Bushmills Irish Whiskey Review Red Bush Vs Original

Editor's Notation: These whiskeys were provided to us as review samples by Bushmills. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review.

Bushmills, the venerable Irish whiskey maker, is the 2d largest and the oldest Irish whiskey producer.  Founded in 1608, they lay merits to being the oldest whiskey distillery in the world. Throughout their 400 twelvemonth history, the Former Bushmills Distillery has continued to use only 100 percent malted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills.  Located in Northern Ireland, it has e'er played second dabble to Jameson in terms of volume, though the United states has been a significant marketplace for some time.

Bushmills' whiskey, up until the 1980s, had largely been sold as blends, with Bushmills Original existence the most mutual. More recently, the distillery relaunched its much lauded sixteen and 21 year single malt expressions. Following the rising of bourbon in the global whiskey market place, Bushmills has released blends focused on appealing to bourbon consumers with the release of both the Red Bush and Black Bush, both more weighty and butt driven than the Original.

The six whiskies reviewed today fall into 2 camps: blends and unmarried malts.  The Original, Cherry Bush and Black Bush-league blends are all bottled betwixt four and 8 years of age, with varying casking programs and malt to grain whiskey percentages. Bushmill's Original is a classic, light bodied Irish alloy. Carmine Bush is aged for iv years exclusively in freshly dumped bourbon barrels.  Blackness Bush contains a significantly higher percentage of single malt , effectually eighty pct, and is finished in both bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks.

The newer single malt releases are age stated at 10, sixteen and 21 years and see a variety of aging regimes and finishes.  There is a 12 yr release that is distillery merely and was non provided for this review.  The x yr, aged in bourbon and sherry casks, is the youngest and lightest of the single malts.  The 16 year is aged in oloroso casks, ex bourbon barrels and finished in port vino pipes. It was named "Irish Single Malt of the Twelvemonth" in 2018 by the Jim Murray Whiskey Bible .  The 21 twelvemonth expression is aged for 19 years in ex bourbon and oloroso casks followed past a ii year Madeira cask cease.  Information technology too was awarded "Irish Unmarried Malt of the Year" in both 2013 and 2014.

The chief whiskeys from Bushmills Irish Whiskey (prototype via Bushmills)

Tasting Notes: Bushmills Original

Vital Stats: fourscore proof, aged 5 years in American oak, blended grain and malt whiskey, $27

Appearance: Thin, similar pale winter hay.

Nose: Quite hot, with a practiced bit of discernible ethanol and lots of green apple pare.

Palate: At that place's pronounced alcohol burn on the natural language, with some fruitiness alike to bubblegum and tart apple.  A non entirely unpleasant raw cereal character backed up with some light vanilla and a thin body.

Final Thoughts: While information technology does come beyond as quite lite and hot, particularly in comparison to the other Bushmills offerings, information technology never veers towards the saccharine or vanilla extract qualities I've experienced in other entry level Irish gaelic blends.

Score: ii.5/5

Tasting Notes: Bushmills Ruddy Bush

Vital Stats: 80 proof, aged 4 years in bourbon barrels, gain and malt whiskey, $25

Appearance: A dull gilded, akin to Sutter Home chardonnay.

Olfactory organ: Lots of rut on the nose with some white tabular array grapes and a bit of Belgian candi sugar.

Palate: Pronounced warm blistering spices, and a nice light vanilla sweetness.  It'due south medium bodied with some chewy grains and well balanced tannins. Distinctly unmemorable, just pleasant.

Final Thoughts: Despite the sharp nose I'm surprised by its mildness. While kind of bland and uninteresting, this feels similar a distinct offering from Bushmills Original that will definitely please most bourbon drinkers.

Score: 3/5

Tasting Notes: Bushmills Black Bush

Vital Stats: 80 proof, aged 5 in both bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, grain and malt whiskey, $30

Appearance: Radiant golden hay in a glass.

Olfactory organ: The drinking glass jumps with aromas of Riesling grapes, tropical lychee fruit and mango processed.  Quite lively and a welcome divergence from the previous expressions.

Palate: The taste is all warm spices, caramelized carbohydrate and marzipan.  It'southward quite circular, with a touch of tannic astringency and some overnice, rich sherry graphic symbol coming through.  Some raw ethanol oestrus merely naught terrible unpleasant and a medium length end.  \

Concluding Thoughts: Bushmills Black Bush comes across as a terrific deal.  The nose is expressive, the body deep and warming and the cost very reasonable.  Bushmills Black Bush incorporates characteristics from a range of whiskey styles, to cracking result. This should satisfy nigh all whiskey drinkers, at a bargain price. Recommended.

Score: four/five

Tasting Notes: Bushmills ten Year Single Malt

Vital Stats: 80 proof, anile in Oloroso sherry and bourbon seasoned casks, malted barley, $50

Advent: Aureate and sparse.

Nose: The olfactory organ is light but expressive, with notes of honeydew melon, roasted barley tea and a petty savory cheese rind must.  There's a hint of alcohol burn down.

Palate: The taste begins with sweet roasted grains and milk chocolate.  There's some spice to it, notably nutmeg or mace. The torso is quite thin with a slightly tannic character that'southward quick to dissipate.

Terminal Thoughts: A fine entry into the age statement single malts produced by Bushmills. Information technology has some of the ascendant character of the older releases but with quite a bit more than youthful vigor.  Bushmills describes this as a "summertime whiskey" and suggests serving it on ice or fifty-fifty from the freezer, to give you some idea of its body (or lack thereof).

Score: 4/5

Tasting Notes: Bushmills 16 Year Single Malt

Vital Stats: eighty proof, aged in Oloroso sherry and bourbon cask, port wine pipe finish, $100-150

Advent: The deep, burnished bister common in many heavily sherried malts.

Olfactory organ: The nose is deep, rich and fruity; full of brandied plums, almonds, allspice and brownish sugar.

Palate: Rich, ripe fruit such as cantaloupe and fig mix with marzipan, almond milk, and a pronounced numbing clove flavor.  The body is chewy and circular with low tannins and a long, mellow cease with lilliputian to no alcohol astringency.

Final Thoughts: This is a delicious single malt.  For fans of heavier, dark fruit frontwards malts this is well worth a spin, especially for those who may love those characteristics in single malt Scotch but find themselves turned off past the presence of peat or the oft college alcohol content.  Highly recommended.

Score: iv.5/v

Tasting Notes: Bushmills 21 Year Single Malt

Vital Stats: 80 proof, aged in Oloroso sherry, bourbon and Madeira cask, malted barley, $200-250

Appearance: Pale, crystal clear amber.

Nose: Beautiful and nuanced, with notes of bergamot, vanilla bean and dark chocolate.

Palate: The flavors are more soft and refined than its younger, brasher sibling. Ripe light-green melon, toasted oak, papaya and an almost cheese like salinity and richness make this a beguiling dram.  The trunk is circular and chewy, though with quite a bit more than tannic structure and some prickly alcohol burn. It comes beyond every bit a distinctly "mature" whiskey.

Final Thoughts: A beautifully delicate single malt.  Fully matured, it is beginning to show quite a bit of tannic oak character, though information technology's non over the hill withal.  It conveys more elegance and nuance than its younger sibling at the slight expense of the dark, fruit frontward power of the 16 year.

This is a unique Irish single malt that may be more than in line with more traditional expressions, maintaining its lighter character and fruitiness well into its old historic period.

Score: 4/5

follettfeara1935.blogspot.com

Source: https://thewhiskeywash.com/reviews/whiskey-review-round-up-bushmills-irish-whiskey/

Share this post