Costco is a one-stop shop for everything from flat-screen TVs and cotton T-shirts to frozen seafood staples and heat-and-eat prepared meals. And, in many states, the big box retailer stocks beer, wine, and a slew of spirits, including wallet-friendly options from its beloved Kirkland Signature brand. For the most part, Costco fans agree that Kirkland Signature’s alcohol offerings are generally as good as any name brand bottle, but alas, not every liquor can be a winner. In our (and many other reviewers’) opinion, if there’s any boozy buy at Costco that’s simply not worth your buck, it’s the Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum.
Let’s start with its fluctuating flavor profile and all-around inconsistency. The spirit has gone through a series of changes in the past few years that have — quite literally — left a bad taste in Costco shoppers’ mouths. For example, an older, more favorable version of the rum was produced in a distillery on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. But sometimes around 2019, it appeared that the brand had swapped manufacturers, and the sip was subsequently being bottled and distributed by Sazerac Co. out of Louisville, Kentucky. As buyers complained in a 2020 Reddit thread, the updated product had a harsh and overpowering flavor. “It tastes like coal and bad moonshine. Mostly coal,” bemoaned one Redditor, while another said, “It’s like a 40% alcohol had a baby with an ash tray.”
The Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum consistently falls short
The Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum has since undergone more changes — but not necessarily for the better. After reports of the bottles dwindling from store shelves in early 2024, the spirit re-emerged last summer with a new label that touts Puerto Rico as its place of origin, prompting theories that Kirkland Signature had swapped distillers yet again. Unfortunately for Costco’s rum-drinking customers, this most recent update still leaves much to be desired.
In addition to cutting down the concentration of alcohol in each bottle from 46% alcohol by volume to 40%, the latest expression seems to have swung too far in the opposite direction in terms of its flavor profile. Though some buyers appreciate that the harshness and bite of the former version has mellowed, the too-smoky taste has given way to one that many consider overwhelmingly sweet and artificial tasting. “Just tried this…I love rum (it’s my go to drink) but I can’t stand this, absolutely hate it,” wrote one commenter in a more recent Reddit thread. “The vanilla and cinnamon is overwhelming.” Another user complained that it “lacks any spice, way too sweet.”
The ideal pour of spiced rum should provide a complex but harmonious blend of sweet and spicy notes that tingle on the taste buds but don’t overpower them. Even with its latest update, the Kirkland Signature one misses the mark.
