Nose: Light and fruity with spicy aroma. Vanilla note, with a hint of rose water.
Palate: Sweetness that eventually gives way to chocolate and a hint of honey.
Finish: Very long and crisp finish, with the chocolate turning dark and slightly bitter.
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The staple in the Bushmills shed, and often called "White Bush", is the hallmark variety of Bushmills. It's an approximate 50:50 blend of triple distilled Irish single malt, made from the finest grain sourced in Country Antrim, and a grain whiskey specially reserved and produced in Midleton. It is aged for a minimum of 5 years in American oak casks.
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San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Gold Medal 2013, Double Gold Medal 2015
Irish Whiskey Masters: Gold Medal 2013 -
The Bushmills distillery is set in the idyllic surroundings of the North Antrim Coast, considered an area of outstanding beauty and with the UNESCO world heritage sight of the the Giants Causeway just a short distance away from the distillery. For those interested in Game of Thrones, many of the scenes were shot around this area and there are multiple tours available which will take you around the various locations.
The Bushmills area is arguably the oldest site of whiskey manufacture in the world, with reports of "aqua vitae" being given to troops before battle in 1276, and references to its distillation during the reign of Henry I in the 12th century. Even thought these stories are probably more a result of legend becoming fact, rather than the other way around, the Bushmill's claim to be the oldest site of whiskey distilling is very strong.
The Bushmills distillery itself is one of Ireland's oldest, and the original license to distil is the oldest official record of whiskey making in the world, having been granted in 1608. In reality this license meant very little, but it does tell us that this area was so renowned for whiskey making that the English appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland wanted to claim the rights for himself. English rule of law in Ireland meant very little outside the Dublin in the 16th and 17th centuries and no distillery was registered at Bushmills until 1784, but this doesn't necessarily mean that there was no distillery there. This would still make it the oldest distillery in Ireland if it had survived, but the original buildings were destroyed by fire in 1885 and the buildings as we see them today were subsequently erected. -
Producer Bushmills Distillery Style Blend of Single Malt and Grain whiskeys. Age No Age Statement Volume 70CL ABV 40%