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Bushmills 10 year old single malt Irish Whiskey

Price

$36.16

Bought at

Port Of Wine [but really NSLC] (Halifax)

Bushmills is the Irish single malt Whisky most people know of, and, in fact, it is the only one I have seen in liquor stores so far, apart from Tyrconnell and Connemara. I was first introduced to this Whisky at Hurley's Irish Pub in Montreal and it is there that I have drunk it most, as the bottle I am currently reviewing from is only the second I have bought for home consumption. Not that it is very expensive; as a matter of fact, its price is more or less similar to some of the least expensive single malt Scotch, but its delicacy, along with the distinctiveness of its taste, have set it apart as a treat in my mind, a treat which one should only savour occasionally, so as to be able to appreciate its very nature best. Bushmills is amazingly fruity in the nose, as are most Irish Whiskies, but the predominance of peaches lends it an even fresher and sweeter scent than average, immediately causing the throat to be dry and the mouth to water; buried in the fruits are points of roasted barley and spice which serve to temper and yet highlight the aforementioned sweetness. The taste starts somewhat on the bitter side, in contrast to the expectations which the smell have conjured, tinged as it is with oak that gradually mellows into the organicity of malt; but once the first shock passes, the taste swiftly evolves in the mouth to become sweet and gentle, wreathed in honey and fruits, evocative of the fragrance of a land dampened by a mist in the dark of night. The aftertaste is definitely a salient point, as, from sweetness, we return once again to bitterness; however, this is no longer the starker bitterness of oak, but the bitterness of coffee and licorice quietly mingling together, as the flavours do at the end of a long night of gastronomical revelry. The whole experience could be summarised as eating fruits preserved in coffee liqueur wrapped in pure, dark chocolate, though it does this Whisky little justice. Bushmills is a very good Whisky, especially suited to the dusk of summer days or as a light digestive to help a long dinner last longer still. If you like this Whisky, don't forget to give its little half brother Black Bush a swirl, as it is essentially a half and half blend of this Whisky and grain spirits, hence offering a slightly rougher, though just as aesthetically pleasing, version of this drink for more "casual"--- or heavy-handed--- drinking nights.

[/Whisky/Irish] permanent link