Bushmills Original
40% ABV
$20
Website
What The Distillery Says:
The cornerstone of our family, it’s a blend of our own triple distilled malt whiskey with a lighter Irish grain whiskey. Making it an approachable whiskey with a rich, warming taste of fresh fruit and vanilla.
What Richard Says:
Nose: Woody and peppery with vegetal/grassy notes.
Palate: Uber-mellow on the palate. It’s a very cereal taste with the minutest hint of sweetness and pepper.
Finish: Peppery grains but very smooth. You get some of the wood on the finish too.
Comments: I cut my whiskey teeth on a bottle of Bushmills Original so it holds a special place in my heart. That said, I’ve come a long way in terms of development and experience in appreciating whiskey. I ask for a lot more from my dram now that this whiskey can provide. Is it bad? No. It’s very consistent and drinkable but nothing make me take notice either.
Rating: Average
What Matt Says:
Nose: Not much on the nose. Everything is subtle. Notes of caramel and wet coffee grounds.
Palate: Not very bold. Cereal, sweet and peppery with a hint of cucumber skin.
Finish: A little spice, very little burn and a little bit of wood.
Comments: Like Richard, I was introduced to Bushmills early in my whiskey education. And, also like Richard, I now ask more from my dram. In my youth, I sought anything that I could palate neat and was not too expensive. I was not looking for complexity or nuance. This was long before I before I began proselytizing the Way. Bushmills will always taste the same though and there is something to be said for that. A mediocre dram you can count on.
Rating: Average
Overall Rating: Average