Bushmills Distillery has added two new well aged whiskies to their core lineup. A 25 and 30 year old single malt are now the oldest offerings in the core offering.
The Bushmills team is especially proud of these new whiskeys since the distillery is one of the few that genuinely has enough stock to regularly produce liquor this old as part of its main range. The team is managed by master distiller Colum Egan and master blender Alex Thomas.
“When we started planning these two new whiskeys over 30 years ago, we traveled all over Europe to hand-select each cask. We collaborated with winemakers to specify the fortified wine recipe used to season them to create the flavors of our future Bushmills whiskey. We still engage in this process, down to the detail of cask toasting times and temperatures before we add the wine. We leave the casks to season for at least a couple of years in the hot European climate before transporting the seasoned casks back to Bushmills.” ~ Colum Egan, Master Blender at Bushmills Distillery
The 25-year-old single malt was first matured for nearly six years in bourbon barrels and sherry butts before spending a further 21 years in ruby port casks. Egan describes the taste as having aromas of honey and hedgerow black fruit. The 30-year-old was distilled in 1992 and aged for 14 years in barrels that previously held bourbon and sherry before being re-casted and aged for a further 16 years in Pedro Ximenez barrels. On the taste, praline, raisin, and fig flavors are noted by Egan. Both whiskeys are non-chill filtered and have an alcohol by volume of 46%.
Online dealers are selling these two new whiskeys in 700 ml bottles for $900 for the 25 and $2,200 for the 30.
About Bushmills Distillery
In the sleepy village of Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, stands the famed Bushmills Distillery, a producer of Irish whiskey. With a history spanning more than 400 years, it is one of the oldest legally operating distilleries in the whole world.
The Old Bushmills Distillery was the original name of the distillery when it was established in 1608 by Sir Thomas Phillips. It is one of the few distilleries in the world with this distinction since King George III handed it a royal license in 1784.
The premium Irish whiskeys produced by Bushmills Distillery, which uses a blend of malted and unmalted barley as well as pure Irish spring water from the adjacent River Bush, are its best-known products. The whiskeys are matured in oak barrels, which give the finished product distinct tastes and fragrances.
Visitors may experience the creation and history of Irish whiskey through the distillery's variety of tours and tastings. The classic copper pot stills that are used to distill the whiskey are on display for visitors, who can also learn about the aging procedure in the on-site warehouses.
