Bushmills 1608 Anniversary Edition

Neat. Sample. This nose is surprising dense for 92 proof. Reminds me of a dense coffee cake with the sugar and cinnamon crust and balls. Side of fruits and the fruits have a range. Kiwi, strawberries, honeydew. Hint of chocolate, specifically the chocolate they put on an ice cream cone that solidifies instantly. Can’t think of the term, but that. Hmm, getting an oatmeal cookie too. It is delightful, strong Irish nose. The mouthfeel is delicate but not watery. Milky like a 1% milk. Not much flavor initially, lightest vanilla when it first hits the tongue. It wakes up on the back half of the mid palate, vanilla short bread cookie. The finish escalates brings vanilla pudding, hint of strawberry, cracked black pepper, bit of chocolate. Little metallic note on the finish too, like licking a battery. The nose on this was so good, the finish elevates it a bit. All in all I expecting more off the nose than the taste provided. It’s a nice whisky but this sample doesn’t make me want to find my own bottle.

My experience started with a broken top. The bottle was dusty and probably not kept in the best conditions. On the nose I got dark fruits and spice, but there was a funk to it, not sure if this related to the barley or something else. The palate was full with spices, but that funk remained. The finish was long and warm. I’m looking forward to the next drink and hope my opinion will be different.

Pretty tasty