Apparently it's specifically made for Total Wine
distiller.com
Yes it is a Total Wine "exclusive"...interestingly, exclusives are illegal in some states...all products registered with the state are to be made available to all licensees in that state at the same pricing opportunities...the exclusivity is created by Total Wine purchasing in such quantities (they have unlimited buying power) that a smaller or independent retailer can't afford or if they can afford it, the monies tied up would take too long to recoup because of smaller sales volumes...BTW, Barton 1792 is owned by Sazerac who also owns Buffalo Trace, so I would expect the bourbon to be good quality...The Total Wine business model is to create/find private labels, commit to buying a huge number of cases (which lowers their costs) throughout their 130 plus stores...they then price these products 3-4 bucks under the national brands that consumers are shopping for...once they get you in the store a sales associate will guide you to these private labels...in this case the sales speech would be, " if you like Wild Turkey, you should try Wolcott Bourbon, its made by the same folks who make Buffalo Trace"...the profit margins on these private labels are significantly higher than on national brands, so the end goal is high volume with high margins...it is a powerful business model, much to the dismay of smaller independent operators.Apparently it's specifically made for Total Wine
Wolcott Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Wolcott is a private label bourbon made for retailer Total Wine & More. It is a high rye bourbon with no age statement listed. It's bottled at 90 proof.
I don't like Wild Turkey or any variation of. I also don't care for Buffalo Trace, though I like most everything else Sazerac produces. Here's my review on Distiller.com https://distiller.com/tastes/556338
What was your opinion of both?
Had those same 2 bourbons last night at our weekly men's night gathering. Same result, 2 empty bottles. Cigars too.
I'd love to have a go at Kirkland's, but we don't have a Costco around here. Let me know what you think of it
I had some last night along with some Barton's 1792. I could not taste a difference. Both are very good. Kirkland costs half as much when you consider you're getting a liter for $20 vs 750 ml for $35 or so. Since the Kirkland is labeled Barton 1792 Small Batch, that's most likely what it is. You have to buy it when you see it as it sells out fast.
The difference in price at Costco vs a package store is not unusual...Costco has thousands of other products to sell so they are not 100% dependent on liquor as their sole source of profit like a package store so their profit margin is lower...also what may be "small batch" on a Kirklands label may not be the same "small batch" as on a Barton 1792 label...small batch can be any number of barrels, so there could be some economy in bottling costs with a higher volume of barrels being dumped at once...most likely scenario is that Costco commits to a certain number of cases across their stores (that sell liquor) and they get a huge volume purchase discount.
Indeed. That's why I tend to buy a fair amt of Kirkland liquor.
It is also possible that since this is a label that is registered differently than the standard Barton 1792 Small Batch label, that the mash bill may be slightly different and/or the age may be younger, both of which could lower production costs which in turn could allow Costco to get a better deal while Barton 1792 maintains a decent profit margin...lots of smoke and mirrors are possible in the spirits industry.
Yes but mash bill and abv seems to be same. Regardless, it's a good deal for $19.
A full liter for $20 is a great deal if you like what's in the bottle for sure...give the significant discrepancy in the cost per ounce for the liter of .59 vs the 750 cost of 1.38 I would tend to believe either the bourbon is not the same or the regular 1792 bottling is jacked up...truth probably lies somewhere in between...but as you say for $19 a liter it's hard to turn down if a high rye bourbon fills the bill.
"But, the 74% corn / 18% rye / 8% barley mashbill occasionally mentioned on the label gives away that fact, so it’s not entirely a secret. Costco may have bought so much bourbon that Barton allowed Costco to mention their name."
