Bushmills Sherry Cask Reserve - Steamship Collection Single Malt Whiskey

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A few of the more interesting things I learned about Bushmills: the name comes from the River Bush. They also use 100% Irish Malted Barley. Their barrel entry proof is 85%, which is something I’m not too fond of, as the spirit can over-extract the cask’s flavors. Prior to the release of the Causeway Collection (of which the two reviewed here are Irish exclusives) you had to get cask strength Bushmills from the likes of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and generally they would have been bourbon cask only. Or you had to be fortunate enough to attend one of Seamus Lowry's Bushmills tastings where you might have got to taste cask strength components of the 21 year old core expression. As someone who doesn’t have extensive experience with Bushmills, a part of me wonders how good they really are, and whether their being the second best-known Irish whisky brand is well-deserved or simply due to being one of the Irish whisky brands for a long time. Yes, there is more competition now. But is there really a formula to find out how long it will take for the new brands to catch up to the reputation the older brands have?

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All in all, it is better then the regular bush. But not by much. The nose is what impresses me the most. It's got something Clynelish about it. Which, to me is quite good. Some diageo connection there? Probably more to do with the quality of the malt and yeast used. We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets. Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates. On the nose: I instantly get very welcoming aromas. Because of the two ex-wine cask influences, there are different shades of grape aromas in this one. There are light aromas of grape-heavy fruit parfait, honey, pie crust and Sauternes. After that first layer are just as light but sharper aromas of prunes, raisins, cloves, sandalwood, leather, and peppers. At the end are even more subtle aromas of grass jelly, guava jelly, honeydew melon and dried apricots. Nose: Fresh & fruity - lychee, pear, apple, mango & pineapple. Fresh coconut flesh. Rice pudding with star anise & clove. Sugar coated almonds, caramel & cardamom pods. Beeswax too.

This 12 Year Old doesn’t speak to me. It feels like the three types of wood are clashing, resulting in this whisky’s smells and tastes being muted. There aren’t any offensive flavors here. But it’s disappointing and annoying to know this whisky has more things to offer but you can’t gain access to it. Letting this breathe for 20 more minutes didn’t help it change. Palate: Vibrant even after 28 years. Sweet malt then all the tropical notes from the nose with some banana thrown in for good measure. Stem ginger syrup, pink peppercorns and cardamom. Vanilla syrup infused mocha. The beeswax again makes an appearance. Finish: A long, warming finish that is equal parts sweet and herbal. Vanilla, tropical fruit and pine cones. Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise.Each and every Member must be of legal drinking age in its country of residence to be allowed to use the Service. If no such law exists in a Member’s country of residence, the Member has to be over 21 years old to use the Service. We have the right to ask you to provide proof of your age and/or to provide further identification to prevent underage usage and/or for any other legal or legitimate purpose. By using the Service, and by creating an account you represent, warrant and confirm that you are of legal age. We are committed to maintaining our iconic taste and quality as we continue to bring our signature smooth Bushmills Irish Whiskey to new and existing consumers around the world.” On the nose: Much more peppery compared to the Original. The heavier sherry aromas are more obvious as well. Despite being more pronounced, the sherry aromas are also initially very muddled. As it slowly opens up, I get light, brief but full aromas of blood orange, dried dates, ripe plums, cherry & berry pie, raisins, and prunes. Palate (undiluted): light arrival, floral, honey, milk chocolate, a touch of salted butter, more apples