A few weeks ago, I put together a whiskey tasting. To expose some of some of the friends who usually just stick with their bourbon, I figured, being close to St. Patrick’s Day, I would expose them to Irish whiskey; something other than the green bottle Jameson. Since this was in Whiskey Advocate’s Top 20 whiskeys of the year, number 16 to be exact, I grabbed a bottle as the price was moderately priced. Along with Jameson Black, Redbreast, Green Spot, Teeling Single Grain and Glendalough 13, I presented what are affordable, good quality Irish Whiskey. The hopes that next time they enter a, liquor store, in hand would be an Irish cousin that would formerly be overlooked. A triple wood Irish whisky. Aged in Oloroso and Bourbon casks and finished in Marsala casks. When initially nosed, it comes across similar to an airy bourbon. Hints of vanilla and honey. A slight walnut nuttiness. Time improves the nose allowing wax and butterscotch notes to manifest. Thin and delicately spicy and mildly sweet. Bartlett pears drizzled with honey and pickled ginger. Black tea and figs provide some bitter sweetness. Oddly, white grapes with white pepper develops towards the end of life the palate zing the tongue with pins and needles before the is finally consumed. A slightly drying finish of wood, grapes, milk chocolate and lemon zest that’s short and clean. OThe Bushmills I have in the past have have been typically sweet and silky. This breaks that mold as it’s spicy and thin. Not that that is a bad thing. It’s just different. If it was part of a bourbon tasting I suspect that most would be surprised that this was an Irish whiskey. Sips young to the likes of a 5 or 8 year old. Sprite and zesty than mellow. A nice sipper. However, if being compared to Redbreast or Green Spot, I would be inclined to grab either one of those before the Bushmills 12. Would like to see this priced around $10 less. [$55][85/100][Tasted: 4/7/23]