The Single Malt 16-year-old is aged for 16 years in a combination of Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon-seasoned casks, then matured for several months in port wine barrels. Bushmills says, “The unique maturation process gives this single malt its distinct notes of juicy fruits, nuts and spice, as well as a hint of ruby redness.” Taste - The baking spice mix (cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves blended nicely together) takes centre stage on the palate, with the apple and butter notes also continuing through from the nose on a supporting basis. Overall, the intensity of the taste does not match that of the aromas initially presented.

The nose gives us barley, but the majority of this nose is sweetness. There is some fresh apple in there. Burt Reynolds plays a police lieutenant in the 1975 film Hustle whose favourite drink is Bushmills. Nose: The nose is light but expressive, with notes of honeydew melon, roasted barley tea and a little savory cheese rind must. There’s a hint of alcohol burn. It is fruity and sweet on the palate, but with a sharp edge. Peach again, but also clear notes of wood, which I had less in previous releases. Honey and allspice. Sultanas? I confess I am just a tad disappointed after the wonderful nose. This one is quite difficult to describe because it is in a class by itself. The nose is honeyed and floral, and the taste is lightly sherried and lightly sweet, being extremely smooth. If I had to compare it to a single malt, I would say that toning down the flovors of a Talisker 10 without adding water would be a fair description. After drinking a heavily sherried Speyside malt such as Aberlour 12 or Glengoyne 17, this one tastes extremely floral and entirely different. This would be more closely related to the more floral Highland malts.Bushmills is a small village on the North coast of Northern Ireland, two and a half miles from famous tourist spot, the Giants Causeway. Tom Waits mentions 'Old Bushmills' in the song " Tom Traubert's Blues" (which was also covered by Rod Stewart). Bank of Ireland to feature Old Bushmills Distillery on new Northern Ireland note issue". Bank of Ireland. 11 February 2008 . Retrieved 7 March 2016.

Something had shook this blend of malt and grain in a good way. Either it was the wind that shook the barley, like in the title of that good Irish movie. In the early 20th century, the U.S. was a very important market for Bushmills (and other Irish Whiskey producers). American Prohibition in 1920 came as a large blow to the Irish Whiskey industry, but Bushmills managed to survive. Wilson Boyd, Bushmills' director at the time, predicted the end of prohibition and had large stores of whiskey ready to export. After the Second World War, the distillery was bought by Isaac Wolfson, and, in 1972, it was taken over by Irish Distillers, meaning that Irish Distillers controlled the production of all Irish whiskey at the time. In June 1988, Irish Distillers was bought by French liquor group Pernod Ricard. McCreary, Alf (1983). Spirit of the Age: The Story of "Old Bushmills". Bushmills, Antrim, Northern Ireland: The "Old Bushmills" Distillery Company Ltd. ISBN 0950908304. Editor’s Note: These whiskeys were provided to us as review samples by Bushmills. This in no way, per our editorial policies , influenced the final outcome of this review.This is a unique Irish single malt that may be more in line with more traditional expressions, maintaining its lighter character and fruitiness well into its old age. Nose: The nose is deep, rich and fruity; full of brandied plums, almonds, allspice and brown sugar. By the 1600s, the production of whiskey had started to be taxed and licenses were required for the commercial production of the spirit. One of the first people to be issued a license was Sir Thomas Phillips, an English knight-turned-mercenary. He obtained a license in 1608 for his distillery in Bushmills in Northern Ireland and started production. The 21-year-old single malt is aged for a minimum of 19 years in former Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon-seasoned casks, then transferred into Madeira casks for a further two years. “It has a huge depth that interweaves dried fruit flavours with spicy, aromatic maltiness and subtle nutty raisin notes,” says Bushmills. This whiskey has a slight after-burn but includes an interesting aftertaste. It is one to drink and savour slowly. An authentic whiskey

The aroma is gentle and fruity, with hints of Mandarin orange. Also a slight sourness. Not very expressive but not uninviting either.

Body/Balance - Slightly oily, very smooth mouthfeel. The aromas transfer nicely to the mouth, with the various notes co-existing very nicely. Over the years, the distillery went into and out of business with the Bushmills Old Distillery Company founded in 1784 to handle the distillery operations. As sad as this may be, I developed a level of whiskey snobery over the past few years. My reasonsing was, "Meh, it's only blended Irish whiskey, and it doesn't hold a flame to single malt scotch whiskies, blah, blah, blah." Loved this whiskey from the beginning, one of my first and it will certainly stay with me for quite a while. Every time the finish is gone you feel like stepping into the sun again. Final Thoughts: Despite the sharp nose I’m surprised by its mildness. While kind of bland and uninteresting, this feels like a distinct offering from Bushmills Original that will definitely please most bourbon drinkers.