Bushmills 16 year old Whiskey

The Bushmills 16 year old single malt Irish whiskey is probably one of the dustiest bottles in my collection. I have had this bottle for more than eight years, and although we have tried it a few times, I have never written about it.

With all the new whisky arrivals, it got moved right to the back of my whisky cupboard.  In December, while sorting and organizing, I stumbled across it again. So it made it to my tasting list early in 2017.

Bushmills is a distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Bushmills Old Distillery Company itself established in 1784 by Hugh Anderson. However, there is limited information available on any whiskey distilled during that early time.

After various periods of closure in its subsequent history, the distillery has been in continuous operation since it was rebuilt after a fire in 1885. In 1890, a steamship named SS Bushmills, travelled across the Atlantic to deliver Bushmills whiskey to America.

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In the early 20th century, America was a significant market for Bushmills. Then came the American Prohibition in 1920. It harmed Bushmills and the Irish whiskey industry. But Bushmills managed to survive and when Prohibition ended, had ample stores of whiskey ready to export.

The Bushmills Distillery changed hands a few times, and in 2005, it became part of the Diageo stable. In November 2014, Diageo announced that the Bushmills brand was being traded with Jose Cuervo in exchange for the 50% of the Don Julio brand of tequila that Diageo did not already own.

Bushmills 16 year old Irish Whiskey

The core range of single malts consists of a 10 year old, the 16 year old and a 21 year old finished in Madeira casks for two years. Bushmills single malt whiskey 16 year old is aged in a combination of Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon-seasoned casks, then matured for several months in port pipes.

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark Copper mahogany

NOSE: Sherry sweetness, vanilla and roasted apples, stewed fruit. Rich and creamy with hints of honey and cinnamon.

PALATE: Smooth with notes of Christmas spices and summer fruit, oak, vanilla, honey and citrus. The Bushmills 16 year old single malt is not very complex, and although it is smooth, it is not as easy-drinking as I expected. Water brings out a bit more vanilla sweetness and tones down the citrus but also flattens the dram.

FINISH: Arid woody finish with notes citrus, pepper and oak. Hints of wet leather.

RATING: VERY GOOD

 It is as if you have three beautiful puzzle pieces in your hand, but they are from 3 different puzzles.  The pieces don’t fit together quite so well. They are all a bit disjointed. I was expecting a bit more from the Bushmills 16 year old whiskey. I need to explore from this Irish distillery to see if I can find something nicer. What release should I try?

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