Irish whiskey standout Bushmills advertises itself as the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery. And while the brand's claim of a 1608 founding for their distillery is a tad dubious (a royal license was granted to the then-owner of the land to distill that year, but Bushmills itself wasn't founded until 1784 and the current distillery was built in 1885), whiskey distilling has been going on in Bushmills, Northern Ireland for a very long time.
So it stands to reason that the distillery would have the capability to produce some very old whiskeys, and that's exactly what they've done with the two newest additions to the Bushmills portfolio. In what the distillery is labeling their "bold entry into the ultra-prestige single malt category," Bushmills has added a 25-year and 30-year single malt to their core range. With super-aged Irish single malts still being a relative rarity — Teeling Distillery and a few other labels have offered them, but typically in very limited runs — I jumped at the chance to try these new easier-to-obtain Irish single malts to see how they stack up.
What kind of whiskey is Bushmills 25-Year & 30-Year Single Malt?
Irish whiskey is most often distilled from a blend of cereal grains, and while Bushmills offers some blends, the brand is best known for its line of single malts. Prior to these new releases, the distillery offered 10-, 12-, 16- and 21-year-old single malts in their core lineup, and now the line grows more prestigious with the addition of two even older expressions.
The new whiskeys are both non-chill filtered, with the 25-year spending the first fifth of its maturation in bourbon and sherry casks before spending another two decades finishing in first-fill ruby port pipe oak casks. The 30-year-old, meanwhile, spent 14 years in the same combo of ex-sherry butts and bourbon barrels before undergoing a 16-year finish in first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Both whiskeys are bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof), an uptick over the 80-proof bottles that constitute the rest of the Bushmills single-malt lineup.
Bushmills 25-Year & 30-Year Single Malt Tasting Notes
According to the distillery, the 25-year has a honey-filled nose, a palate that tastes of sweet almonds and caramelized fruit and a dark chocolate-like finish with some spice. The 30-year is said to have a nose of dried fruit and toffee, with a palate that brings dates, fig, praline and orange peel. Finally, the finish is laced with vanilla and pastry notes.
Tasting Bushmills 25-Year & 30-Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Since everyone's palate is different, I tried Bushmills' new single malts for myself to see what I got out of them.
Bushmills 25 Year: On the nose, I get mostly apple along with a bit of ocean brine. What I don't get is any hint of alcohol — it smells smooth. That's to be expected with such a matured whiskey, but it's a nice reminder that I'm about to drink something special. On the palate, it's a bit lighter than expected and comes across as bright, fruity and floral. Overall, it's a delight. The finish has a touch of bitterness — perhaps that dark chocolate note — and a slight warming sensation before pulling off a clean disappearing act.
Bushmills 30 Year: This to me smells like straight-up raisins, so Bushmills certainly wasn't lying about that dried fruit note on the nose. On the tongue, this whiskey is far richer and more robust than its younger counterpart, almost coming across like liquid fruitcake (in the best way). This is likely owed to its time spent in those PX casks, as anyone who's had a good Pedro Ximénez will tell you that the stuff is like dessert in a glass. The finish is even cleaner than the 25-year, with almost no heat and a satisfying smoothness.
These are indeed some special whiskeys and should bring an even greater amount of respect and prestige to Bushmills' already-lauded reputation. As for which is better, it honestly depends on your preferences. If you like heavier, flavorful whiskeys, then the 30-year is for you. If you prefer something lighter and brighter, then you'll prefer the 25.
Where to get Bushmills 25-Year & 30-Year Single Malt
The good news is that these new bottles are not limited runs like Bushmills' Rare Cask series, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be easy to get. Considered "ultra-prestige" whiskeys, the new Bushmills offerings are expensive, with a 700ml bottle of the 25-year retailing for $900 and the 30-year listing for an eye-popping $2,200. Thanks to their non-limited nature, you can hopefully score the bottle of your choice for MSRP at retailers like Total Wine as opposed to paying inflated prices on the secondary market, but that's still a massive chunk of change — particularly for the 30-year.
