Origin: Antrim (Northern Ireland)
Type: Irish Single Malt Whiskey
Strength: 56.4%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry Oloroso and ex-Muscatel Wine
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Casa Cuervo
Average price: € 100.00
Official website: bushmills.com
Vote: 81/100
A recent special bottling for the well-known Irish distillery, a limited edition of 1,454 bottles of a finally cask strength version of this whiskey which, in other proposals, has always disappointed me precisely because of the handbrake on the alcohol content.
The Causeway Collection, of which this bottle is a part, was launched last October in two versions for Ireland, the 1995 Malaga Cask and the present one, one for Australia (2006 Marsala Cask) and one for the UK in December (2001 Feuillette Cask), to be followed by six more versions with different ageings for this series that pays homage to a true jewel of Northern Ireland, the Giant’s Causeway.
A 2008 distillate matured for eight years in ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry Oloroso casks, it spent the last four years (a considerable time for a finishing) in ex-Muscatel casks.
Tasting notes
Delicious rosé in the glass.
An acidic note of must reaches the nose, combined with pencil shavings, figs, ripe dates, sultanas, orange drink, toasted sugar. The nose is a little closed and struggles to emerge.
Chilli and ginger pinch a silky smooth texture of ripe fruit (peaches, melon) and dried fruit (hazelnuts, pecans) with orange juice, tamarind, sweet liquorice, lemon juice, caramel. Sweetness with sour tones tends to prevail, with fizzy soda tones. Saline and aniseed notes on the length.
Fairly long finish of hazelnuts, toasted sugar, salt, caramel.
An indecipherable whiskey, the influence of the Muscatel seems to bring a strong acid component that dissolves the sugars and makes the drink waver between warm and rough, with that slightly artificial sweetness sensation of a canned drink. Unbalanced but interesting.