Bushmills Original

Really good for the price. Smooth. You can tell it's Irish vs bourbon. Fruit up front, then yeast. Peatish finish.

N: Orchard fruit, black licorice, and a hit of ethanol. Cereal grain and green herbs. Not a very dynamic nose - short and sweet. P: Sweet caramel and fruity kid's cereal (but like a generic one). Vanilla with a mild smoky note that feels like barrel char. Finish definitely has a young grain alcohol burn to it, but it's not terribly overwhelming. Also has a bit of mint and just the faintest hints of the orchard fruit from the nose. Black licorice builds into the finish over time. As a cheap Irish blend, this is fine. It's less sippable than Tulamore DEW, for example, but it's probably a little more approachable and interesting than a Proper Twelve. The bourbon barrels make their presence known more here than most Irish I've tried and some might find that appealing. I still think most people would prefer Jameson over this, and especially some of the different finishes of Jameson (the Black Barrel is head and shoulders better than this). _______ Please come join a bunch of regular Distiller reviewers are chatting spirits in real time on Discord: https://discord.gg/4nfePCdyKM. (If the link is expired, post a comment and I will post a new one.)