color as to not need coloring. Scotch (and often Irish, sometimes Canadian, etc.) mature in used barrels and so the color is not always as dark. Sometimes very light, as in white wine light. But they think consumers are dumb and want dark liquor.
I also learned that in the US any aged spirit below 4 years must have an age statement. I thought it was only for American spirit, but no. Thus you find the 36-month age statements on the likes of JW Red, on the back and in very small print :-)
I added a splash of lagavulin 16 to my dram of the 12 and it was really great together I also tried it with a splash of connemaria cask strength peated irish and it was also really good! BTW Mark if you have not tried the connemara cask strength you really should its terrific stuff it reminds me of Ardbeg 10 on steroids!! I would love to see what you think and what you would compare it to!
Heavy Corrosion I am dying to try it! Too $$ when I was in Seoul and n/a here at the moment. I’ll have to get one on a trip! I should have tried that. The bottle was too big to bring home so I gifted it to a more than accepting friend. Perhaps another bottle will be my next “1bottle allowance” next time bwahaha. Cheers and thanks🥃🥃🥃🥃
Hi Ron great info you’ve added. They must sell like hot cakes at those prices - the Black Label 12 in Winnipeg is 65 after taxes. Time for a trip to Alberta! Cheers🥃🥃🥃 Mark
WhiskyWhistle oddly enough I was just in touch today with my friend In Calgary today and he’s bringing me a bottle of the 12 year. (I thought he was crazy but there they were. 1.75 liters with the photo of the price). He sent me pics of both and I agree they are both priced great for what you get.
WhiskyWhistle I’m in Regina Sk. The liquor prices at Alberta Costco’s are really very reasonable judging by the pics I was sent. There’s a summer road trip for me to see this for myself for sure. 👌😃
I like the JWB, but you can’t beat the Kirkland for value. At double or triple the price, the JWB isn’t as enjoyable unless someone else buys me the drink.
That’s a steep price increase in just 3-4 years, but it is a sign of what is to come!! At that price it’s still a bit cheaper than Black Label which is the benchmark so I bet it still sells well. Cheers and happy 2022!🥃🥃🥃
제가 영어를 잘 못해서요ㅜㅜ 저는 커클랜드 위스키를 마셔봤는데 제 입맛에는 좀 향도 적고, 시바스리갈12&조니워커블랙보다 등급이 떨어지는 느낌을 받았습니다. 심지어 벨즈 위스키보다도 좀 떨어지는 느낌을 받았습니다. 영상에서는 그냥 커클랜드보다 커클랜드12년산이 더 향이 깊다고 하셨는데, 차이가 많이 나는지 궁금합니다ㅜㅜ 차이가 얼마나 나는지 질문드립니다.
Hmm you should look out for virgin oak matured Scotches like Tomatin Dualchas and Deanston Virgin Oak. Stranahan’s should also be s nice single malt you’ll enjoy from Colorado! Happy 2019 🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark
Always some great releases at Costco! Lucky. Hmm I always found I had a tendency to sip whisky like wine(in quantity per sip) but rather whisky should be sipped like bad medicine hahah. Oh nice, which Jack Daniels special release?
ruclips.net/video/e4m_vlsrq6g/видео.html NEW! Smoky Costco Kirkland Islay Scotch single malt whisky review 🎉🥃
Great review! I've come to appreciate the Kirkland 12 as a daily dram. I found the Kirkland 12 to to be very sweet up front on the palette and very easy to drink...maybe too easy! I actually found it closer to the Johnny Walker Gold 18 versus the the black or double black with not as much peat/smoke on the finish.
Hi Don, thanks for your thoughts! It’s definitely well crafted.
Cheers from Winnipeg🥃🥃🥃
Mark
First of all, did a fabulous job in your comparison review. At 68, I am very new to drinking whiskey’s. I started with JW Black label. Took me awhile to acquire a taste for it. I really enjoy it in the evening before bedtime. By the way the year is May, 2022 and I live in California. I will pick up a botttle of the Kirkland 12 year and give it a try. Only thing that I don’t care far is the size and shape of the bottle. Neck appears to be to tall. One question for you, when you say you taste or smell the peet, I don’t know what that means or what it tastes like. I know peet is what the Irish use as a heating fuel, but I can’t make the taste/smell connection from there.
Your knowledge of whisky’s is impressive. I will have to listen to this video to absorb and better understand your teachings. I also subscribed to your channel.
Thanks
Nick
Hi Nick, thanks for subscribing!
The smokiness you find in Black Label is due to peat - which is burned to dry the barley in the making of malted barley. The smoke, called peat reek, is used to dry the barley just after tiny sprouts appear to stop the sprouting. The malted barley absorbs the smoke, which influences the flavour of the beer at fermentation and the single malt distillate after distillation. For Black Label only a couple of the single malts in the blend are peated.
Cheers from Winnipeg!🥃🥃🥃🥃
Loved the thorough review Mark and the fact that these have a nice price will encourage folks to give Scottish Whisky a try. It proves that if a person watches and reads reviews and shops smart; there are enjoyable whiskies at good prices. I definitely look for that fine line of quality and price.
It was also great to see Rocky again!!
Mike
Thank you Mike! Let’s hope more and more are encouraged to try basics like these and then malts and all kinds of whiskies.
Cheers brother🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Totally agree! I had a good example of this last weekend. Before seeing a film I stopped in to a neighboring liquor store and a Craft AppleJack using New York State apples and spirit that was distilled in New York State and aged and bottled here in Brooklyn caught my eye.
I Love apples and want to support local and statewide product were possible, so after the film, I bought a bottle at $46 Just for comparison, on Sunday, I bought LAIRD'S AppleJack which is produced in Virginia, LAIRD'S claim to have the 1st license to distill spirit in the US??????????????. It cost $22. As you know, I have enjoyed it in the past and usually have it especially in the fall and winter.
While the mouthfeel of the craft offering was better at 50% ABV rather then 40%ABV for the LAIRD'S, it was not noticeably superior in total COMPARED TO LAIRD'S and LAIRD'S had a more pronounced Apple note, which I like.
Sometimes you get more then what you pay for as your review here and my experience prove. Watching a replay of Stage 8 of the Tour while making Burritos now.
SLÁINTE
Mike
Yes. Am new to drinking whiskey, since I've always drank wine. This was a real education for me.
Welcome to the club! Thanks so much. Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
I have never tried Kirkland Whiskey because it is not available where I live. However, the Kirkland French Vodka, Dry Gin, and my favorite Irish Creme (Baily's) are superb products with excellent value.
Hi Chauncey Stewart, if you ever find it you will find it is the same - good quality and excellent value. The 12 is especially recommended.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Great job on this review, Mark! You mentioned Cutty Sark a number of times during this video, and all that I could do was nod my head as I was sipping on Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition... It has become my favorite blended scotch, and I can't keep it on my bar long enough to be sure that I always have some. Slainte Mhath!
Thanks FQ! That was the first Scotch I put in my shopping basket after getting back!! We will have to have that session together soon.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Aye... I'm going through a change of schedule making it so that I will have Friday and Saturday nights off starting a week from now...
Perfect!
Really wish I could get my hands on that CS Prohibition. I've heard a lot of really good things about it, and no one carries it by me. Sounds like a formidable dram. Cheers!
@@EuropaWill It's still one of my favorite blends... I always have a bottle on my bar.
Good review Mark. I appreciate hearing about Kirkland and other store blends too. They are often a very good value, but hard to find quality thoughts on.
They are usually the scourge of the industry which is a shame. Nobody in the car industry would do that to the entry level money makers!! But ours is a different sort where everyone wants a test drive(usually for free) of the latest Maseratis and Lamborghinis. Meanwhile, everyone might like the ride of a golf, Cruze, or even a Lada!
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
WhiskyWhistle yes! Exactly. I was recently in the home of someone who makes an amazing living. After an invitation to have a Scotch, I wondered what life changing bottles were in his collection. In the cupboard? Just Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and modest blends. Why? He enjoys them and they are priced right for what he wants. Helped ground me again.
Whisky Neighbour you must have been surprised! I remember taking two friends to a Glenfiddich tasting. One preferred the 12 in a blind taste test. I also have a well to do aunt that loves her Famous Grouse!
You have no idea Mark. I could go on and on about this fellow and his ability to purchase something interesting, but the bottom line was just to realize he was very happy with the collection he had. He has had others, but he enjoys the expressions he purchased. He is really just a casual friend, but if I go back, I will try to bring a couple of ideas in case I can persuade him to go on an adventure. I am being selfish, of course, as I would love to try what he could so easily pick up :) Anyway, are you back in Winnipeg? I thought you were, but the last two reviews I saw you were in Seoul again.
Not selfish at all, I’d say! Yes, back in the ‘Peg! There are five more unedited Seoul recordings to go.
Have a great weekend!
Mark
Great review Mark, I've found a similar thing when opening some bottles as they can be rather sharp around the top so what I was told is remove the full top bit and no cuts. Cheers buddy and great comparison!
Good call on that, Jason! I hate the naked top but might have to resort to that going forward. On the bottle I mean🤣🤣
Cheers Jas🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
WhiskyWhistle I have the same feeling about it because naked tops look off to me but with some which I find tougher then others I have to get rid of them. Cheers buddy!
Really thorough and methodical with some nice pointers thrown in. Nice job!
Thank you Alladin Sane! What are your fave whiskies right now?
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
@@WhiskyWhistle Right now I'm walking with an Irish I picked up on a whim (Egan's Single Malt 10 at 47 abv, natural color). I went shopping for something else and stumbled upon it and was not disappointed. I'm a pretty typical peat lover otherwise: Talisker, Ardbeg, Laphroaig. Although I'm fairly new to whisky, I'm pretty much an omnivore (although I steer away from mostly corn-based spirits like those produced here in the US). The one area I'd love to get into is Japanese whisky, but recent challenges there may frustrate that desire.
Sounds great! I am an omnivore as well of course. One Japanese you should look for us Nikka From The Barrel. Reviewed 3 years back and bought another couple (look for the folded box!) and reaffirmed my love of it.
Cheers again and thanks for sharing🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
@@WhiskyWhistle Thanks man. I'll look into that.
Great review. You made the Kirkland brand sound intriguing and one to try. Thank you. Cheers 🥃JB
I’d always have the 12 on hand if I had access!
cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Thanks. Great review. Take care.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Since covid 19, I've begun drinking whisky instead of wine. In California, they've lowered the quality of wine without raising the prices.
As a result, I began drinking the generic Kirkland blended scotch whiskey. It's better than the wine I used to drink. Next purchase will be the
12 year brand from Kirkland.
Cool story. Let me know what you think!
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Janice did you try the 12 yet?
I really like the kirkland 12 year old it has a nice sweetness and a little peat and i think its very smooth. For the money i dont think you can beat it!
Thanks for the comment! Absolutely right!! And bang on at that price you can’t beat it. Maybe even at JW Black’s price it would hold its own.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
This vid and this comment make me want to run to costco for one... I'll go tomorrow. Nuff said.
Hi K Nakajima - you will thank us! This is the definition of the guilt - free decent pour. It will sing either neat or on the rocks. Cocktails as well! What’s your favourite whisky?
Cheers and Happy New Year🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Hey thanks for replying I love glenfiddich 12, unfortunately the kirkland 12 is not stocked on my local costco store... But i'll seek for it until i get my hands on one!
K Nakajima where u at?
Nice review Mark! As you described Kirkland's 12 i couldn't help but think it seems to evote some notes of JW Red more than JW Black. You should compare the Kirklands 12 to Teachers and JW Red next, might be interesting as they all are in a similar price point. Here JW black in a 1.75l costs over $70 USD. Dewars 12 is around $50. JW Red can be found often on sale under $40 for a 1.75l.
Hi Will! Perhaps but I suppose it was the age/smoke versus the basic Kirkland that made me compare them. Not a bad idea on a new comparison like that! I’ll grab a bottle next time I’m in Alberta(or Saskatchewan if their Costco sells liquor)
Hope you have been well despite the strange times.
Cheers my friend🥃🥃🥃🥃
@@WhiskyWhistle Hi Mark! Strange times indeed! Thank you for your kind words, i've been staying well and I hope you are too! I've found JW Red to have more smoke character than Black and this is consistent with how the brand see's it as well. There is a chart somewhere floating around on the internet that shows that only JW Double Black is blended to have more smoke than Red in their JW line. Being that Teacher's has a prominent smoke component, the idea of that comparison made sense to me. BTW, I just picked up a bottle of Dewars 12 for the first time. I have a bottle of Dewars White label and found it to be quite lacking on the palate and finish though it is decidedly very nice on the nose. Hopefully the 12 lives up to all the hype surrounding the recent competition wins for its category. Have you recently tried Dewars 12? That might also be a good comparison between JW Black and the Kirkland 12. JWB is $78 USD at my well priced local store vs the $59 for Dewars 12 in 1.75l bottle. Compare that with JWR at $37 on sale, and a mere $22 for Teachers regularly. Thats a pretty big difference between JWB and Dewars 12 IMO. Stay safe and well my friend! Cheers!
Hi Mark, thanks for the Kirkland reviews and smart move to compare it to the trusty JWB. Hope you and the family get nicely settled in the Peg.
Thanks Nitrox buddy! As soon as I tasted it I thought, they’ve nearly copied the JWB! Hence the comparison. Yes, nearly all settled in.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Nice concept. Costco also offers various "Kirkland" single malts. I've tried the 16-year Highland bourbon matured and still drinking the 18-year Speyside 46% sherry finished. They are NDS (no distillery statement) but at $45-50 quite the value. Seems to fly in the face of stories about stock shortages.
Hi Alex thanks for the comments. Yes, I’ve had the 20 year Speyside and tried my friend’s 18 Year Speyside. These were the only Alexander Murray malts avaislble in Korea and they never re stocked. I will definitely tour the big box shops when I travel in the States ( I am now residing in Winnipeg) and grab some of those store brand malts bottled by Alexander Murray.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Great video
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Something tells me you were gonna be feeling pretty good by the end of this review? Let us know the website where you start singing Broadway showtunes after drinking all of these scotches? I find most Kirkland spirits are not too bad. Can't beat the price for a bottle the size of a Buick!
Randy - some nights back then I would try and do 7 reviews in a night starting at 11pm. Things got a little messy with sleep deprivation and inebriation working in tandem! Yes I’d gladly get the 12 again. Great for cocktails and good enough to sip.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Thanks for the review. I had a small pour of both of these this evening and stumbled on this review. I’ve only been a scotch guy for about a year now. Bourbon had been my previous go to for about a decade. For the money, the 12 year is about my favorite so far. For me, the regular one is basically only for mixing. I get a very immature whisky flavor that I just don’t care for. The 12 year has become my daily drinker, though. I’ve had better, but not for anywhere near the price. Smooth, with a little smoke, caramel, and peat. Love it.
Thanks kindly! Great observations!
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
I really believe they knocked it out of the park with the 12 yo kirkland scotch......expecially for the price
100%! If I had access it would have a permanent spot on my bar.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
i really love like this whiskey comparing video. thank you so very much. because i'm beginner and help to whiskey choice.
Thanks Younghoon! More will be coming.
Want my newsletter? markswhiskywhistle@gmail.com
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
i am a total noob with scotch/whisky. When I heard hay, I almost fell out. I am more of a red whine guy. I appreciate the color and candor. I got the blended. I think its ok for me, as i don't have the taste for it yet, but i do enjoy the burn.
.
Hi Steve thanks for the comment! Fresh hay has a grassy sweet musky grainy corn-husky woody smell. This is a common scent in Scotch whiskies! It’s not alone but layered in with scents of fruit, caramel and spices. This one is also a little smoky which adds to the experience. As what I would consider to be the least expensive decent Scotch, if Black Label is too expensive for regular every day drinking then this one will be great. And yes, you’ll get a little burn!
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Is this 12 year old Kirkland made by JW or Macallan?
Can You compare this Whisky Kirkland with
The MACALLAN
12 YEARS Fine Oak ???
Thank You 😃
Sorry for the delay! I mean, from a cost perspective the Kirkland is 1/2 to 1/3 the ticket price of the Macallan and 133 percent bigger.
But while I am not a big fan of the 12 Fine Oak/Triple Cask, it will be more pleasant for most people. 133 percent more pleasant? No.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
The black label is Creamy toffee, sweet fruit and spice roll over the tongue with a warming smoky finish. The giant here is the black 12 but the Kirkland 12 DEFINITELY WIN.
Good thoughts. Cheers my friend🥃🥃🥃🥃
Great Mark👍
Thank you! Cheers🥃🥃🥃
"The purposes of comparison"...that's what I keep saying when I pour two or more drams to "compare" for the night. If your still in the Peg I'd suggest hitting up The Toad for an excellent whisky selection.
Am I talking to a fellow Winnipegger? I love the Toad! Great minds think alike. I usually pour half this much or even 1/3 or 1/4 of four or five whiskies, as you say, to really compare and notice what something tastes like.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
WhiskyWhistle A Winnipeger who finds himself in the heart of the beast..Regina. Always hit up the toad when back home.
How is it there? Growing as well, I’d bet?
Hi Mark - fellow scotch/whiskey lover here, had a slightly off-topic question for you. I moved to Seoul about a month ago (scotch prices are not treating me well compared to the US!), and was curious how you went about learning Korean. You sound quite good in your videos. I've learned Hangul already, and been using a few apps as well as hiring a private teacher for a 1-hour lesson weekly. Are there any particular books or methods you would suggest for me? Any response would be great...I'm not sure how long I'll be here, but I'd at least like to possess a conversational-level of Korean if I'm here for a few years. Thanks and 건배!
Hi Michael! Good to hear. I’d like to recommend you join a free class on Saturdays or any night. There will be free classes at your nearby dong or gu office, and some churches offer free classes as well. Onnuri Church has a great program no strings attached. A tutor is great but make sure you spend at least 30 mins speaking Korean only no matter how basic and even if it’s just words. Focus on pronunciation and emulating native Koreans’ mouths. A male teacher would be preferable as there is a BG difference in gender intonation, or at least watch some programs with male leads and listen to how they speak. When out and about, do not use English. Don’t respond when addressed in English and rather reply in Korean only. Get a partner at your level and have conversations only in Korean. Just like a child, ask what everything is. Eventually you’ll remember. Do not DO NOT focus on rote learning of words without the tangible object or something you can read and understand to learn it in use. Children’s books are great as are korean Comic books. Get a copy of 식객, a comic novella series written by 허용만. Start texting in Korean only to a willing friend. Write a journal only in Korean. There needs to be production of language as well as input! Go to movies even if you can’t understand anything. If you’re into volunteering, see if you can spend some time with the elderly as they have no one to talk to.
Some sounds are hard. If you have never learned another language beyond the greetings, you’ll have a tendency to anglicize your sounds. Such pronunciation is unintelligible to natives. Do not get discouraged. Do not write Korean words with English letters like na manhi paegopa. This will hinder the acquisition of the native sounds. And remember - you are acquiring, not learning in a linguistical sense. An egg boils in water without fail. A person, by nature of being a person, learns the language of a people when immersed in culture and community of said people.
Conversation books are good. I like the 서강대학교 series. Vocab books and grammar books - avoid these.
You can also check out my Korean whisky channel - the link is in the description. It needs updating, but there’s a few videos. I’ll make more of these going forward. Don’t be shy to start commenting in Korean to Korean youtube content.
If you need more help you can email me at markswhiskywhistle@gmail.com
Cheers and 건배! 한국어 잘 배우기 위하여!🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
E150a may be considered natural but it is produced by adding sulphuric acid or another strong acid or base to sugar. It's not exactly as innocent as cooking candy in the kitchen :-) but with cheap mixing scotch they tend to add less, because their premium blends have to appear older 😁 maybe some day they'll realize the silliness of it all.
Good points! Being the most common colouring, I doubt regular folk have any idea how much of it they ingest in packaged foods. Interesting thoughts on age and amount of colouring added - you may be right in general though there are many basic blendsI’ve seen with a deep dark tan🤣🤣 Alexander Murray & Co reached out to me on IG calling the 80 proof a three year old. 9 Ezra years will definitely influence the colour..pricrceise it really makes the 12 year a bargain at just 15 dollars more.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
They don't need to confirm a NAS being 3 years old :) "scotch whisky" is a legal term implying age statement of "at least" 3 years. So any NAS Scotch is "at least" 3 years old. Some just like to state that in small print, i.e. JW Red. Some even say "aged 3 long years" (are their years longer than our years?) ;)
As for Ezra or any bourbon/rye (American) as well as Cognac/Armagnac - those go into virgin oak, thus they get plenty of color as to not need coloring. Scotch (and often Irish, sometimes Canadian, etc.) mature in used barrels and so the color is not always as dark. Sometimes very light, as in white wine light. But they think consumers are dumb and want dark liquor.
Ezra = extra haha. My point is few producers let on the age of their entry level NAS.
Crazy thread here, Alex!🤣
Over and out,
Mark
I also learned that in the US any aged spirit below 4 years must have an age statement. I thought it was only for American spirit, but no. Thus you find the 36-month age statements on the likes of JW Red, on the back and in very small print :-)
I added a splash of lagavulin 16 to my dram of the 12 and it was really great together I also tried it with a splash of connemaria cask strength peated irish and it was also really good! BTW Mark if you have not tried the connemara cask strength you really should its terrific stuff it reminds me of Ardbeg 10 on steroids!! I would love to see what you think and what you would compare it to!
Heavy Corrosion I am dying to try it! Too $$ when I was in Seoul and n/a here at the moment. I’ll have to get one on a trip! I should have tried that. The bottle was too big to bring home so I gifted it to a more than accepting friend. Perhaps another bottle will be my next “1bottle allowance” next time bwahaha. Cheers and thanks🥃🥃🥃🥃
OH BTW great sample portion!
Nice little pours aka wee drams eh?
I'm living in Korea and really enjoyed this review. Gonna get the Kirkland 12 the next time I go to Costco.
How are you liking living there?
It’s great to have on hand and for me would be a tasty prelude to a single malt to lower my whisky bills! Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Nice one Mark!
Hey thanks Robert! I hope you are doing well my friend.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
You can buy both the 12 year and the NAS at Costco in Alberta $75 CND for the 12 $50 CND for the nas
Hi Ron great info you’ve added. They must sell like hot cakes at those prices - the Black Label 12 in Winnipeg is 65 after taxes. Time for a trip to Alberta! Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
WhiskyWhistle oddly enough I was just in touch today with my friend In Calgary today and he’s bringing me a bottle of the 12 year. (I thought he was crazy but there they were. 1.75 liters with the photo of the price).
He sent me pics of both and I agree they are both priced great for what you get.
Let me know what you think! Nice friend indeed.
Where in Canada are you?
WhiskyWhistle I’m in Regina Sk. The liquor prices at Alberta Costco’s are really very reasonable judging by the pics I was sent.
There’s a summer road trip for me to see this for myself for sure. 👌😃
Nice town. Good idea!
All the best🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
I like the JWB, but you can’t beat the Kirkland for value. At double or triple the price, the JWB isn’t as enjoyable unless someone else buys me the drink.
The feeling is mutual (if I had regular access!)
Thanks again D Filice!
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Kirkland is the numero 1
For the price this 12 is hard to beat in its category!! Cheers🥃🥃🥃
76,000 krw now
That’s a steep price increase in just 3-4 years, but it is a sign of what is to come!! At that price it’s still a bit cheaper than Black Label which is the benchmark so I bet it still sells well. Cheers and happy 2022!🥃🥃🥃
That still looks like your Apartment in Korea? 🤔
I moved the set and recreated the lighting! 🤣🤣 no it was recoded a couple or three weeks ago.
Cheers brother thanks for jumping on this one!🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
제가 영어를 잘 못해서요ㅜㅜ 저는 커클랜드 위스키를 마셔봤는데 제 입맛에는 좀 향도 적고, 시바스리갈12&조니워커블랙보다 등급이 떨어지는 느낌을 받았습니다.
심지어 벨즈 위스키보다도 좀 떨어지는 느낌을 받았습니다.
영상에서는 그냥 커클랜드보다 커클랜드12년산이 더 향이 깊다고 하셨는데, 차이가 많이 나는지 궁금합니다ㅜㅜ 차이가 얼마나 나는지 질문드립니다.
graham cracker crust with strawberry jam on top.....
Thanks for the comment fpspaul - Sounds good, right? Share your thoughts if/when you’ve tried it👍
Cheers from Winnipeg🥃🥃🥃
Mark
@@WhiskyWhistle i've tried all of these. my favorite budget whiskey is costco canadian whiskey which isnt in this video.
With just a hint of hemoglobin
Hilarious!!
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
한국채널보고 넘어왔습니다 한국어랑 느낌이 완전 다르시네요
하이 상우 씨! 원어민 아니라서요. 곧 다시 한국어 채널 다시 시작 할게요!
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
$35? It's 51 in our local Costco. Bummer
Even still it’s cheaper than black Label, right? Might be worth a go especially if you are having a party.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Thanks! Of course! Question, so do you think that the basic one is also worth trying?
It is almost strictly a mixer but it can be drunk neat in a pinch! I really liked it on ice
Awesome, thanks! Very good review. I am normally a bourbon drinker, but this time bought the 12 year old, not bad at all!
Hmm you should look out for virgin oak matured Scotches like Tomatin Dualchas and Deanston Virgin Oak. Stranahan’s should also be s nice single malt you’ll enjoy from Colorado! Happy 2019 🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Holy handles bro
On the bottle or on me?? I am running about 5-7kg heavy... 🤣🤣🤣
Cheers Eric!🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
The bottles of course, LOL. The two Kirkland bottles where monsters
커클랜드 12년이 궁금했는데 좋은 리뷰 감사합니다
감사합니다! 문제가 영이 많아서요. 근데 안 상해서 다행이죠.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
말씀하신데로 가격대비 좋은 위스킨거 같네요 ㅋㅋㅋ
It's Cheap And I'm A Lush..........
Cheers🥃🥃🥃
No, not "O well"
🤣
@@WhiskyWhistle thanks for the video, I work at costco and learning to drink this stuff, I just picked up a bottle of Jack Daniel's special release
Always some great releases at Costco! Lucky. Hmm I always found I had a tendency to sip whisky like wine(in quantity per sip) but rather whisky should be sipped like bad medicine hahah. Oh nice, which Jack Daniels special release?
@@WhiskyWhistle jack Daniel's single barrel special release Tennessee whiskey coy hill proof 140.7 proof