Bushmills 10 Year Single Malt

Nose: Hints of sherry and dried fruit, honey, malted cereal grains. Not very nuanced but an inviting nose nonetheless Palate: maltiness and honey dominate, the sherry is still there just less assertive than the nose. A bit of astringent citrus rounds it out Finish: The sherry is back followed by honey and bit of slalinity . A small bit of oak rounds the short finish. Overall not a bad pour for the price, bushmills has a profile that works well but doesnt have the complexity you can find in similar single malts. Maybe with a couple more years or proof points it would shine.

Nose with caramel, backed apple and cereals. Palate with honey, melon and maple syrup. Sharp finish with black paper and sea salt.

A dram of this is a perfect representation of Irish whiskey. It's smooth, subtle, sweet, and comes at a very approachable $40ish. It's a great step up from the low end Bushmills, and sits as a great entry into their age statement core. If you like Irish, this should always have a place in your bar. It's cheap enough to mix in a good cocktail, but holds up very well neat, a middle ground difficult for many whiskeys to find. There's certainly better out there, but not many at the price.

Nose: banana bread, green apple and vanilla. Taste: banana, citrus, vanilla and a bit of oak. Finish: soft vanilla with a hint of banana upfront with a hit of citrus mid palate. Backend lingers with vanilla/banana and oak.