Bushmills 21 Year Old is matured in Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon casks. After that it’s finished for two years in Madeira casks. This is the top of Bushmills’ core range.
Bushmills 21 yo
(40%, OB +/- 2014)
Bushmills 21 yoNose: a nice, warm fruitiness of banana, fresh figs, mango and tangerine. Floral honey. Quite thick, with creamy white chocolate and some vanilla latte. Subtle grassy notes.
Mouth: classic Irish fruitiness, think banana, guava and bright hints of passion fruits. Also a sweet metallic note. Fresh and juicy. Gets warmer (almond paste) and drier towards the end, with coconut shavings, leafy notes / tea.
Finish: long, really sweet, on mint syrup, sugared tea, berries and tobacco.
A convincing Irish whiskey, with the typical tropical fruits alongside darker elements. A bit underpowered at 40% but still quite flavoursome. Around € 90 – beware for huge price differences.
Score: 86/100