The Difference Between The Cheapest And Most Expensive Kirkland Tequila

The Washington State-based mega-retailer Costco has a huge line of products under the Kirkland brand name, which a tribute to the city outside of Seattle where the company was founded (via Reader's Digest). One of the many categories offered under the Kirkland-brand umbrella is a sizable number of liquor options. From rum to gin to whiskey to tequila, you will likely be able to find a Kirkland-brand hard alcohol that strikes your fancy. 

However, they come at a range of prices and a range of qualities as well. Focusing on Kirkland-branded tequila, Costco offers three of them: Kirkland Signature Añejo Tequila, Kirkland Signature Silver Tequila, and Kirkland Signature Reposado Tequila. The cheapest of these offerings is the $19 bottle of Kirkland Signature Silver Tequila (via Tequila Tourist). On the other hand, the Signature Añejo goes for $28 per bottle (via 20 Something Finance). This means there is a bit of a difference between the two varieties, and there's a good reason behind it.

All tequila is required by law to be made in Mexico from the blue agave plant (via The Spruce Eats) and all of the Kirkland-branded ones fulfill this requirement with the Spanish phrase "100 percent pure de agave" and "Product of Mexico" written on all three bottles. 

But there is something significantly different when comparing the cheap and expensive options (via Tequila Matchmaker). Silver tequila is a version of the beverage that is bottled immediately after the distillation process and then sold (via My Recipes). Reposado (which means "rested" in Spanish), on the other hand, is aged in oak barrels for over a year which alters both the color of the beverage as well as the taste. The time it spends aging mellows the flavor and also provides the tequila with a golden color. This commands a premium and explains the price difference between these two Kirkland brands.