We here at Great Drams absolutely adore Ireland. After all, with its amazing countryside and coastlines, its fantastic pub culture, and some of the friendliest, most welcoming locals you could ever wish to meet, how could you not?
Is there any other reason a company such as ourselves might happen to love Ireland? Hmm, oh yes, the whiskey of course!
While we generally focus more on Scotch than Irish whiskey, that certainly doesn’t mean that we aren’t Irish whiskey fans, because we most certainly are. Of course, when talking about Irish whiskey, you have to talk about Bushmills.
Located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and having been officially founded in 1784 (though the landowner at the time was granted a royal licence to distil on the premises in 1604), Bushmills produce a wide range of both blended and single malts that are simply divine.
In particular, their 21, 25, and 30-year-old whiskies have proved enormously popular, which is why I’m going to be talking to you about them today. Here’s what you can expect.
Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt
Having won twelve spirit awards, this is a special dram that encapsulates everything to know and love about Irish whiskey.
Aged for at least 19 years in a combination of both ex-Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks, it then enjoys a 2 year marrying period where it is transferred into a Madeira cask where it takes on an entirely new depth of flavour. It’s the perfect combination of fruity, spicy, nutty, aromatic, and malty.
At 40% ABV it’s every bit as smooth as you might expect, though there is definitely a decent amount of heat on the way down. Its rich mahogany amber colour is also very easy on the eye.
On the nose, you get sticky toffee, honey, dried fruits, dates, sweet hazelnut praline, and a hint of dark cocoa powder.
On the palate, you get the sherry and madeira influences right away, in the form of ripe grapes, sticky dates, and figs. These gradually subside, giving way to more sweet flavours in the form of vanilla, toffee, and maple and pecan crunch. There are also elements of lightly toasted oak, dark chocolate, and a hint of tropical fruit.
The finish is ridiculously smooth and lengthy, with a delicate mouthfeel. There’s golden syrup here, bonfire toffee, and a touch of After Eight mint to finish.
Of the three Bushmills expressions I’m reviewing today, this, for me at least, was the most complex, and that’s no bad thing.
Bushmills have aged this whiskey in sherry butts and bourbon barrels for between 4 and 6 years. The whiskey is then transferred into ex European oak ruby port pipes, where it slumbers for the next 21 years. As you might expect, this is most definitely one for the port fans amongst you.
The whisky, which comes in at 46% ABV, has a deep crimson amber colour, which is of course thanks to the port.
On the nose, you can expect complex aromas of summer berries, toffee and honey, and lightly toasted wood.
On the palate, sticky cherry and almond flavours make their presence felt, accompanied by ripe plums, apricot jam, blackberries, and toffee. Another sip, and you should pick up plenty of dark chocolate notes, with a touch of baking spices and a sprinkling of damson jam.
The finish is medium in length, leaving you with toasted oak notes, ruby port notes, winter spices, and a touch of spiced honey.
To finish, I’m going to leave you with a look at the 30-year-old whiskey from Bushmills, and what a belter she is.
This single malt Irish whiskey spends 14 years maturing in both bourbon barrels and sherry butts before being transferred into Pedro Ximenez sherry wine casks for maturation, where it matures for the next 16 years. The end product is a whisky full of depth of flavour and character.
The 46% ABV whiskey has a deep golden amber colour. It looks as good as it tastes, and that’s saying a lot!
On the nose, you can expect plenty of sweet and fruity aromas, with figs, dates, raisins and plums shining through in particular. There are also baking spice notes, as well as a strong aroma of toffee and honey.
On the palate, you can taste sticky toffee pudding, along with caramel and hazelnut, red grapes, figs and dates, orange zest, sweet vanilla, and a little jam roly poly.
The finish is long and complex, with an amazing syrupy mouthfeel. There’s more candied fruit and orange peel, accompanied by sugared almonds, toffee and caramel, and a hint of sweet oak.
If you’re looking for whisky, or whisky-related info, be sure to head over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at some of the amazing multiple-award-winning whiskies we have available.
From fruity Speysides to peaty Islays, and everything in between, here at GreatDrams we’ve got you covered. We’ve also an abundance of whisky-related info for you to read at your leisure, so be sure to check out our blog.
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