LouisianaLonghorn
Bushmills Black Bush
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed
March 17, 2019 (edited July 28, 2019)
Since it's St. Patrick's Day 2019, I figured I jump on the wagon and review an Irish whisky too. I picked up a bottle of this for next to nothing on sale at a local liquor store, so it was one of those moments where you weren't worried if the bottle sucked or not because of the price. Better to be out $25 on a bad bottle than $500.
Fortunately, this bottle does not suck. It just isn't amazing either. The Distiller review sort of nails it on the head. This is not a complex whisky that makes you think and question your place in the universe. This is just something that you can mindlessly drink like table wine and not put too much effort into it.
The initial nose is harsh, kind of paint thinner-esque. That softens over time, but it took about 20 minutes to get there. The taste is sort of a one-off, with some light notes from the grain component and a whisp of the sherry cask influence. The finish is quick, and is gone before you realize it. Not much of a trace of the traditional shortbread note you get from some single pot still Irish expressions like Redbreast 12 or Greenspot. That being said, it's dangerously easy to drink, and I imagine I won't have any problem finishing the bottle, particularly if it's been a long day at work and my brain just doesn't feel like thinking anymore.
Bushmills is as well respected distillery, and I do have the 16 YO Single Malt from them on my wishlist to try at some point in the future. Black Bush is a perfectly acceptable expression. I can see this going into my summer rotation of whiskies that I drink over ice to cope with the brutal Texas heat as something that is light and easy to drink to add some variety to the Bourbon-heavy lineup I normally drink in the summer. Cheers!
25.0
USD
per
Bottle
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
@1901 thanks for the advice. I’ll save my cash for something else.
@WhiskeyLonghorn nice review. Black Bush is a very reasonable unchallenging sipper. I agree with @Whiskey_Hound that the 10yo is worth the extra dosh. For me, the16yo is the best of their standard offering (better than the 21) and though nice, there are far better whiskeys out there at its price. Worth a bar pour though.
@Whiskey_Hound thanks for the info. It’s about a $10 bump here in TX for the 10 YO single malt, so maybe that’s the next step up. It’s a $50 increase from Black Bush to the 16 YO. Bit pricy for me...
Nice review. I've yet to try the 16 or 21, but the 10 yr is easily worth the extra $7 (in NJ). Woukd be nice if they bumped up the ABV, but it's solid as is. Like this, it won't change your perception of whiskey, but it is slightly superior in every aspect with a reasonable price bump.
Also, how does this bottle stack up against the 10 or 16 YO single malts from Bushmills? Is it worth the extra $$ to invest in the nicer age statement expressions?