Future Bushmills releases

[IainB]

Well we've done one for Midleton. I think Bushmills gets a hard time here sometimes, as they really seem to have pulled they're horns in since Diageo. Still I can remember a time when we gave out (possibly on another (magazine related) forum) about Midleton lack of single casks etc. compared to bushmills.

I personally would like to give them the benefit of the doubt - they probably are holding back stock, focusing on key blends and hoping to seriously grow sales. But that's what IDL did with Jameson for many many years and I think without the security and muscle that comes from that we might not have seen what I think is possibly the finest and widest range of pot still whiskeys ever seen, especially from a single distillery.

So assuming Bushmills start selling more and more white and black bush and become able to follow suit what would we like to see from Bushmills?

Personallt I'd love to see:

The 12yo with some Rum Cask malt again - this is one of my all time favourites from Bushmills.

The regular 10yo become a reguler 12yo - I think this would add a bit more depth.

And a 25yo???

And now that I think of it a young / NAS malt would be interesting. (I know this might appear slightly contradictory to my comment on the 10 but i don't think so really - I think the 10 is neither one thing nor the other - it's quite a nice whiskey but I think a little older and a little younger would be more interesting.)

Single sherry casks and lots of 'em - always loved these from Bushmills!

And the occasional single rum cask - the CWS had some a few years back - really unusual and interesting take on Bushmill. Still have one unopened one - some day!!!

[Fionnán]

i would love to see a bushmills SPS. Bushmills was originally a single pot still distillery and, to the best of my knowledge, mainly picked up the all-malt banner as a distinguishing feature and part of their sustained competition with Coleraine. They have a superb aging program up there and i'd like to see egan work some maturation wonder on a nice SPS.

Iain-- how would you want a younger bushmills malt to be aged? all-sherry? some rum thrown in there? preferred ABV?

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Totally agree with you Iain, they do get a bit of stick ... however I think they won't take as long as Midleton to get to where they want to go, well I hope not anyway. The wave has been created by Jameson so now they only need to build a big enough stock pile and ride it. As you say they will focus on core products for a while. Further the focus seems to be in the US which has always been their biggest market.

Yes, love the Single Sherry casks they have released and have one currently open and a few in reserve so I have a few years supply in reserve.

Think I might also like a Roasted Boar and Black currant & Aubergine Relish .... Oh wait that's Walkers Crisps I'm thinking about

[IainB]

i would love to see a bushmills SPS. Bushmills was originally a single pot still distillery and, to the best of my knowledge, mainly picked up the all-malt banner as a distinguishing feature and part of their sustained competition with Coleraine. They have a superb aging program up there and i'd like to see egan work some maturation wonder on a nice SPS.

Iain-- how would you want a younger bushmills malt to be aged? all-sherry? some rum thrown in there? preferred ABV?

I really don't think we'll see any SPS from Bushmills for the forseeable, if ever. They're very much branded as a Malt distillery now and they've apparently really ramped up production since Diageo took over. I think they're highly unlikely to divert from that to experiment with unmalted barley.

As for the young bushmills, maybe something like the 5yo for the Italian market which I thought was interesting. Or a younger version of the 10 with a mix of bourbon and sherry. Or a black bush without the grain.

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

I wonder will they have one for their 250 birthday in 2034
A 21 year old SPS would be ready in time if they distilled it now.

I would go well with the 400 birthday

[IainB]

Totally agree with you Iain, they do get a bit of stick ... however I think they won't take as long as Midleton to get to where they want to go, well I hope not anyway. The wave has been created by Jameson so now they only need to build a big enough stock pile and ride it. As you say they will focus on core products for a while. Further the focus seems to be in the US which has always been their biggest market.

Yes, love the Single Sherry casks they have released and have one currently open and a few in reserve so I have a few years supply in reserve.

Think I might also like a Roasted Boar and Black currant & Aubergine Relish .... Oh wait that's Walkers Crisps I'm thinking about

Yeah I managed to put away a small stash of sherry and bourbon cask ones too. I just wish I bought more of the rum cask ones at the time - only one left and I'm afraid to open it.

And I'm down to 2 of the 12yo Select Casks which is also a worry.

[Fionnán]

I really don't think we'll see any SPS from Bushmills for the forseeable, if ever. They're very much branded as a Malt distillery now and they've apparently really ramped up production since Diageo took over. I think they're highly unlikely to divert from that to experiment with unmalted barley.

Yeah, you're definitely right there Iain. Actually, even more than a new expression or finish, what i'd like to see from Bushmills is an end to this 40% ABV across the board nonsense. Even the very costly Bushmills 21 is bottled at 40%. It doesnt need to be cask strength but its clear as daylight that 40% across the entire lineup is maximum efficiency thinking (especially as its 43% down in south africa to adjust to different laws) and I'd like to see some BM malts bottled around 44-46% etc with maybe a little more for the 21 to give that wonderful madeira texture a little alcohol texture.

If i remember correctly, the 1608 special release was bottled at 46% so i'm hoping this kind of thinking spreads into the standard line up

[IainB]

You know you're dead right. It's be great to see the 21yo at 46%.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

I was a bit curious on the Bushmills apparent quietness but on digging there seems to be plenty happening in the states.

There seems to have been a big marketing push with a campaign called Since Way Back started late last year.

I came across a load of stuff on You Tube about it and there is also a facebook page SEE HERE

Nor sure how successful it is or will be but they have Bon Ivor on board and by the looks of it some other arty people that I'm too out of touch to know

Does not help with new releases but does show they are doing ... something !?!?

[Fionnán]

hey Adrian, yeah, i was working for Diageo during that marketing push and apparently its been tremendously successful for the bushmills sales in the states. Its always strange to hear so little from them in ireland when, over in california at least, we were always basically given blank cheques to pour as much as we liked of whatever we liked. I was never short of bottles of 16, 21, or 1608 to do with as i saw fit. Specifically, the Since Way Back line is meant to push the blend as a competitor to jemmie while there's a parallel attempt to differentiate the single malt line as a seperate entity at whisky fairs and the like and present it as a series. My end of the work was mostly in the later but i know Diageo have been pouring money into advertising over in the states like there was no tomorrow. that being said, before i left, my boss told me the diageo bushmills budget has been recently cut back a little from what it was during some massive Diageo reorganization this year. that being said, it still seems to be doing fine.

[Michael Foggarty]

No plans for any new releases.

I was speaking to Daryl a couple of weeks back and there are no plans for new bottlings and he said it would be highly unlikely. I havent visited since they added the 9th still and there is now a 10th still and have planning permission for, i think 6/7 new warehouses.

Interesting was the logic that they could build a distillery within the distillery, so i assume they may look to make their own grain down the line.

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

hey Adrian, yeah, i was working for Diageo during that marketing push and apparently its been tremendously successful for the bushmills sales in the states. Its always strange to hear so little from them in ireland when, over in california at least, we were always basically given blank cheques to pour as much as we liked of whatever we liked. I was never short of bottles of 16, 21, or 1608 to do with as i saw fit. Specifically, the Since Way Back line is meant to push the blend as a competitor to jemmie while there's a parallel attempt to differentiate the single malt line as a seperate entity at whisky fairs and the like and present it as a series. My end of the work was mostly in the later but i know Diageo have been pouring money into advertising over in the states like there was no tomorrow. that being said, before i left, my boss told me the diageo bushmills budget has been recently cut back a little from what it was during some massive Diageo reorganization this year. that being said, it still seems to be doing fine.

That's interesting. I mentioned before that the gave me 6 bottles of regular just to have it on display curing the opera festival in October. I gave most away over Christmas for sponsorship etc. I inquired about other Diageo Spirits such as the classic malts or other Bushmills and i'm still waiting to see if i can buy direct of them.
It really seems they have no interest in the Irish market.

[JohnM]

They are releasing or re-releasing some whiskey liquor. I think it's called Bushmills Honey. Heard it on whiskycast recently. I'll have to listen to it again, because I'm not sure if it's a Bailey's type thing or something else.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

They are releasing or re-releasing some whiskey liquor. I think it's called Bushmills Honey. Heard it on whiskycast recently. I'll have to listen to it again, because I'm not sure if it's a Bailey's type thing or something else.

It's a Honey and Whiskey liquor type thing ... Is Irish Mist a whiskey and honey bases liquor?

Called simply

Bushmills Irish Honey

Pissobly could be used as a premix for Hot Whiskey.

[DavidH]

It's a US-only thing for now. I've been trying to squeeze some info out of their PR function over there but without much success.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

Here's a better pic

Bushmills Irish Honey

And Review

Much stronger than I thought at 35%

A more comprehensive review here and by the sounds of it from a whiskey drinker.

A very interesting comment at the end though about going more smokey and Jameson Black barrel mentioned in the same sentence. I presume that is a mistake though and is referring to the other 2 scotches ...

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

i read the review above and i quote
"Bushmills is one of the only distilleries in the world that produces its whiskeys completely under one roof. The “grain to glass” facility malts, distills, matures, blends and bottles at Ireland’s oldest working distillery."

I think there may be a few misleading facts here. Fionnán (working experience with Diageo + general whiskey knowledge) may set the record straight here. Does Bushmill's produce all its own whiskey?

As for the oldest Distillery well, I still think it would be a great idea to have a 21 year old SPS for their 250 birthday.

While I'm Bush bashing here, Isn't it a bit tacky to have those gold medal on the label when the product didn't get any.

[Fionnán]

haha, no they most certainly don't. I dont know what they're on about here... I'm just thankful nobody ever told me to start peddling honey liqueurs.

[Good Whiskey Hunting]

Here's a better pic

Bushmills Irish Honey

And Review

Much stronger than I thought at 35%

A more comprehensive review here and by the sounds of it from a whiskey drinker.

A very interesting comment at the end though about going more smokey and Jameson Black barrel mentioned in the same sentence. I presume that is a mistake though and is referring to the other 2 scotches ...

For the most part http://www.drinkspirits.com are a good site but they do seem to be a bit like Wikipedia when it comes to facts. I'm only presuming that they seen Black barrel and Black Grouse, and Johnnie Walker Double Black and assumed burnt timber or something.

[Pudge72]

haha, no they most certainly don't. I dont know what they're on about here... I'm just thankful nobody ever told me to start peddling honey liqueurs.

Specifically flavoured whiskey does seem to be the latest liquer 'experiment' (abomination...whatever) in North America (i.e. Jack Daniels Honey, Jim Beam Red Stag, Evan Williams Cherry, etc.). Sorry to see Bushmills get pulled into this by Diageo.

[Pudge72]

i would love to see a bushmills SPS. Bushmills was originally a single pot still distillery and, to the best of my knowledge, mainly picked up the all-malt banner as a distinguishing feature and part of their sustained competition with Coleraine. They have a superb aging program up there and i'd like to see egan work some maturation wonder on a nice SPS.

Iain-- how would you want a younger bushmills malt to be aged? all-sherry? some rum thrown in there? preferred ABV?

I really don't think we'll see any SPS from Bushmills for the forseeable, if ever. They're very much branded as a Malt distillery now and they've apparently really ramped up production since Diageo took over. I think they're highly unlikely to divert from that to experiment with unmalted barley.

As for the young bushmills, maybe something like the 5yo for the Italian market which I thought was interesting. Or a younger version of the 10 with a mix of bourbon and sherry. Or a black bush without the grain.

Much like Auchentoshan with the Valinch (I have a bottle - an early anniversary gift from my wonderful wife - that will be opened on or after 31/5, our wedding anniversary ) it would be interesting to see Bushmills go with a young, cask strength bottling. There is a bit of a parallel with Auchentoshan and Bushmills...both distilleries typically bottle very accessibly price offerings, but have rarely if ever deviated from the 40/43% abv range with their product.

How has the Redbreast 12 CS been received? For those that have tried them, how would you rank the 12, 12 CS, and 15?