Bushmills 21 Year Single Malt

I'm in love! Sweet, fruity, with some spice!

Visual: In the glass it is a medium amber color/gold color. Medium, lasting legs after a swirl. Nose: Not hot at all, but that’s not surprising given the age and the 40% ABV. The nose is very sweet, with essences of honey, brown sugar and dried fruits. I tasted this against the Tyrconnell 10-year Port Cask Finish, since I’m doing a dive into Irish whiskeys. If the Tyconnell had a little crème brulee, this dram has it in spades, with a lot more vanilla. The time that a portion of the juice spent in ex-bourbon casks likely accounts for the vanilla, with the sherry casks lending the fruit – at least that’s my guess. Palate: The expert review on Distiller says trail mix, and that’s no lie. The palate fairly bursts with nuts, dried fruits, and white chocolate covered raisins. There’s also a bit of dark chocolate bitterness pre-finish. Finish: The finish is not as long as I expected, but isn’t too short, either. A malty flavor follows the dram down, and is accompanied by continued dark chocolate bitterness, and a bit of tannin dryness. Empty glass: Mocha flavored coffee, diluted with copious cream and sweetened with brown sugar and a touch of Frangelico. This is a pleasing dram through and through. Comforting, smooth, and oh, so drinkable. Do I think it merits the 97 points that Distiller gives it? Probably not. The styles are worlds apart, so it’s like an apples-to-oranges comparison, but this dram isn’t in Talisker 10 territory in terms of quality and point rating, in my opinion, and it is also pretty expensive these days. I would probably give it a 90, which is about a “five-star minus” in my estimation.