It used to be that once a week there was an exciting one-off beer release that had fans rushing to breweries and stores — and then rushing to social media to post their scores. Dark Lord. Hunahpu’s. The yearly Bourbon County stout madness. Any number of weekly haze releases from breweries like Other Half and Tree House.

But then came the pandemic, the rise of seltzer-loving Zoomers, and what seemed to be the end of anyone giving a damn about rare beer releases. Until late September, that is, when all of my social media feeds started to be flooded with unembodied hands gripping a bomber (a bomber!) of bourbon-barrel-aged imperial stout with a subtle white label, packaged in a classy box.

The beer in question: Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale, Costco’s $9.99 release that has somehow taken the internet by storm.

Kirkland’s Signatures

Costco is no stranger to the alcohol game, nor to receiving plaudits for its releases. For years the company has offered spirits in just about every major category, whether vodka, tequila, spiced rum, Canadian whisky (thought to be sourced from Crown Royal), bourbon (always Barton 1792), Tennessee whiskey, or various Scotches from just about every major region (sometimes labeled as The Macallan, often undisclosed). Many of these have medaled at top spirits competitions, like Costco’s bourbon, which claimed a top prize at 2017’s New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.

These are all released under the Kirkland Signature label, the same house brand that appears on the retailer’s coffee, canned tuna, bottled water, and, yes, beers.

Since 2008, Costco has also offered a full line of Kirkland Signature beers, initially kicking things off with a pale ale, hefeweizen, amber ale, and German lager — very in vogue styles for that era of craft beer. Each was initially brewed by California’s Gordon Biersch Brew Co., but by 2011 New York’s FX Matt Brewing also began to produce the releases for easier East Coast distribution.

Over the last decade, Kirkland has produced everything from IPAs, pilsners, and a summer ale to more-of-the-moment beers like a Citra Hop Session Ale, first made in 2021.

And yet, despite seemingly having a good pulse on the industry, Costco had avoided a higher-end beer offering until now, a time when most industry insiders would tell you higher-end beer is dead.

A New Tradition Created

“We were discussing with the Costco team ideas that they had always wanted to bring to life to deliver something really special for members for the holidays,” explains Peter Skrbek, Deschutes Brewery CEO. “For quite some time, the Costco team had the vision of creating something that could be recurring from year to year that members would get excited about. A beer that could become a tradition and part of the season.”

Deschutes was tasked with helping create the recipe along with Costco’s team. Both collaborators started by tasting through some of the best barrel-aged beers to decide on what might work. Everything from classic Belgian styles to more modern, American iterations were considered.

“The team at Costco was very thoughtful in collaborating with us to construct a flavor profile that would be exciting for both members familiar with barrel-aged beers and those new to the style.”

“[We] agreed that it would be excellent if the final beer could be cellared and the tradition of vertical tastings with each release could be established for members,” Skrbek explains. “It’s the idea of: Buy one to drink with friends and family now, gift a few, and keep a few to cellar.”

A couple thousand ex-bourbon barrels were ultimately utilized to make the final blend, one of the largest releases Deschutes has ever produced, though still small enough to create a frenzy amongst Costco members.

Into the Abyss

“Got so excited when I saw these, had to stock up. They seemed to be going quick!” wrote one man on the Costco subreddit, which has been deluged with fans touting bottles they’ve found at their local stores.

Surprisingly — or perhaps not — it’s been well reviewed by the been-there-done-that nerd faction as well.

“The team at Costco was very thoughtful in collaborating with us to construct a flavor profile that would be exciting for both members familiar with barrel-aged beers and those new to the style,” says Skrbek.

“I think there’s been some subdued interest in the [high-end beer] category for the last couple years in part because of lack of broad availability, which has made sampling difficult for prospective fans.”

​​On Beer Advocate it scores a more-than-respectable 89 out of 100. Though, many reviewers can’t help but mention that the flavor profile is a bit of a throwback to a previous era in both stout and craft beer history, when breweries allowed chocolaty and roasty malts to shine, as opposed to just tossing actual foodstuff into the barrel.

“It’s a great old school [barrel-aged imperial stout],” commented Bob Sylvester, the founder of Saint Somewhere Brewing Co., on Facebook recently, comparing it to coveted beers from a generation ago, like North Coast’s Old Rasputin and Bell’s Expedition Stout.

A more apt comparison might be Deschutes own beer, The Abyss, which debuted in 2006. It was definitely a major player during the early glory days when a limited beer of this caliber could create a frenzy every year upon its release. I recall trading West Coast beer friends for bottles of it, circa 2010, when it ranked as high as No. 4 overall on Beer Advocate’s top 100 beers in the world list.

Many fans online have pointed that out, even wondering if this is just The Abyss relabeled. It’s not, and Deschutes doesn’t necessarily agree with the assessment, either.

“Abyss is what I consider a more historically traditional imperial stout with lots of roasted coffee notes and higher bitterness,” Dustin Jameson, the barrel manager at Deschutes Brewery, claimed in an Instagram post. “Its barrel aging is also different using wine, bourbon, and new oak, which gives a strong oaky tannic quality. Vintage is similarly dark in color with a full body but has a totally different flavor profile and drinking experience.”

“As brewers, we have to remember that many folks have yet to be introduced to the flavor and aroma experience of barrel-aged beer.”

Whatever the case, Vintage Ale has created the same sort of excitement The Abyss generated around a decade ago — a decade when it was a lot easier for a beer to generate buzz.

Striking a Chord

So how did Costco find lightning in a bottle?

And how did the company manage to find such success during this fallow time for limited beer releases?

“I think there’s been some subdued interest in the [high-end beer] category for the last couple years in part because of lack of broad availability, which has made sampling difficult for prospective fans,” says Skrbek. “As brewers, we have to remember that many folks have yet to be introduced to the flavor and aroma experience of barrel-aged beer.”

Indeed, the widespread availability, handsome packaging (despite the woefully unhip bomber size), and economical pricing, may indeed have pulled neophytes into the beer scene, offering Zoomers their first taste of higher-ABV, barrel-aged beer, as well as their first thrill at finding a limited release.

“I think Vintage Ale is striking a major chord first and foremost because of the beer itself,” Skrbek says. “I believe the result will be many folks that become fans of barrel-aged beer when they experience the depth of aroma and flavor that’s possible.”

Both companies are already at work on Vintage Ale 2025.

The article Beer Collectors Can’t Get Enough of Costco’s $10 Imperial Stout appeared first on VinePair.