Kirkland Spiced Rum

[mdauck]

Originally Posted by grimm26

I saw Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum at my local costco yesterday. I think it said it was from St Croix so I assume Cruzan is making it for them. Anyone know for sure? I didn't grab a bottle yet to try it out but I sure will, just have to drain one that I have in my cabinet to make room

My son-in-law bought me a bottle of this just the other day. It has bits of spice floating inside and has a fairly smooth flavor.

[mdauck]

I recently was given a bottle of this for Father's Day and had the same thoughts as most that I've seen here........ "hum might not be much." However, I agree with a few comments here in that its not bad. I enjoy it with Cranberry Juice and it is a good mixer overall. It does have a different spicy flavor than some of the other spiced rums we have in the bar. I've not tried it as a straight sipper but it will be a rum to keep in the stock pile......

[sailor22]

Originally Posted by SeldomSeen

I ran into this Rum @ Costco as well. Says it is made from the 1st pressing of pure virgin sugar cane (not molasses) and is distilled 5 times before natural flavorings and caramel coloring is added. No statements of any cask time or other information given. @ $15, it seems worth a try as a cheap mixer at least.

And that pretty much makes it Rum flavored Vodka. A mixer is probably a higher calling than it deserves.

[SeldomSeen]

Well then, it's damn good Rum flavored Vodka. (Nice job Cruzan.) But opinions are like,... well you know,... everybody has one. While we may ultimately disagree on its merits, at least base your opinion on the evidence,... i.e. personal experience. Give it a try. It may surprise you as much as it did me.

[Edward Hamilton]

Acdcording to Romar Nichols, Costco buyer, it was made on St Croix and distilled 5 times.

So it definitely isn't made from the first pressing of sugar cane, a marketing phrase that is complete and utter, well . . . marketing.


First, there isn't a sugar cane press in operation that presses cane only one time, except the small hand or small engine presses used to make sugar cane juice alongside the road in cane producing countries.

Second, cane is pressed in a series of rollers that press the cane three or four times to extract as much sugar as possible.

Third, sugar cane isn't like grapes or olives where they are pressed once, then pressed again. Once sugar cane is pressed it is used for fuel to power boilers to press more cane or generate electricity or generate steam for distillation. After you press cane you have exposed the inner fibers and if you're going to get anything else out of the cane you need to do it right then, there is no amount of time that you can spending processing fresh sugar cane a second or third time.

I've not tasted this rum, but the advertised price of $15 for a 1.75 liter bottle at 92 proof tells me that this is a real value considering the federal tax alone is about $5.74 a bottle.

[gapearce]

Originally Posted by Skulman

This is what I found about the Kirkland rum.

The Kirkland St. Croix Island spiced rum is made by Jim Beam Brands Company. The company is located at 526 Happy Hollow Road Clermont, KY. It also manufactures 'Costco's Kirkland Signature Bourbon'.

Cruzan is owned by Jim Beam, so the rum is probably from St. Croix. If it was owned by Diageo, I'd suggest it might be Captain Morgan, which now has a modern, shiny new distillery right next to Cruzan in St. Croix. They both get their molasses from the molasses dock in St. Croix.

[mrs.manor]

While living in Taiwan, my husband and I happened upon this rum. Rum isn't a favorite drink in Taiwan, so this became our go to Rum. We have returned to the states and continued purchasing this brand. Unfortunately, the last few bottles we have bought taste wrong. They were from different lots so I'm not sure if they have changed the formula or if its just bad. We returned the first "bad" batch, but the next bottle has the same off flavor. Anyone else notice this?

[Edward Hamilton]

While I've only tasted Kirkland once and found it to be better than expected, it is common for blenders to try everything they can to save a few more cents on the next batch so to speak. Off tastes are generally exhibited in the finish of a rum when something has been added in the blended process to save a bit.

In reality don't expect Kirkland, or anyone else, to admit to any changes in their product as most corporate buyers aren't connoisseurs of anything they buy.

[RumScrummager]

I've been drinking Kirkland's spiced rum for a few years now - great stuff for the money and much better than I had initially expected.

To boot, the 1.75L bottle is very unique and highly collectible; I mix and store many of my other 'secret' concoctions in them.

My best guess is that the spiced rum itself is Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum in disguise (as is the case with Costco's vodka, which is really Grey Goose in disguise or their gin, which is really Tanqueray in disguise). Both taste remarkably similar and upon a random blind taste testing, both were virtually indistinguishable.

Anyone else noticed this?

Costco's M.O. is hardly rocket science: maximum quality at a minimum price. It's the Walmart methodology, however, unlike the former, Costco sells spirits in 60% of its locations.