This spirits review comes to us from Sean Ludford, creator and editor of Bevx.com, an online magazine. He’s a regular contributor to TaylorEason.com and I’m certainly happy to have him.
This iconic Irish Whiskey was first introduced in the 1930s as “Old Bushmills Special Old Liqueur Whiskey,” a special blend of old malt whiskey matured in Sherry casks. By the 1960s, the distillery had a shortage of old stocks and the label was dropped. (Whiskey versus whisky? What’s with the “e”?)
Human nature being what it is, the “Black Label” Bushmills’ reputation grew in its absence, moving Bushmills to reintroduce this special blend. Re-branded as “Black Bush,” this upscale whisky was and is a blend of roughly 75% malt whiskey with a respectable portion of Sherry casks.
We love this classic whiskey, being one of our go-to drams at the BevX office (after hours of course…)
Bushmills in County Antrim, Northern Ireland is the nation’s oldest distillery. The area received a license to distill whiskey in 1608 from King James I. This was the first official written reference of a grain distillate being made in Bushmills area. The Old Bushmills distillery finally became officially registered in 1784.
Tasting Notes:
Deep gold to copper color. The nose explodes with scents of dried apricots, prunes, dates, sweet sherry, roasted nuts, almond brittle, mango, and a mélange of tropical notes. A rich, semi-viscous mid-palate that expands with notes of dark chocolate, treacle, and decadent fig preserves, in full agreement with the nose. A classy whiskey that is showing better than ever. $34.99
