The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Bushmills Black Bush
Irish WhiskeyIssue 18

Bushmills Black Bush

Proximo Spirits (José Cuervo) · Old Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

$3280 (40% ABV) proofNo age statementCounty Antrim, Northern Ireland — granted a license to distill in 1608, making it one of the oldest licensed distillery sites in the world.
Bushmills Black Bush is one of the great values in Irish whiskey. The high proportion of sherry-cask-matured single malt in the blend gives it a richness and complexity that belies its modest price, and the Old Bushmills Distillery — whose site has held a distilling license since 1608 — brings centuries of craft to bear.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Rich dried fruit and Christmas cake, layered with honey, toasted malt, and a warm undercurrent of vanilla and clove

Palate

Full and generous, with sherry-driven dried fruit sweetness, honeyed malt, and a gentle spice of clove. The triple distillation smooths the delivery while the sherry casks add weight and depth.

Finish

Medium-long, warm and fruity, with lingering dried fruit, honey, and a soft spice fade

Specifications
Distillation
Triple-distilled in copper pot stills (malt component)
Maturation
Predominantly Oloroso sherry casks with some bourbon barrel maturation
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Cocktail — Black Bush Irish Coffee: Warm a stemmed glass with hot water, then discard. Add 1.5 oz Bushmills Black Bush, 1 tsp demerara sugar, and hot strong coffee. Stir to dissolve. Float lightly whipped cream over the back of a spoon.

Food Pairing

Soda bread with Irish butter and a drizzle of wildflower honey, or dark chocolate truffles with sea salt.

Train These Aromas
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