Bushmills 21 Year Single Malt

Reviewer must have been smokin some waki tobacci to get that stratospheric score. As a comparison to real life I posted whiskybase scores here which are much more realistic. There seems to be so much hype in whisky scores depending on who is contributing to the reviewers bank accounts.! https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/152909/bushmills-21-year-old

To finish up my Irish whiskey run, @ContemplativeFox was generous enough to provide a sample of Bushmills 21 that was aged separately in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 19 years then were married together in Madeira casks for the last 2 years before being bottled at 40%. The nose starts with tropical fruit salad of guava, mango, papaya and lychee fruit followed by light sherry influence of grape must and dark chocolate covered raisins with some roasted nuts then comes some light powdered sugar covered bubble gum along with citrus fruits of apples and oranges then light barrel spices, light oak and light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a tropical fruit salad of guava, mango and lychee fruit followed by light sherry influence with a hint of sulfur, grape must and dark chocolate covered raisins then comes some light powdered sugar covered bubble gum that transitions to a mild bitterness and spice that lingers before revealing light barrel spices, light oak and light ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with guava, bubble gum, a light bitterness and spice, light sulfur, dark chocolate covered raisins and light oak. This is a very well-aged Irish whiskey with a balance of tropical fruits, light sherry and citrus fruits, but the mid-palate turns mildly bitter and spicy that lingers throughout the finish. The ABV at 40% also doesn’t help this whiskey which seems to create a thinner mouthfeel that struggles to bring over some of those fruits from the nose over to the palate. If Bushmills were to bump that ABV in the 43-46% range that might help those fruits on the nose carry over stronger on the palate as well as give it a well-rounded fuller mouthfeel, but, as it is today, this is a very delicious, easy sipping whiskey which I’m extremely grateful that @ContemplativeFox was so kind to share with me.

Nose - orange blossom, fresh cut flower, honey, peach, almond, powdered sugar, apricot, cocoa, caramel apple, light vanilla, grass, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet oak, mint, lemon, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - orange zest, grapefruit, grass, green apple, salted caramel, sweet floral notes, vanilla, peach, cinnamon, dark chocolate, clove, honey, apricot, bitter oak, spearmint, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with citrus zest, mint, chocolate, and light baking spice flavors. The only Bushmills I’ve experienced is the Original, which was rather mediocre, as expected. Let’s see if some aging significantly improves it. TLDR it does. The nose is beautifully delicate, fruity, and floral. It’s reminiscent of walking through an apple orchard. Crisp fruitiness abounds with sweet honey, malty chocolate, and a light touch of nuttiness. The palate is similar, but the citrus and creamy chocolate notes are accentuated. Some sour grapefruit comes through as well. Interestingly, there’s a sharper bite than I expected. I’m not sure whether it’s an oakiness or a bitter nut note, but there’s a spicy, tannic quality that builds around the mid palate. Overall, this is great stuff. I think the nose is outstanding and the palate is solid, albeit slightly underwhelming. There’s a nice contrast between the delicate aromas and the more robust flavors. It‘s in the same territory as some of the best Irish whiskies I’ve tasted. And at around $200, I think this is priced right for a tasty, well aged whisky. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample.