Bushmills 21 Year Single Malt

Exploring different tastes, this one was spicy and bit dry for my liking

Strong spicy finish

Several years ago, we took a trip through Ireland and visited the Bushmills distillery. It was a fun tour especially seeing the Wild Turkey barrels in the warehouse. I quipped that the reason that Bushmills was so good was because it was aged in WT barrels. The guide got me back later saying bourbon wasn't particularly good to consume but the old barrels were great to age Irish whiskey. We tried several Irishes on that trip with Redbreast 12 being my favorite. I searched in vain for Bushmills 21 the rest of the trip. A year later I found one in an ABC store in Florida. Dusted of the box today and decided to air it out for the family for Christmas. This is a 2016 vintage bottle and if you can believe it, I got it for $109. The nose is absolutely decadent, tropical fruits and honey lead the way. Mango, guava and citrus are all there, Just a touch of coconut and a lemon honey note. It evolves nicely and there is allways something new. I know to search for the WT spice notes and think they might be there. Taste elements are true but honey is in the lead. It's subtle on the tongue and no heat The body is disappointing, quite thin and it's difficult to get a tongue coat. 90-100 proof would have made this a far better experience. Nosing a spirit is my favorite part and this one excels in that department. The palate is quite good but the body and finish a bit short for me. Last night, I had Redbreast 12 and it had a much better mouth feel and finish. But Bushmills 21 surely has the nose.

From WhiskyFest