June 2011 Beating Around The Bush(mills) Tasting

[TheWhiskeyBro]

I'm putting a call out to see if anyone has any interesting and affordable Bushmills bottles they'd like to offer for the next tasting.
As the precis suggests, I'm looking to avoid the standard issue Bushmills range, but anything else with Bushmills spirit in it is of potential interest.
If you do have something that fits the bill, please send me a list and I'll work from that to compile the final rundown.
This includes limited editions, single casks, independent bottlings, distillery bottlings, travel retail bottlings, older or discontinued bottlings, or other brands containing Bushmills spirit.

(PM me with any offers/available for sale bottles and I'll relay them to the 'guest' presenter)

[kurtbenoit]

The distillery Reserve, The 1608, a few late 80's early 90's single casks, it just so happens I have a few of those
I give you good price no?

[TheWhiskeyBro]

HI Kurt,

I have passed on the details to JC who is organising this one, but the budget is the main constraint,

Thanks for coming back

[PureDrop]

An Italian market 5yo - level is below the shoulder so this needs to be drunk soon!
Free to a good cause!

[DavidH]

It just occurred to me that we still have some of that Irishman special from the chocolate tasting. As far as I recall there is enough left for a tasting and it's the perfect opportunity to dole it out again as an unusual Bushmills.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I think I have a Brogans also if that is of any use.

Just checked and yes I have a Brogan's from the original release in 2006.

10yo Single Malt 40%

I also have a bottle of the Black Adder "A Drop Of The Irish"

Which I am nearly sure is Bushmills but someone else can also confirm.

This is another single malt bottled at 45% UCF and is not longer in production.


Cheers

Adrian

[IainB]

I've a single bourbon cask bushmills I bought in the airport about 5 years ago - no idea which cask as there's no front label - I was in a rush at the time and didn't realise they could personalise them. Anyway I'm happy to throw it in.

I also think it might be useful to include one of the standard range, say the 10yo, as a sort of baseline agaist which the others could be compared on the night.

The knappogues from 1993-1995 and 1998 could be included, the 12yo and particularly the recent 16yo are also worth a look.

[DavidH]

I added the bottle details and pics to the event page.

I also wrote up my own impressions of the night on my blog: An oblique look at Bushmills. Warning: my opinions seemed entirely at odds with those of the rest of the room!

I thought it was very well-pitched by Jim. Really relevant commentary but plenty of time for discussion at the table too. Great selection of whiskeys too.

[John]

Hi David,
On the line up; wasn't the first tasting a 5yo and the second a 9yo? Maybe I'm wrong?

I really enjoyed the night too, very informative with some great background information. Well done Jim!
Cheers,
John.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Nice write up David, and would you believe it I agree with you on the Caribbean Rum ... I'm not a fan either, coconut splaaa

.. and in regards to the Knappogue, I think this is one of the better sherry finished whiskeys but I would be of the opinion that sherry finished whiskey is not a patch on sherry matured whiskey.

For me the sherry finish seems to put a sherry flavouring on a whiskey rather than an integration when you actually mature it with a sherry barrel entirely.

To try and explain ... when a whiskey is put into a sherry barrel for the first time it is in the first few months (anything from 3-18months) that the whiskey takes the majority of flavouring from the CONTENTS of the barrel. After that there is really not a whole pile of that flavour enhancement going on so there is no point "FINISHING" it much further. However when maturing it fully in a Sherry barrel the sherry flavoured whiskey then spends the rest of it's life integrating with the wood. So the whiskey, the sherry and the wood slowly harmonise (hopefully) into the perfect balance. And that is why a sherry matured whiskey will always be better than a sherry finished whiskey (in my opinion).

Now when I say there is not much sherry left after the first 18months, that is not technically correct and some second fill sherry casks matured for 30 odd years are really really nice if lighter style sherry casks.

And first fill sherry matured casks cab be very very heavy and of course that is where we get the sherry monsters from.

These first fill versions can definitely be an acquired taste and a lot of the IDL sherry casks fall into the sherry monster category and that is why they blend most of their sherry cask with bourbon cask to get a more relaxed sherry profile.

[rathbeggan]

wasn't the first tasting a 5yo and the second a 9yo? Maybe I'm wrong?

No, the first was the 70s blend. I don't think the bottle we tasted said 9 years old, but Jim showed a magazine ad from the early 70s (I think) which did say 9 years old on the label. The second was the 5yo malt from the 90s.

I really enjoyed the night too, very informative with some great background information. Well done Jim!

Very much agreed - great sleuthing and research!

[DavidH]

wasn't the first tasting a 5yo and the second a 9yo? Maybe I'm wrong?

No, the first was the 70s blend. I don't think the bottle we tasted said 9 years old, but Jim showed a magazine ad from the early 70s (I think) which did say 9 years old on the label. The second was the 5yo malt from the 90s.

Yes, I was a bit confused by the 9yo photo on the night myself but I had pics of the bottles tasted (at the bottom of the event page) and Jim double-checked my data entry afterwards so I think it's correct.

[DavidH]

... And that is why a sherry matured whiskey will always be better than a sherry finished whiskey (in my opinion).

Now when I say there is not much sherry left after the first 18months, that is not technically correct and some second fill sherry casks matured for 30 odd years are really really nice if lighter style sherry casks.

And first fill sherry matured casks cab be very very heavy and of course that is where we get the sherry monsters from.

These first fill versions can definitely be an acquired taste and a lot of the IDL sherry casks fall into the sherry monster category and that is why they blend most of their sherry cask with bourbon cask to get a more relaxed sherry profile.

Very interesting that, thanks, IWC. It provides an explanation of why the sherry-finished and -matured whiskeys are so different. I seem to be leaning towards the -matured myself. That said, the recent Tyrconnell 11yo sherry finish was gorgeous.

We did sample an IDL sherry cask at the IWS (ie sherry-matured) and I didn't fancy that much (I'm very inconsistent!) but it's certainly a great component in IDL's whiskeys. The Select Reserve is the most sherry-like of the IDLs I've tried, and that was just about as far as my taste for "sherriness" goes.

[John]

Thanks guys! That makes more sense; I have to get into the habit of taking better notes at the tastings!
J.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

That said, the recent Tyrconnell 11yo sherry finish was gorgeous.

Totally agree and it was one of the highlights of the Whisky Live for me This is basically the same batch as the 10yo sherry finished that is generally on the market but just matured in the sherry cask for a year longer so that extra year obviously helped greatly. By the way Alex told me that at WL Dublin.

We did sample an IDL sherry cask at the IWS (ie sherry-matured) and I didn't fancy that much (I'm very inconsistent!) but it's certainly a great component in IDL's whiskeys. The Select Reserve is the most sherry-like of the IDLs I've tried, and that was just about as far as my taste for "sherriness" goes.

I would not say your inconsistent, I would say you just know what you like and don't like.

In regards to tasting the IDL single casks they can be very very heavy and I can see why they would not be an instant hit.