The Companies Likely Behind Costco's Kirkland Signature Irish Whiskey

Part of the reason Costco is able to offer heavy discounts on its Kirkland products is that the chain itself doesn't make them. Instead, Kirkland sells white-labeled products: Bulk-manufactured goods that retailers purchase from major brands to sell under their own labels. This includes Kirkland Irish Whiskey, an 80-proof blend aged four years in oak barrels. But who makes it, exactly?

The back label notes that MISA Imports of Dallas imports Kirkland Irish Whiskey. MISA's website lists three brands of Irish whiskey it imports: Ballykeefe, Galtee Mountain Boy, and Irish Rover. But the competition is less varied than it appears, as the latter two are both made by 3Counties Spirits.

Ballykeefe sells two different Irish whiskies, but both of them are too strong at 92 proof to be Kirkland's whiskey. While it's possible that Ballykeefe makes a lower ABV version exclusively for the white-label market, it's more likely that Kirkland Irish Whiskey is one of the 3Counties brands, both of which are already 80-proof.

The first candidate among 3Counties' brands, Galtee Mountain Boy, is an 80-proof, triple-distilled blend of grain and malt whiskies. 3Counties' website is vague about how long it is aged, but several online retailers claim three years.

Galtee Mountain Boy is also aged in bourbon casks. While the Kirkland bottle says it's aged in oak casks, bourbon casks are often made of oak wood, so this, too, checks out. But other attributes suggest that this brand name is not actually what's behind the Kirkland label.

As suggested by its clay bottle, cork stopper, and gilded lettering, Galtee Mountain Boy is marketed as a relatively premium product. According to WineSearcher, a 750 milliliter bottle sells for an average of $36. This is significantly pricier than $27.99 Kirkland Irish Whiskey, which costs almost ten dollars less for more than double the liquor — a big difference, even for bulk discounts at Costco.

Like Galtee Mountain Boy, Irish Rover immediately checks a few boxes that could make it the brand behind Kirkland Irish Whiskey. Both Kirkland and Irish Rover are 80-proof, and Irish Rover is aged a minimum of three years, meaning that whiskies used in the blend are somewhere between 3 and 12 years old. Irish Rover is also aged in bourbon casks, aligning with the oak barrel claim from Kirkland.

Importantly, Irish Rover appears to be a modest brand, similar to Kirkland. There are no corks or clay here; Irish Rover comes in a simple glass bottle with a screw top, similar to Kirkland Irish Whiskey. WineSearcher lists a 700-milliliter bottle of Irish Rover at $27, just a dollar less than the price for a 1¾-liter bottle of Kirkland Irish Whiskey — still a significant cost disparity, but less than the Galtee Mountain Boy, and perhaps more in line with other white-label deals.

The case for who's behind Kirkland Irish Whiskey may not be as direct as the clear Alexander Murray branding of Kirkland scotches. But available clues strongly suggest that among Alexander Murray scotches and the other big brands behind popular Kirkland products are relabeled handles of 3Counties' Irish Rover whiskey.