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 and are wholly complex and utterly unique.
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 sublime 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 a bottle and packaging reflecting contemporary, yet timeless elegance, as iconic and luxurious as the liquid they contain. The bespoke hexagonal gift box contains an elegant bottle with flared shoulders standing handsomely 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.
Maturing patiently and cared for by a generation of skilled craftspeople, these refined whiskeys have spent a lifetime in hand-selected oak casks and are now ready to take their place as true legends of Irish single malt.
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.”
The launch coincides with the opening of the new £37 million state-of-the-art Causeway Distillery. The cutting-edge 39,000sq ft facility, situated on the same site as the Old Bushmills Distillery will blend high tech with ancient craft.
The opening is part of Proximo Spirits’ £60 million investment in its Irish single malt distilling and ageing facility at Bushmills over the past five years. The investment includes additional warehousing and infrastructure, alongside the distillery build, to support the now-doubled production capacity making Bushmills one of the largest single malt production sites in the world.
Bushmills 25 and 30 Year Old Irish Single Malt Whiskeys are available in selected retailers. Bushmills 25 Year Old is bottled at 46% ABV, non chill-filtered and priced at €850 / £790 for 700ml. Bushmills 30 Year Old is bottled at 46% ABV, non chill-filtered and priced at €2,000 / £1,900 for 700ml.
