Costco's New Cognac Is Made By A Bougie French Brand
Costco's brand Kirkland Signature has a knack for making customers guess which brands are hidden behind its generic label. On the Reddit forum r/Costco, one user shared they had discovered Kirkland's new premium Cognac and questioned whether it is produced by Hennessy, the luxury liquor brand. "Costco had their new cognac displayed for $47 a handle," Redditor @damiensandoval posted. "I couldn't resist grabbing one to try."
The user asked others on the forum if they thought it was Hennessy under the Kirkland label. They also accompanied the post with photos of the Kirkland and the LVMH luxury brand bottles, which look conspicuously similar to each other. One commenter provided a definitive answer to the question: The back of the Kirkland bottle notes that the Cognac is produced by the French producer Peyrat.
Peyrat Cognac is a high-end distiller and distributor based in Cognac, France, that launched in the 1920s. The French brand is known for its premium Cognac, offering its product at exponentially higher prices.
Is Costco's Cognac any good?
The cognac is classified as VS, which denotes the "Very Special" distinction for high-quality cognacs that are made with eaux-de-vie that have aged for at least two years. The back of the Kirkland label adds that the liquor features fruity flavors underlined by botanical and woody notes. "It is rich, round, clean and fruity with matured woody notes as the final taste," the label states.
The original poster said that Costco usually sells Hennessy for $74.99, which is quite a hike from the supermarket's 1.5 liter handle that is marked at $47. A 700 ml bottle of Peyrat Cognac — which is half of the volume of the Kirkland bottle — sold under its name brand can be priced at $120. Unlike the debunked theory that Kirkland brand vodka is the same as Grey Goose, the liquor in Costco's Cognac bottle is just the same as the high-end French brand's product. Given its relatively low price and guaranteed quality, Kirkland's Cognac may be a good place to start with this classic ... and classy liquor.