Why Are Costco's Black Label Cashews So Different Than Others?
NEWS
By MATTHEW LEE
In the Costco section devoted to cashews from Costco’s in-house Kirkland Signature brand, you might find glass jars of cashews next to the plastic-bagged varieties.
These jars have pricey-looking black labels with only the word “Cashews” in silvery cursive writing stuck to the front, hinting they’re superior to standard cashew offerings.
Per an eBay listing for the product, the Black Label variety is made from W180 cashews, a strain known for its larger, tastier drupes that go by the moniker “King of Cashew.”
What sets W180 cashews apart from other ones is their size, which is larger than any other cashew on the market. They’re also rare, accounting for only 5 to 10% of the global crop.
Their scarcity likely impacts the Black Label’s price and availability. While other Kirkland Signature bags are sold year-round, Black Label cashews appear more sporadically.
Besides these cashews’ rarity and size, fans of the Black Label variety also rave about the drupes’ supposedly creamier, more buttery flavor, as discussed in a 2023 Reddit thread.
However, some skeptics in the thread argued that the cashews don’t taste unique and that the perceived superior flavor is a result of the expectations set by the premium packaging.
