Distiller Notes
The second expression in Bushmill’s Rare Cask series, this whisky spent 12 years in bourbon barrels and an additional 17 in Pedreo Ximénez casks. The whiskey was distilled on April 6, 1992; re-casked on July 12, 2004; and bottled on January 17, 2022.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The second release in the Rare Casks collectors’ series spent 12 years in bourbon barrels, then another 17 in PX sherry casks. All that barrel time imparts a deep amber hue, and dried fig and toffee aromas. Add plenty of water to take off the tannic edge and open up luxurious deep, dark flavors: dried figs and dates, plum skin, mocha and clove spice. Released in May 2022; limited edition of 500 bottles
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Whisky Advocate
After 17 years in the PX cask, the influence on flavor is irrefutable. Dates, figs, dried vine fruit, mixed peel, and rich sherry notes on the nose followed by black cherry, prune juice, licorice, and baking spices. A surprisingly sweet palate begins with cherry chocolate and raspberry backed by peppercorn and clove, with a syrupy mid-palate of stewed rhubarb and plum and a greater oak presence as the sweetness fades. (500 bottles)
The result of an historically prohibitive tax placed on malted barley by the English crown, Irish Whiskey is most often produced from a combination of un-malted barley and other grains. Whereas most other Whiskeys are twice distilled, Irish Whiskeys are distilled three times in a column still and must mature in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. These intricate production steps combine to make them lighter, smoother and more approachable than other styles.