In celebration of the 415th anniversary of its licence to distil, Bushmills Irish Whiskey has revealed two new rare, aged whiskeys which have been created as permanent additions to its core range – a 25 Year Old and a 30 Year Old Single Malt.
Drawn from the greatest reserve of aged Irish single malt whiskey in the world, and among the rarest small batch whiskeys ever produced at the distillery in county Antrim, the 25- and 30-Year-Old mark Bushmills' bold entry into the ultra-prestige single malt segment. Both are superb whiskeys, distinctively Irish, with deep triple distilled smoothness.
The Bushmills 25-year-old is a 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered, Irish single malt that has been matured at the Old Bushmills Distillery for between four and six years before being finished in ruby port pipes for up to 21 years. It is a rich and complex liquid with intense notes of ripe hedgerow dark fruit aromas mingled with honey and gentle toasted wood.
The 30-year-old, distilled in 1992, will be the oldest expression released as part of the Bushmills core range to date. Bottled at 46% ABV and non-chill-filtered, this whiskey has been matured for 14 years before being finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for 16 years. It is an exquisite whiskey characterised by signature sherry aromas of dried fruits and a deep and perfect PX complexity.
The new releases arrive in bottles with custom gold closure and engraving. A thick glass base with hexagonal punt is a proud nod to Bushmills' provenance and the Giant's Causeway; the UNESCO World Heritage site a stone's throw from the distillery and a source of inspiration for Bushmills for centuries.
Alex Thomas, Bushmills Master Blender, commented: "We are obsessed with our ingredients, our processes, and the wood we put our whiskey in. Oak has been our infatuation for over 400 years.
"Over 30 years ago, we travelled all over Europe to hand-select the casks for these fabulous whiskeys. We collaborated with winemakers to specify the fortified wine recipe used to season them and create the flavours 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 them back to Bushmills. We only ship them during colder months to keep them 'fresher' for the long maturation ahead."
"We're proud of that mastery and expertise that ensures every cask is at its freshest and most flavourful to mature our Bushmills whiskey. It means our 25-year-old bursts with intense hedgerow dark fruit and a luxurious honey sweetness. It ensures our 30-year-old boasts an exquisite and enticing raisin, fig, and praline richness. Even though it takes a lifetime of skill to make something great, it takes an obsession to make something legendary."
Bushmills 25- and 30-year-old Irish single malt whiskeys are available in selected retailers. Bushmills 25YO is bottled at 46% ABV, non chill-filtered and priced at £790 / '850 for 700ml. Bushmills 30YO is bottled at 46% ABV, non chill-filtered and priced at £1,990 / '2,000 for 700ml.
