Well...this is a tasting I thought I posted already but I guess I missed it. There’s a few others I missed this year (like Yellow Spot, Red Spot, and Balvenie Portwood 21, for example) that I hope I can revisit later. I don’t really feel like starting 2020 with a review of Bushmills Original so I’m posting it on this side of the new year. My review likely won’t add anything to Bushmills Original that hasn’t been said already. In any case, onwards! Nose: Dull, overripe pear with the juice from mass-produced canned pears. In the background, there’s a funk reminiscent of vegetal petroleum. Palate: More overripe pear with orange peels. Honey and vanilla. Some creamy malt and slight richness, more than I was expecting. The tannic, mineral astringency almost borders on harsh but the sweetness keeps it from delving into unpleasant territory. Finish: Short and very sweet, with a bit of minerality. My word, that is sweet, almost bordering on an artificial, erythritol-like sweetness. I did let this bottle sit a bit between tastings, and if anything the cloying, overripe pear might have muted slightly? At least to where I can call the pears overripe as opposed to rotting. They are not remotely similar, but if I had to pick from some of the typical under $20 bottles they serve at work events, etc., I would reach for this over Dewar’s or JD’s but that’s not saying much. If we’re at the store, I’d spend a few dollars more to get Black Bush or Jameson Black Barrel (if we’re talking about Irish mixers). 2.75 ~ 73 ~ Below Average