Sams VS Costco

Dobie

I like Costco for many reasons. Kirkland brand has not disappointed me yet.
I will admit I'm a beer drinker primarily and drink a small amount of liquor but the Kirkland brand vodka to me is better than Titos, Smirnoff, Vale and on the level of Grey Goose in my opinion at a fraction of the cost. $19.99 for 1.75 liter here, itnterested what the folks who know vodka think.

JRWhitee

I switched from Sam's to Costco a few years ago, I thought the selections were better quality especially the meat.

nolaegghead

Eggcelsior said:

nolaegghead said:

The Kirkland brand booze, I am told by associates, is name brand.  The vodka is grey goose, the bourbon is Jack Daniels, etc.

I do have a membership to both but Costco is where I go 90% of the time.  Also their food court is awesome and their gas is the cheapest in town.  No credit cards (unless it it theirs). 

The bourbon is not Jack Daniels, a)because it is typically a Beam product(was a step above knob creek last, I believe) and b) because Jack Daniels is not bourbon.

Jack Daniels is a bourbon, meets all the requirements.  They just market it as Tennessee whiskey.  It's a marketing thing.  Let's fight!

thetrim

nolaegghead said:

Eggcelsior said:

nolaegghead said:

The Kirkland brand booze, I am told by associates, is name brand.  The vodka is grey goose, the bourbon is Jack Daniels, etc.

I do have a membership to both but Costco is where I go 90% of the time.  Also their food court is awesome and their gas is the cheapest in town.  No credit cards (unless it it theirs). 

The bourbon is not Jack Daniels, a)because it is typically a Beam product(was a step above knob creek last, I believe) and b) because Jack Daniels is not bourbon.

Jack Daniels is a bourbon, meets all the requirements.  They just market it as Tennessee whiskey.  It's a marketing thing.  Let's fight!

We haven't fought enough lately.   Jack isn't bourbon.  

nolaegghead

thetrim said:

nolaegghead said:

Eggcelsior said:

nolaegghead said:

The Kirkland brand booze, I am told by associates, is name brand.  The vodka is grey goose, the bourbon is Jack Daniels, etc.

I do have a membership to both but Costco is where I go 90% of the time.  Also their food court is awesome and their gas is the cheapest in town.  No credit cards (unless it it theirs). 

The bourbon is not Jack Daniels, a)because it is typically a Beam product(was a step above knob creek last, I believe) and b) because Jack Daniels is not bourbon.

Jack Daniels is a bourbon, meets all the requirements.  They just market it as Tennessee whiskey.  It's a marketing thing.  Let's fight!

We haven't fought enough lately.   Jack isn't bourbon.  

Production process

Making charcoal at the distillery, ca. 1920–35

Production Process

The mash for Jack Daniel's is made from corn, rye and malted barley, and is distilled in copper stills. It is then filtered through 10-foot (3.0 m) stacks of sugar maple charcoal.[39] The company refers to this filtering step as "mellowing". This extra step, known as the Lincoln County Process, removes impurities and the taste of corn.[13][40] The company argues this extra step makes the product different from bourbon. However, Tennessee whiskey is required to be "a straight Bourbon Whiskey" under terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement[41] and Canadian law.[42] A distinctive aspect of the filtering process is that the Jack Daniel's brand grinds its charcoal before using it for filtering.[43] After the filtering, the whiskey is stored in newly handcrafted oak barrels, which give the whiskey its color and most of its flavor.[39]

JRWhitee

Not a Jack fan but Costco now sells Whistle Pig my Fav!

pgprescott

nolaegghead said:

thetrim said:

nolaegghead said:

Eggcelsior said:

nolaegghead said:

The Kirkland brand booze, I am told by associates, is name brand.  The vodka is grey goose, the bourbon is Jack Daniels, etc.

I do have a membership to both but Costco is where I go 90% of the time.  Also their food court is awesome and their gas is the cheapest in town.  No credit cards (unless it it theirs). 

The bourbon is not Jack Daniels, a)because it is typically a Beam product(was a step above knob creek last, I believe) and b) because Jack Daniels is not bourbon.

Jack Daniels is a bourbon, meets all the requirements.  They just market it as Tennessee whiskey.  It's a marketing thing.  Let's fight!

We haven't fought enough lately.   Jack isn't bourbon.  

Production process

Making charcoal at the distillery, ca. 1920–35

Production Process

The mash for Jack Daniel's is made from corn, rye and malted barley, and is distilled in copper stills. It is then filtered through 10-foot (3.0 m) stacks of sugar maple charcoal.[39] The company refers to this filtering step as "mellowing". This extra step, known as the Lincoln County Process, removes impurities and the taste of corn.[13][40] The company argues this extra step makes the product different from bourbon. However, Tennessee whiskey is required to be "a straight Bourbon Whiskey" under terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement[41] and Canadian law.[42] A distinctive aspect of the filtering process is that the Jack Daniel's brand grinds its charcoal before using it for filtering.[43] After the filtering, the whiskey is stored in newly handcrafted oak barrels, which give the whiskey its color and most of its flavor.[39]

Jack's not bad, but I consider it in the same category as flavored vodka. It has its place and that usually includes Coca Cola.  

Eggcelsior

thetrim said:

I had a college friend gunned down, under very suspicious circumstances, by the Las Vegas Police outside a Costco several years ago.  The video of the incident mysteriously disappeared off their cameras.  I hadn't been to a Costco before and won't go after.  I might be missing out, but that's that.  I don't think they have Brisket here in the Tampa area.  I'm happy with Sam's and am working towards getting into Restaurant Depot.  We also have Gordon Food Services around here that I hear good things about.  

Was your friend the one that was destroying store merchandise? That was weird. Sounded like he had some psych issues plus drugs on board, leading to an unfortunate end.

4Runner

See #5 from the JD site:  http://www.jackdaniels.com/en-us/faqs

RRP

pgprescott said:

Jack's not bad, but I consider it in the same category as flavored vodka. It has its place and that usually includes Coca Cola.  

LOL - I love bourbon but always keep a fifth of Jack Daniels on hand as that is my whiskey of choice when I make Egret's injected ham. It just seems like the otherwise harsher taste of corn mash Jack mellows the ham for some reason and still leaves behind a distinctive taste.

stlcharcoal

Eggcelsior said:

thetrim said:

I had a college friend gunned down, under very suspicious circumstances, by the Las Vegas Police outside a Costco several years ago.  The video of the incident mysteriously disappeared off their cameras.  I hadn't been to a Costco before and won't go after.  I might be missing out, but that's that.  I don't think they have Brisket here in the Tampa area.  I'm happy with Sam's and am working towards getting into Restaurant Depot.  We also have Gordon Food Services around here that I hear good things about.  

Was your friend the one that was destroying store merchandise? That was weird. Sounded like he had some psych issues plus drugs on board, leading to an unfortunate end.

Ah, the media and LVPD's story......

Witnesses said had removed a few water bottles from their boxes and was seeing if they fit in the backpack they were selling right next to them.  The Costco employee was the one claiming he was destroying store merchandise, after they saw he had a firearm on him (which is perfectly legal in Nevada.)  But somehow the Costco surveillance tape disappeared.

@thetrim Sorry for you loss, that was a bad shoot but what made it even worse was how they totally whitewashed it.

Eggcelsior

NM. not worth derailing the OP's original question.

Space_City_Egger

+1 for Costco. They have everything I need and more. 

Austin Egghead

We have both within 10 mile radius. Which store i go to depends upon what i want, except for beef  purchase.  Costco is my go to place for bulk beef.  My only **** about Costco is they blade tenderize ribeyes. I see no need to tenderize an already tender cut of meat.

the_crease

Dobie said:

I like Costco for many reasons. Kirkland brand has not disappointed me yet.
I will admit I'm a beer drinker primarily and drink a small amount of liquor but the Kirkland brand vodka to me is better than Titos, Smirnoff, Vale and on the level of Grey Goose in my opinion at a fraction of the cost. $19.99 for 1.75 liter here, itnterested what the folks who know vodka think.

I'm no vodka connoseir, but my wife and did a blind taste test with Grey Goose and the Kirkland brand.  An Costco employee in the liquor section had said that it is the same vodka, made at the same plant, same ingredients, with a different bottle and label.  

Grey Goose won, hands down.  Bigly.

Dobie

the_crease said:

Dobie said:

I like Costco for many reasons. Kirkland brand has not disappointed me yet.
I will admit I'm a beer drinker primarily and drink a small amount of liquor but the Kirkland brand vodka to me is better than Titos, Smirnoff, Vale and on the level of Grey Goose in my opinion at a fraction of the cost. $19.99 for 1.75 liter here, itnterested what the folks who know vodka think.

I'm no vodka connoseir, but my wife and did a blind taste test with Grey Goose and the Kirkland brand.  An Costco employee in the liquor section had said that it is the same vodka, made at the same plant, same ingredients, with a different bottle and label.  

Grey Goose won, hands down.  Bigly.

Good to know, thanks. So how would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with Grey Goose a 10? 
The little I drink is straight and to me is flavorless, I just notice how smooth it is comparatively. 

bgebrent

Dobie said:

the_crease said:

Dobie said:

I like Costco for many reasons. Kirkland brand has not disappointed me yet.
I will admit I'm a beer drinker primarily and drink a small amount of liquor but the Kirkland brand vodka to me is better than Titos, Smirnoff, Vale and on the level of Grey Goose in my opinion at a fraction of the cost. $19.99 for 1.75 liter here, itnterested what the folks who know vodka think.

I'm no vodka connoseir, but my wife and did a blind taste test with Grey Goose and the Kirkland brand.  An Costco employee in the liquor section had said that it is the same vodka, made at the same plant, same ingredients, with a different bottle and label.  

Grey Goose won, hands down.  Bigly.

Good to know, thanks. So how would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with Grey Goose a 10? 
The little I drink is straight and to me is flavorless, I just notice how smooth it is comparatively. 

Try Three Olives.  $21/1.5L here and totally runs a 9 if GG is a 10.

Lit

Terrebandit said:

I maintain memberships at both and actively shop at both.  I like pork butts and smoked sausage at SAMS but other meats are generally bought at Costco.  They seem to compete with each other on other sale items, which is nice.  I like the credit card that comes with my SAMs account. I get about 400 cash back on that per year. 

The Costco credit card is really nice also you get 2% in store and 4% on gas everywhere. 

pgprescott

bgebrent said:

Dobie said:

the_crease said:

Dobie said:

I like Costco for many reasons. Kirkland brand has not disappointed me yet.
I will admit I'm a beer drinker primarily and drink a small amount of liquor but the Kirkland brand vodka to me is better than Titos, Smirnoff, Vale and on the level of Grey Goose in my opinion at a fraction of the cost. $19.99 for 1.75 liter here, itnterested what the folks who know vodka think.

I'm no vodka connoseir, but my wife and did a blind taste test with Grey Goose and the Kirkland brand.  An Costco employee in the liquor section had said that it is the same vodka, made at the same plant, same ingredients, with a different bottle and label.  

Grey Goose won, hands down.  Bigly.

Good to know, thanks. So how would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with Grey Goose a 10? 
The little I drink is straight and to me is flavorless, I just notice how smooth it is comparatively. 

Try Three Olives.  $21/1.5L here and totally runs a 9 if GG is a 10.

Smirnoff is as good or better than all of them. You have to remember, it's vodka. It's like debating the best distilled water. Once it's triple distilled, game over. It's just fine. 

bgebrent

pgprescott said:

bgebrent said:

Dobie said:

the_crease said:

Dobie said:

I like Costco for many reasons. Kirkland brand has not disappointed me yet.
I will admit I'm a beer drinker primarily and drink a small amount of liquor but the Kirkland brand vodka to me is better than Titos, Smirnoff, Vale and on the level of Grey Goose in my opinion at a fraction of the cost. $19.99 for 1.75 liter here, itnterested what the folks who know vodka think.

I'm no vodka connoseir, but my wife and did a blind taste test with Grey Goose and the Kirkland brand.  An Costco employee in the liquor section had said that it is the same vodka, made at the same plant, same ingredients, with a different bottle and label.  

Grey Goose won, hands down.  Bigly.

Good to know, thanks. So how would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with Grey Goose a 10? 
The little I drink is straight and to me is flavorless, I just notice how smooth it is comparatively. 

Try Three Olives.  $21/1.5L here and totally runs a 9 if GG is a 10.

Smirnoff is as good or better than all of them. You have to remember, it's vodka. It's like debating the best distilled water. Once it's triple distilled, game over. It's just fine. 

And then there is Woodford, KC and PVW.  Nothing better.
seriously Pete, Three Olives is better than Smirnoff by a league.  My opinion.  I know you don't have one

thetrim

Goose!!!!!!

bgebrent

thetrim said:

Goose!!!!!!

Have you sampled Three Olives?  Not shabby.

Lit

If GG is a 10 Titos is a 20. No comparison

pgprescott

bgebrent said:

pgprescott said:

bgebrent said:

Dobie said:

the_crease said:

Dobie said:

I like Costco for many reasons. Kirkland brand has not disappointed me yet.
I will admit I'm a beer drinker primarily and drink a small amount of liquor but the Kirkland brand vodka to me is better than Titos, Smirnoff, Vale and on the level of Grey Goose in my opinion at a fraction of the cost. $19.99 for 1.75 liter here, itnterested what the folks who know vodka think.

I'm no vodka connoseir, but my wife and did a blind taste test with Grey Goose and the Kirkland brand.  An Costco employee in the liquor section had said that it is the same vodka, made at the same plant, same ingredients, with a different bottle and label.  

Grey Goose won, hands down.  Bigly.

Good to know, thanks. So how would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with Grey Goose a 10? 
The little I drink is straight and to me is flavorless, I just notice how smooth it is comparatively. 

Try Three Olives.  $21/1.5L here and totally runs a 9 if GG is a 10.

Smirnoff is as good or better than all of them. You have to remember, it's vodka. It's like debating the best distilled water. Once it's triple distilled, game over. It's just fine. 

And then there is Woodford, KC and PVW.  Nothing better.
seriously Pete, Three Olives is better than Smirnoff by a league.  My opinion.  I know you don't have one

Oh I've had it and it's good for vodka. I just don't see vodka in the league with almost any other spirit. The differences between one triple distilled vodka and another are minimal imo. But, I will say that 3 olives and Stoli along with Smirnoff are the best bang for the buck. The ultra premiums are for suckers imo. 

pgprescott

Lit said:

If GG is a 10 Titos is a 20. No comparison

Titos is also fine. Not bad and has the benefit of gluten free. Even a crap vodka is better than 1/2 as good as a premium. There range is narrow relative to other spirits. 

Eggcelsior

Ketel One is my favorite. Made the best Cape Cod I've had, when in Vegas. Then again, I may have already been 3 sheets to the wind.

the_crease

Dobie said:

the_crease said:

Dobie said:

I like Costco for many reasons. Kirkland brand has not disappointed me yet.
I will admit I'm a beer drinker primarily and drink a small amount of liquor but the Kirkland brand vodka to me is better than Titos, Smirnoff, Vale and on the level of Grey Goose in my opinion at a fraction of the cost. $19.99 for 1.75 liter here, itnterested what the folks who know vodka think.

I'm no vodka connoseir, but my wife and did a blind taste test with Grey Goose and the Kirkland brand.  An Costco employee in the liquor section had said that it is the same vodka, made at the same plant, same ingredients, with a different bottle and label.  

Grey Goose won, hands down.  Bigly.

Good to know, thanks. So how would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with Grey Goose a 10? 
The little I drink is straight and to me is flavorless, I just notice how smooth it is comparatively. 

@Botch I'd give it a 6 maybe.  Fine on its own and pretty good value imo. Definitely not bottom drawer but much more harsh than GG.  To me the difference was clear.  But ymmv. 

Lit

pgprescott said:

Lit said:

If GG is a 10 Titos is a 20. No comparison

Titos is also fine. Not bad and has the benefit of gluten free. Even a crap vodka is better than 1/2 as good as a premium. There range is narrow relative to other spirits. 

Me and the neighbors were drinking mules at our house one night and we ran out of titos. A neighbor went and got a bottle of grey goose he had and we all could tell the difference right away even several drinks in and mixing. I always thought there wasn't a huge difference in vodkas until I started drinking titos. It's also only $24.99 at my Costco liquor store for a handle.

Hans61

Mic drop

Markarm4119

Costco for meat definitely ! KS branded liquor is not to shabby either !