The Old Bushmills Distillery

The Old Bushmills Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, founded in 1784 and owned by Proximo Spirits. Bushmills Distillery uses water drawn from Saint Columb's Rill, which is a tributary of the River Bush. The distillery is a popular tourist attraction, with around 120,000 visitors per year.

The company that originally built the distillery was formed in 1784, although the date 1608 is printed on the label of the brand – referring to an earlier date when a royal licence was granted to a local landowner to distil whiskey in the area. Over 400 years later, whiskey is still being made in Bushmills, thanks to experience and craft passed down from generation to generation. 

In the 1850s, the Crown imposed a tax on those distilling in Ireland through a tax on barley. Even then, malted barley was known throughout the world to make the finest whiskey, known as "pure malt" whiskey. When only malted barley is used in distillation, and made at a single distillery, you have the very definition of "single malt" whiskey. That tax, however, forever changed Irish whiskey, as almost every Irish whiskey distillery began substituting corn or other inferior grains for barley.

After various periods of closure in its subsequent history, the distillery has been in approximately continuous operation since it was rebuilt after a fire. In 1885, a disastrous fire destroyed The Old Bushmills Distillery but we pulled together, were soon rebuilt, and back in full production to meet soaring US demand.

Bushmills is more than just a whiskey. It's a village, where family, friends and neighbours work side by side at the distillery. As we often say, "without the village there would be no whiskey, and without the whiskey there would be no village". 

Triple distillation is the open secret of Bushmills Distillery that makes its whiskey unique and smooth. After Midleton Distillery, Bushmills is the second biggest Irish distillery with an annual production capacity of 4.5 million liters and stills are running seven days a week. 

There are ten big pot stills and six spirit safes are the heart of the Old Bushmills Distillery and they perform the triple distillation that is typical for Bushmills Whiskey. Production is modern and computerized at Bushmills and it only needs one man to conduct the fermentation- and distillation process.

Their core range consists of the 

• Original Bushmills, a Blended Irish Whiskey made of 55% Single Malt produced here at the Old Bushmills Distillery itself. 45% grain Whiskey is taken from Midleton Distillery.

• Red Bush has the same proportion of Single Malt and grain Whiskey as the Original Bushmills but it has a Sherry cask finish for a few months.

• Black Bush which is a Blend with a higher percentage of malt: 80% Single Malt and 20% grain Whiskey are used which have been age in abound 70% Sherry casks and 30% Bourbon casks. 

• Black Bush 80/20 which is 80% Single Malt and 20% grain Whiskey. The Single Malt portion was finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks.

• The 10 year old Single Malt Irish Whisky which stayed in 90% ex-Bourbon casks and 10% ex-Sherry casks.

• The 16 year old Single Malt that is aged in ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso Sherry casks in equal volumes, married and matured in Port casks for some more months. 

• The 21 year old Single Malt is matured for 19 years in ex-Bourbon & ex-Oloroso Sherry casks then its finished in Madeira casks for 2 more years.

Bushmills 80/20 Px Cask Reserve 1L Irish Whiskey - Natural Color (?), Chill filtered, 40%

Black Bush 80/20 PX Sherry Cask Reserve was released for the Travel Retail market. Standard Black Bush is a great value whiskey, and this 80/20 travel version is not far off the mark. 80 refers to the percentage of malt component in the blend aged in ex-bourbon and PX sherry casks, and the remaining 20 per cent is the grain component in the mash bill. This is similar again to the standard Black Bush, which is a blend with a high malt content.

"Black Bush 80/20 Irish whiskey combines an exceptionally high amount of malt married with a sweet, small-batch grain whiskey, and then matured in former PX sherry and bourbon casks. This unique recipe means Black Bush has rich, fruity notes and a deep intense character, balanced by an incredibly unique smoothness. It's best enjoyed neat, over ice, or in classic cocktails."

Nose: Lots of green apple and apricot. The freshness of Irish Whiskeys that we all love. Plum jam, Christmas spices. Ginger, charred wood. Raisins and sultanas. Light sugar dusting.

Taste: Very balanced and smooth. Light. Great mouthfeel. Green apples and apricots with some pear. Red grape juice. Citrus fruits such as clementine. Milk chocolate and toasted oak. Dry fruitcake.

Finish: Medium length, citrus and green apples. A metallic note that can come from youthness. Digestive biscuits. Blueberry. Light toasted oak. Christmas spices. 

Overall I think this is a small step up from the original Black Bush. In value this is a king. If you'd ask me I wouldn't be able to tell that this has grin whiskey in it. The malt proportion takes the show. I think this is a great Irish Whiskey. If you can find it I recommend that you try it. 84 / 100

Bushmills 10 year old Single Malt - Natural Color (?), Chill filtered, 40%

"Our Bushmills 10 Year Old is a marriage of single malts matured for at least 10 years in hand-selected bourbon barrels and sherry butts. This is where Bushmills goes from good to exciting. Matured almost exclusively in ex-bourbon casks this is a single malt that is on par with many of its Scottish cousins. The triple distillation and lower proof does make it a bit lighter than many comparable Scottish Single Malts, but it packs a punch of flavor and warm inviting aromas that can go toe-to-toe with many in a similar age range. Zesty and fresh on the nose, followed by notes of ripe fruit, creamy vanilla and soft toasted wood."

Nose: Orchard fruits such as green apples, pears and apricot. Malt, vanilla, strawberries, manuka honey and a touch of copper. Citrus fruits in the background with some floral hints. Toasted oak with a very faint hint of sherry.

Taste: Complex fruit notes with malt, vanilla, manuka honey, light spice and light sherry notes. Some nuttiness and citrus fruits. Tropical fruits such as papaya and mango. Great smooth mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium but a bit thin. Malty with notes of vanilla, manuka honey, oak and milk chocolate.

Overall this is one of my favorite Irish sipping whiskies. It's just very smooth and pleasant to sip on and something I can enjoy all day long. If you haven't tried it yet then I think this is a must for you. Buy it drink it enjoy it. 84 / 100

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. To many more. Sláinte.