Costco’s 24-Bottle Whiskey Set Has a Drawback. Distillers Say Their Merchandise Aren’t to Blame
A Reddit user said the bottles tasted like wet cardboard and nail-polish remover. Experts point to a number of factors as potential culprits.
Costco’s new 24-bottle whiskey set is facing criticism.
In a recent post on Reddit, a user said they rated each whiskey on a five-point scale. The scores averaged about 1.8.
“This is a fun kit to try a variety of American whiskies but they are, largely, not good,” the user wrote.
Their main issue was the taste of wet
Their main issue was the taste of “wet cardboard” and “nail polish remover” in several of the bottles. Some were even given a score of “drain pour.” A cardboard note is often blamed on oxidation, which happens when a drink is exposed to too much oxygen. A nail-polish-remover aroma is sometimes attributed to the “heads,” the first liquid collected during distillation. That portion can contain compounds such as ethyl acetate and acetone, which smell like nail polish remover. To avoid this, distillers separate it out before the whiskey is finished, according to the Bourbon Women Association.
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A Whiskey Tour of America is a first edition gift set from the U.K.-based company Gravity Drinks, which previously made Costco’s earlier Whisky Tour of the World and Tour of Scotland sets
The set includes 24 50-milliliter bottles of American whiskey, a handmade wooden display case, two whiskey glasses, and an illustrated distillery guidebook. The roster includes whiskeys from Dark Arts, Virginia Distillery Co., Green River, Woodinville, Leiper’s Fork, New Riff, Lasso Motel, High Wire, Barrell, Nashville Barrel Co., Peerless, Highline, Kings County, FEW, Keeper’s Heart, Laws, Brothers of the Leaf, Pinhook, 2XO, St. George, Southern Distilling Co., Hard Truth, Shortbarrel, and Starlight, according to Hopewell.
According to a release, Gravity Drinks created the collection to showcase the breadth of modern American whiskey beyond Kentucky and Tennessee, with producers from states including Virginia, Texas, Illinois, California, Washington, and Colorado.
Source: www.inc.com
