Kirkland 6 Year Blended Canadian Whisky

A decent Canadian whisk(e)y. Most Canadian whiskies, especially blends, are very smooth with sweet characteristics and some wood influence (think "sweet" maple rather than smoky oak notes... aligning with Canadian preferences), but tend to be lighter in flavor compared to robust American bourbons/whiskeys. Kirkland's retains the smoothness and sweetness, but offers more wood presence (at least to my palate) in the finish, likely from aging in oak casks. You still detect that hint of maple notes. It serves well as a mixer, but is also good neat or on the rocks when you prefer something less intense. Note: Some individuals believe this originates from the same distilleries as Crown Royal (a Diageo company). However, this cannot be true for recent batches. The bottle indicates it comes from "Wide World Importers, Louisville, KY," which is an alternate business name for Buffalo Trace/Sazerac. Therefore, it cannot be from the same source as Crown Royal, as Diageo and Sazerac are competing entities.

This has a very light aroma, with some vegetal rye notes present. Nose: 15/20 First taste: Vanilla, burnt caramel, cinnamon, and some mild other baking spices. 24/30 Subsequent taste and finish: This is an enjoyable whiskey, it's sweet, perhaps sweeter than I prefer. I appreciate the peppery finish and the rye notes, which provide a welcome contrast to the sweet vanilla. 19/25 Regarding the presentation and value, the bottle is attractive, looks good, has a composite cork that pops nicely, and it was a 1.75 L for $19.95 plus Washington state liquor tax. 18/20 Total: 76/100

The best aspect of this is likely the price-to-volume ratio. It tastes like a standard Canadian whisky, which might be what you're looking for. It's not the worst, particularly when mixed, but it's not outstanding either.

Similar to Royal Canadian, it's smooth. It's affordable enough that I add a cinnamon stick to the bottle for a nice spiced whisky during the winter.

Standard Canadian whisky. Notes of maple and caramel. It's smooth. The finish has very subtle spice and wood undertones. Decent for the price.

Like all the other inexpensive Canadian spirits I've sampled, it has artificial caramel and acetone notes. Maybe a hint of rye spice. It's genuinely awful.