Irish Whiskey
Ready for battle: Is this Irish whiskey collection Redbreast’s only real challenger?
Feb
Bushmills single malt collection is suddenly feeling very complete and ready to bring fans back to the north of this most famous whiskey island
Anyone in power will attest that when you hold the throne, you best watch your back – your successor is always plotting to topple you. And so it is with Irish whiskey. Redbreast has long held a prime position in Ireland, and its single pot still collection has been almost impossible to beat.
Year after year, its quality, multi-aged statements and ever more diverse cask types have won legions of fans. While there are lots of great Irish brands with their eyes firmly focused on Redbreast’s prestigious position – Teeling, The Irishman, Drumshanbo – few have matched the scale and quality components that Redbreast commands.
Until now. When Bushmills introduced a 12-year-old to its core collection last year, going head-to-head with Redbreast’s own stalwart 12, it unlocked a pattern within its single malt collection that suddenly looks very complete.
With 10-, 12-, 14-, 16-, 21, 25-, and 30-year-old bottles finally linking up, could these numbers represent the perfect building blocks of an Irish whiskey collection? And could it be the next best destination for anyone looking beyond Redbreast in the Irish landscape? We certainly think so.
With over 400 years of distillation behind it and being one of the few distilleries with the scale and volume to compete with Redbreast, choosing Bushmills over Redbreast is an increasingly popular choice.
Here’s a rundown of what makes this collection work so well:
Irish Whiskey
€39.43 (Ex. VAT)
Bushmills 10
Now discontinued in some international markets, Bushmills 10 has worked incredibly hard over decades to lead fans of Bushmills entry-level releases towards a single malt palate. Matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks, this hard-working triple-distilled single malt builds on layers of honey and vanilla, with a distinctly smooth and gentle palate.
A cornerstone bottling, its easy-drinking palate lays the foundation for its older, more diversely casked siblings to build upon.
Irish Whiskey
€44.72 (Ex. VAT)
Bushmills 12
Bushmills 12 is a superb triple-distilled single malt and is now a core member of the Bushmills family. Matured in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry, it was finished in marsala wine barriques, distilled from 100% Irish barley and bottled at 40%.
This relatively low ABV catches the eye: it’s the same as Redbreast 12, as is the use of ex-bourbon and oloroso casks. But Bushmills goes one further with its 12-year-old pour – it’s finished in a Marsala wine cask. This extra cask puts it considerably ahead of its rival in terms of depth of flavour, if not in market recognition just yet.
Irish Whiskey
€56.91 (Ex. VAT)
Bushmills 14
The first step-change in this bottling is the absence of sherry. Matured for 14 years in ex-bourbon barrels, it received a 12-month finish in white wine casks from Malaga. This rich, syrupy wine marries beautifully with the bourbon, and the absence of the heavy red notes of sherry gives it plenty of room to shine.
This is a wonderfully sweet and decadent pour with oceans of pineapple, mango and ginger flooding the palate. Like the 12-year-old, this is bottled at 40%, which highlights its smooth, triple-distilled texture. Ruby red in colour, it’s a beautiful single malt whiskey that’s easy to distinguish in a tasting.
Irish Whiskey
€80.49 (Ex. VAT)
Bushmills 16
The rich dark-red colour of Bushmills 16 comes from its triple casking in bourbon, oloroso and port pipes. Without a doubt, the 12-month port pipe maturation, which married the bourbon and oloroso elements, is the driving force behind its silky, vibrant hue.
Warming spices and rich flavours flood the palate in this core release single malt. You’ll find Bushmills’ signature caramel, spice and cinnamon in here too, all wrapped up in summer fruits and nutty elements with a silky, dark chocolate finish.
This is a superb release that sits at the heart of the Bushmills collection and deserves its decadent reputation.
Irish Whiskey
€161.79 (Ex. VAT)
Bushmills 21
Twenty-one is a magic number in whiskey maturation, and this elegant and distinguished release more than represents. Matured in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry for its first 19 years, it then receives a two-year finish in Madeira wine casks from Portugal.
Madeira is an island that sits over 800km from the Iberian Peninsula and has produced its fortified wine in isolation for centuries. It’s rich and viscous, made with grapes that ripen in its temperate climate and is often poured as a dessert wine.
In Bushmills 21, it delivers waves of flavour, depositing kernels of nuts, dark chocolate and ripe dark fruits onto the malty sweet palate of this fine single malt.
Irish Whiskey
€1,910.57 (Ex. VAT)
Bushmills 31
The pinnacle of Bushmills single malt collection was reinvented with the release of 25-, 30 and 31-year-old bottlings. A prestige series-within-a-series, it lifts the Bushmills single malt family to a whole new level.
This 31-year-old is naturally characterised by its more than three decades in oak. It’s matured for its first 14 years in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, then recasked in new American oak for the next 17 years. This reliance on American oak has delivered an incredibly spicy, flavour-packed palate to this extra-matured release.
Bottled at 46%, its deep flavour melts into milk chocolate, warm apricot, baked apple, and toasted coconut – all underpinned by creamy vanilla and crisp oaked spice on a wonderfully silky finish.
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