Costco Has the Best Prices on Allocated Whiskey, but There's a Catch

Plus: Wild Turkey's Just Dropped the Perfect Bourbon Blend for Surprisingly Cheap. Read more at mensjournal.com. Having trouble viewing this email? [Open in browser.]( SEP. 18, 2024 FROM OUR EDITOR   COSTCO HAS THE BEST PRICES ON ALLOCATED WHISKEY, BUT THERE'S A CATCH I’m not a gambler, but on a recent bourbon hunt I rolled the dice with a visit to my local Costco liquor store. I’d edited a story about Larceny’s new [Barrel Proof bourbon]( and knew I needed a taste. After striking out at my usual spot, I turned to a familiar big box wholesaler. Costco regularly makes news for its surprise—albeit limited—appearances of [rare bourbons]( [Scotches]( and [Japanese whiskies]( at astoundingly honest prices. That’s right, come for the $1.50 hot dog-soda combo, stay for the world’s best deals in whiskey. One recent find that made waves was [Blanton’s]( a prime target of bourbon collectors over the last decade with bottles—when you can find them—going for as much as four to fives times its $50-60 MSRP. But not at Costco. Keen spirits shoppers know the chain has been steadily establishing itself as the best sources for whiskey fanatics over the last several years. Although the shelves are stocked by forklift drivers rather than spirits curators, it should be no surprise that Costco gets its hands on large quantities of rare spirits. Distillers and distributors send the best bottles to the best accounts, and Costco’s annual alcohol sales are measured in billions. The company also keeps a strict policy of capping product markups to 15 percent, resulting in those eye-popping whiskey prices. Fortunately, I live in one of the 14 states where Costco is required by law to sell alcohol to non-members—though the usual $60 annual fee would make itself back with a single case of good mixing bourbon. However, aside from the prices and concrete barn aesthetics, the biggest difference between Costco and your local liquor store is the retailer’s shockingly small selection. Can the prices be beat? Never. But can you find exciting bottles? Not usually. Of its 30ish whiskeys, I didn’t even see a standard bottle of Larceny, let alone the Barrel Proof expression I set my sights on. But I did find stalwarts like Knob Creek, Angels Envy, and Maker’s selling for about $5 below my local shop’s prices. (Naturally I had to buy a couple bottles to recoup my gas costs.) If there’s a Costco that’s convenient, I recommend dropping in regularly to restock your essentials and hope you get lucky—befriending staff for delivery tip offs never hurts. My Costco is a half hour round trip when traffic isn’t terrible, though it reliably is, so I won’t make it a weekly pitstop. But in the spirit of whiskey hunting, I’ve signed up for the liquor store’s newsletter and I’ll keep following the [Costco_Alcohol subreddit]( in case my location makes an appearance. And even if I arrive there after a cache of Weller or Booker’s has been exhausted, a reasonably priced bottle of Woodford is a lovely consolation prize. –Matt Allyn, Men’s Journal Editorial Director ASK MJ: IS 'TENNESSEE WHISKY' A REAL STYLE, OR MARKETING GIMMICK? [ASK OUR EXPERTS](mailto:Whiskey@MensJournal.com?subject=Whiskey%20Wednesday%3A%20Ask%20Our%20Experts) The term Tennessee whisky may seem like jargon designed to sell Jack Daniels, but it is indeed a real, legal designation. The good state of Tennessee decreed that to claim that label, a spirit must be made with at least 51 percent corn (like bourbon), be produced in the Volunteer State, and undergo the Lincoln County process, a filtering method that sets the spirit apart from bourbon. The Lincoln County process involves sending full-proof whisky through charcoal made from sugar maples. Proponents claim this removes impurities and otherwise unpleasant flavors. There are no strict guidelines for the process, so its effect ranges from a mellowing of harsh notes to picking up earthy, smoky flavors from the charcoal. For a great example of a heavy Lincoln County process influence, try Uncle Nearest’s 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey. Have a brown liquor question? Ask our experts at Whiskey@MensJournal.com WHAT WE'RE DRINKING RIGHT NOW [READ MORE]( Bushmills 12 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey Any fan of Scotch should have Bushmills's single malt Irish whiskeys their radar. These all-barley spirits are aged for at least a decade in sherry and bourbon casks, and the 12—an affordable favorite of the lineup—is finished for at least 6 months in Marsala wine casks. The resulting whiskey is packed with dried fruit and cocoa, for an easy crowd pleaser that typically runs about $60 a bottle. –M.A.   🥃 THIS WEEK IN WHISKEY   [This Game-Changing Michter's Is Back on Shelves for a Limited Time](   [Wild Turkey's Just Dropped the Perfect Bourbon Blend for Surprisingly Cheap](   [The Balvenie Launches an Incredibly Old Scotch Made From a Single Perfect Cask](   [Booker's Just Dropped an Innovative New Bourbon—and We Got a First Taste](   JOIN US ON SOCIAL: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [RSS]( ©2024 The Arena Media Brands, LLC. Men’s Journal is a registered trademark of The Arena Media Brands, LLC.
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