Bushmills 16 Year Single Malt

While many praise Redbreast and the Spots, this Bushmills 16 often goes unnoticed, despite ratings that suggest otherwise. Let's see if it measures up to the top Irish whiskeys. Nose: Starts with strawberry and raspberry. Apple, pear, plum, and apricot emerge after a few minutes. Jammy sweetness. Honeydew, kiwi, and raisin are also present. The typical nutty notes from Bushmills are there but are dominated by the strong fruit flavors from the port-sherry barrels. Vanilla and toffee. Floral notes. A strong ginger scent with a hint of cinnamon and plenty of oak. Excellent nose. Palate: Apple (both green and red), pear, kiwi, and apricot are prominent. Blackberry, fig, date, raisin, and plum appear after a few minutes. Strawberry and cranberry. Walnut, cashew, and roasted chestnut. Vanilla and orange zest, with light milk chocolate and caramel. Honeydew. Oak. Hardly any warmth, though that's not surprising at 40% ABV. Delicious palate. Finish: Walnut, cashew, and roasted chestnut return strongly. The dark fruit from the palate remains. Blackberry, raisin, date, fig, plum. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. Plenty of flavor, and surprisingly, it lasts longer than expected given the low proof. Medium length, perhaps a little less, but enjoyable nonetheless. The Oloroso and port casks work wonderfully together. At various times, one complements the other, with one taking the lead and the other playing a supporting role. The bourbon barrel, while not dominant, provides a background for the main flavors. This is a superb whiskey, currently the best from Bushmills in my opinion (I'd need to try the 21 to be certain). It excels where other Bushmills expressions fall short, except for one aspect: the 40% ABV. I don't think a low proof should be a prominent feature, especially for a sipper. This is clearly intended as a sipper. Considering that, the finish is surprisingly robust. Compared to other whiskies I've had, it's unremarkable. If this were bottled at 43-48% ABV (46% would be a good compromise), it would be exceptional. Score: 4.25. With a higher ABV, this could be outstanding. The craftsmanship is evident. My criticism stems from the fact that a slight increase in ABV would elevate this significantly, given the excellent cask selection. Make no mistake, this whiskey deserves recognition among the best Irish whiskeys. It is a fantastic whiskey.

Bushmills. That name alone triggers a specific memory from my business school days. It's an automatic reaction. I hear Bushmills, and a particular memory from my MBA program comes to mind. I was 24, minding my own business, studying in the graduate school library, which was shared by all graduate programs. A young woman sat across from me, and we struck up a conversation. She was discussing her research into English literature. I assumed she was in the Master's or PhD literature program. We chatted for hours that evening. Before leaving, I asked her out. I was thrilled when she accepted. The following weekend, I picked her up from her house just off campus. I mistakenly assumed she lived off campus with friends. We went to an Italian restaurant, continuing our great conversation. I ordered a Bushmills, and assuming she'd enjoy wine, I asked, "Red or white?" She replied, "I can't drink." I wrongly assumed she simply didn't partake. That was my second incorrect assumption. Midway through dinner, she mentioned her anxiety about the upcoming PSATs. I froze. "PSATs? Is that some graduate literature thing?" "No. It's the test you take in your junior year of high school." My God. I'm driving you straight back home. Ugh. Get in the car; you need to get home. Apparently, she was in the graduate library researching articles. In my defense, I had no idea that bright high schoolers used that facility for research. Anyway... this 16 year old Bushmills brought back that memory. This Bushmills offers a completely different experience than the one from years ago. I'm sharing this with friends of similar age. It has rich aromas, with cherry and tropical fruits. The palate features fruits layered with milk chocolate. Amazing... I'm not sure of the price, as I'm only having a pour at a friend's place. However, I notice it's 40% ABV. Too bad... it would be a notch higher if it had a higher alcohol content. So, the bottom line: it's a whiskey worth enjoying with friends or family... not with high school women researching articles in a graduate library.

Review #54, Whiskey #38 Acquired on sale for 58 euros, which appears to be an excellent deal considering its usual price of around 90 euros. Chill-filtered - Yes Artificial Colour - Yes ABV - 40% Appearance - Deep gold-amber, medium viscosity, appears oily in the glass. Nose - Sweet, caramel, honey, vanilla, oak, a dry sensation, spices (cinnamon), indistinct dried fruit and ripe orchard fruit, malt, and almonds. The ex-bourbon cask influence seems most prominent, very gentle. Palate - Gentle, oily on the initial entry, oak spice (intensifies with time) and cinnamon, which gradually yield to more sweetness, honey, vanilla, caramel, malt, and nuttiness, with a slightly more pronounced port influence here. A subtle hint of very pleasant smoke is present throughout, adding complexity. Finish - Medium-long, with dried fruit, notably raisin-forward, and a subtle bitterness in the aftertaste. A very good whiskey... after some less successful experiences with Ardbeg 10 (apologies), it's gratifying to return to more accessible options. It offers complexity, beautiful development and layering, with each cask imparting its influence at different stages of the tasting experience. Purchased for Christmas, it came in wonderful packaging and was thoroughly enjoyed by my entire family, including fellow enthusiasts (myself) and casual drinkers alike. Rating System: 5.0 - Perfect 4.5 - Exceptional 4.0 - Very Good 3.5 - Good 3.0 - Decent 2.5 - Average 2.0 - Below Average 1.5 - Barely Drinkable 1.0 - Undrinkable 0.5 - JB

On the initial pour, the sherry and port dominate, with plums and raisins competing with red apples; much of what I expect from an Irish whiskey is masked. However, after drinking a sherry bomb and returning to this one, the Irish character emerges, with the dominant aromas being green apple, honey, and shortbread cookie. There's no alcohol impact whatsoever at 40% ABV. It's incredibly sweet, with even a hint of green apple on the taste, making it very refreshing. I'd compare it to Green Spot in that regard, but with a bit more sherry and port influence. It's really good, but for the price, I'd prefer Yellow Spot or Redbreast for their depth and complexity.

Nose: Preserves of red fruit and candied banana. Some faint baking spices. Taste: Light body. Sweetener and woody spice with some chewy red berry. End: Chocolate-covered dried cranberries and strawberry. A hint of dryness. When compared to the 10 year, the same foundational spirit is noticeable in the 16. The 10 has more prominent honey flavor and is softened by all the jammy notes that originate from the port casks in the 16.

Fragrant nose with floral notes, vanilla, red wine, and nuts. Slick and sweet on the palate with mildly spiced wine, butter cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and baking spices. The finish is surprisingly long for 40% ABV, with hints of smoldering oak, spiced wine, baking spices, and mixed nuts. A dessert in a glass. I absolutely love it! This is an older bottling; I'm unsure if there are any differences compared to the newer version.