Bushmills. That very name brings back one particular memory. It was my business school days. It’s an automatic Pavlovian response. I hear Bushmills, and then this one particular memory from my MBA days come back. I was 24. Minding my own business, studying in the graduate school library., which was shared by the entire grad school across all their programs. This young woman is sitting across me, and we start chatting. She’s talking about research she’s looking into regarding some English lit. I assumed she was in the MS or PhD lit program. We chatted for hours that evening. Before heading out, I asked her out on a date. Was thrilled she agreed. So, the following weekend, I pick her up from her house, right outside the campus. I assumed ( wrong assumption #1) that she was living off campus with friends. We go to an Italian restaurant, all the while again having a great conversation. I ordered a Bushmills, and I assumed she’d like wine—-I asked her “red or white”?, she replies back “ I can’t drink”. I assumed she just doesn’t drink. Wrong assumption #2. Midway through dinner, she mentions how she’s so afraid of upcoming PSATs. I froze right then. “PSATs? Is that some graduate literature thing?”. “No. It’s the test you take in your junior year of high school”. Holy shit. I’m driving you right back home. Crap. Get in the car, and you need to get back home. Apparently she was in the grad school library looking up research articles…in my defense, I had no idea that smart high schoolers come there for research. Anyway…this 16 year old Bushmills bought back that memory. This Bushmills is in a totally different experience than the one ages ago. I’m sharing this with friends of similar age. This is rich in aromas. Cherry and tropical fruits. Palette is fruits layered with milk chocolate. Amazing… not sure of the price, I’m only have a pour at a friend’s. But I notice this is 40%. Too bad…this would be a notch up if it were higher ABV. So…net/net: it’s a whiskey worth having this with friends or family…not high school women researching articles in a grad school library.