Bushmills 16 Year Single Malt

This has been rated highly and recommended by several here, so when I found it on a dusty local hole-in-the-wall liquor store shelf for $100 (generous given the asking price at big box stores in the states these days...) I sprang. It certainly looks pretty in the bottle and the glass, with that pinkish hue that only port casks can impart, but what's under the hood? Let's get the scuz out of of the way first. It comes across a bit watery at 40% (proof snob, back in the house). Would love to see this even at 43% or 46% to have a bit more heft and flavor. Despite being a single malt, there's a metallic note on the nose that lingers over into the palate. It's not grain whisky, so all I can guess is bad/tired port casks? That's it. Now the good stuff (and there's plenty). This comes at your palate bursting with flavor. Creamy malt, baking spices (particularly cloves and allspice) come out, along with ripe fruits from the wine casks (in this case, berries like strawberries and blueberries, rather than the typical stone/stewed fruits you get in Oloroso cask only matured drams). At 40%, it's dangerously drinkable, and like all Bushmills bottles I've tried, it gets better the longer the bottle is open and has time to oxidize. Bushmills is a spirit that takes air well (but not water. One drop and it all falls apart). The finish isn't particularly long, but while it's there it reminds me of strawberries and cream, or perhaps strawberry shortcake. Repeated visits reveal more subtle notes of lemon and hazelnut, and the longer I drink it, the more the port finish reveals itself in its velvety smoothness (not unlike Glenmo Quinta Ruban). Though the port finish on my bottle feels like it may have come from refill casks, it is still present and well integrated; no easy feat, as some port finishes can be easily overbearing. This is easily a 4 to 4.25 star dram, but with some drawbacks. The metallic note lingers, and I'm hoping that the longer the bottle is open, the more that dissipates. Also, price is an issue. This is a 16 year old single malt that normally retails for around $120 in the states now. My guess is that Bushmills prices went up with the tariffs because the distillery is in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and therefore subject to the same tariffs that Scotch single malt is. That being said, if you remember my earlier tirade about Lagavulin 16 being $100 now, that's still $20 less than this, and arguably a superior whisky, so between price and that weird, metallic note, I'm docking a quarter point, leaving us with a 3.75. I got this for a good deal, so if you can find it for $80-$100, buy on sight. I'd skip paying retail for this, though. It's got lots of good, complex flavors that belie it's age, but if all you're looking for a good port finish, go for the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban at about half the price. Cheers! BOTTLE KILL UPDATE: As I expected, this bottle took air really well, and once it did, it went down like candy. Beautiful notes of caramel, toffee, pecans, strawberries, and that luscious port finish. I’m bumping this up to a 4, for being eminently drinkable, but still overpriced.

A little sweet -- I'm thinking cherry lifesaver --and  significantly metallic, with a fairly present note from craisins and cigar wrapper, and honestly, that's not a bad thing, not bad at all. A hint of cloves, too, and a slightly larger hint of cinnamon. Very little heat, so it goes down super smooth. Honestly, a solid, low-affect spirit, and preferrable to considerably more expensive and more heralded offerings -- for instance, I would take this over a Macallan 12 or Johnnie Walker 18 any day of the week. Good to have around when there's no one to impress, and you want to sip on something solid that doesn't require much thought. 

There is a fair amount going on here and the drink is quite tasty. Caramel and apricot are present, but they are not sickly sweet and are not overwhelmed by the wood either. Herbal notes come through at times. The drink is smooth and the flavor is not too strong, but it is full and rich. Hints of cinnamon come through, but nothing too harsh is here. There is nothing off about this drink and it is quite smooth. A bit more liveliness and variation over the duration of a swig would be nice, but this is quite good nonetheless. About on par with Auchentoshan Three Wood. Not amazing, but quite tasty and maybe worth stocking at its price. The Auchentoshan Three Wood is a little better and less expensive though.

Nose: Apples! Pears! Bright shiny unmalted barley - begorrah, we're back in Ireland again. Ahem, sorry. Over time the nose settles into a nutty, soft oak and subtle sherry character which is pretty nice. Warm and well balanced with red berries coming to the fore, it's a very relaxing and attractive nose. As it rests, several container loads of vanilla appear and later dark fruits and raisins are noticed. Palate: Sweet and mildly spicy arrival with an excellently balanced cereal, malt and dark fruit character. The development is an interesting intensification of the arrival - everything seems to become a shade darker, richer and more malty and the presence of some good quality sherry casks is apparent. Hazelnuts and chocolate praline appear and you can taste the presence of the port pipes through the rich red, plummy berry flavours that permeate the spirit. Not bad - not bad at all. The texture is slightly creamy and dulcet. Finish: Medium/short. The dominant malty personality fades into a berry and chocolate aftertase. There is a brown sugar/treacle note coating the mouth that lasts and lasts. This is the first Bushmills whiskey I've tasted that I really liked. No only did I like it, I would consider buying a bottle for the luxurious profile if nothing else. This is several light years ahead of the banal Bushmills 10. Apart from the entire orchard of apples in every bottle of both you can barely sense that the two expressions are from the same distillery. I could happily adopt this as a nightcap dram. I get absolutely no smoke on this whisky at all. I'm not sure where other folks are finding it. Maybe the slightest hint of barrel char? At the asking price this is good value, and one of the few Irish whiskies at this price point that I'd consider buying instead of a Scottish single malt. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)

Great taste palette, one of my favorite so far, a bit expensive, I paid 82 EUR