Bushmills Red Bush

Similar to a previously sampled Black Bush, this also came in a holiday gift set. It's a mini bottle I'd saved from last year. I'm trying it again, having bought two gift sets for myself – I'm a sucker for complimentary items. It has a beautiful golden appearance with 'legs' that create a visual effect of liquid gold swirling and clinging to the glass. Nose: It smells acidic, almost like acetone, but clearly features honey crisp apple and green Danjou pear. The cedar aroma is moderate to strong, with a light minty scent as well. Texture is creamy and medium to full. Flavor: Fantastic! I'm so glad I saved a bit to try again. It's very mellow and easy to drink. There's no harshness or burn, just easy sipping! It has a light vanilla flavor enhanced by heavy cream. The apple cereal taste is similar to apple Cheerios, but without cinnamon. An oat flavor is definitely present, supporting the previous description. Hints of cherry can be detected beneath the sweetness. While many enjoy a burn, and I don't mind a bit of spice, I generally prefer to avoid it. Finish: Actually, I must retract that. There is a very slight kick at the very end if you take a large sip and swallow immediately. The spice is peppery. Overall, there's a lovely, quite substantial lingering finish of sweetness, cream, and butter. Definitely a good one and worth having in a collection. Ratings are independent of price and reflect only my impressions.

This expression is similar to the standard offering, differing mainly in its cask maturation. Both seem to share the same core spirit. The distinction lies in the Red being solely aged in first-fill bourbon barrels, while the standard uses bourbon barrels (not exclusively first-fill) and some sherry casks. It's akin to preferring one preparation of a favorite dish over another – think shrimp scampi with extra butter versus extra garlic. Both are shrimp scampi, but with subtle flavor variations. This difference is evident when comparing the aromas and tastes side-by-side. The Red exhibits a stronger influence of oak and vanilla, whereas the standard has less vanilla and a faint fruitiness from the sherry casks. (The sherry influence is truly minimal.) Your preference likely depends on which flavor profile appeals more. For a more pronounced or special character, consider the Black Bush, with its higher malt content and significant sherry notes.

Years ago, I found Bushmills White Label to be truly awful. With that memory, I hesitated to try another Bushmills product, but I saw this on sale and decided to go for it, and I'm so glad I did. I truly enjoyed this whiskey. The nose is light and fruity, and it's the first Irish whiskey where I detected something besides vanilla. It has a wonderfully light apple and pear aroma, yet it isn't excessively sweet. It does lose some character with ice or water, but it has a great flavor. I made a Highball with this and club soda, and it's very refreshing on a hot day. Overall, I was impressed and would pick this over the white label any time. Being an Irish whiskey, the taste is light and fades quickly from the palate, but for its price, it's perfectly fine for adding to your home bar selection or as a gift for someone who enjoys Irish whiskey. I like it.

The nose is light and sweet, primarily featuring an apple juice scent with a subtle spice in the background. The palate is light, almost watery, with spice and some vanilla. The finish is short with a slight burn. I question the purpose of this bottling. It's aged in bourbon casks, yet these casks haven't contributed much bourbon character, aside from perhaps the vanilla on the palate. The flavors are also less robust than Black Bush and don't stand out significantly from other Bushmills offerings. This leaves Red Bush in an awkward position. Red Bush is reasonably enjoyable, but regrettably, I cannot recommend this whiskey as it lacks distinctive qualities or value.

Nose: smells like gummy candy, cherry, apple. A hint of char if you look for it. Some cherry licorice. Palate: spicy apple cider upfront, quickly fading to a cherry licorice. The spice continues throughout, gradually diminishing. Finish is relatively quick and a tad dry. Overall: I had to try this since it was on sale for $10. Nothing exceptionally special, but also nothing to complain about at that price. I'm not sure I would buy it again but wouldn't be upset if I had it. Pretty good for what it is!

Nose: intensely sweet, like cotton candy, with notes of brown sugar, consistent vanilla, barrel spice, and cereal grains. Taste: mirrors the nose, with barrel char present and a touch of spice at the finish. It suggests a blend of Irish whiskey and bourbon, with the barrel possibly indicating an American influence. Overall, it's quite good and worth purchasing again.