When you think of the Irish, chances are the ever so famous Jamesons might be the first to pop, or at least for most. No hate for the Bushmills here, as in all liklihood they would take an obvious second.

But what might not be known to most is the latters history, credited to being the world’s oldest licensed distillery, with its roots dating far back as 1608, when King James I granted a royal license to both distil and sell their spirits. The Bushmills distillery, as an establishment, however was set up over one and a half  centuries later, in 1784 and has weathered several socio-economical events since then, like the Irish Civil war, American Prohibition, the Great Depression and the two World Wars.

The 15 is a travel exclusive to highlight solely the influence of exbourbon casks on their virgin spirit (distillate) by leveraging first and second fill casks to age their produce for a minimum of 15 years. The bottle, however, does keep to the traditional Bushmills contours and boxing.

Eye : Yellow Gold | Natural Colouring

Nose : Vanilla muddled with charred papaya, red apples, and tropical notes. Some orange zest, fresh aromatics, peaches and mint with a pinch of white pepper.

Taste : Begins with soft vanilla and oak, grains, fruit, and plums start to echo on the palate with time. Hints of ginger wine and pepper interleaved with sweet notes.

Finish : Medium to long |Warm and sweet, vanilla with whispers of wood and spice.

The 15 seems one dimensional and lacklustre at first, but begins to elaborate with time, exposing more breadth to its reportouir of nuances. It takes a good five plus minutes for the spirit to open up; a lost opportunity if you were to down the spirit. Ultimately, the Bushmills, although initially mute, does have the potential to sweep you off your feet should you wait patiently.

At AUD $115, it is an unorthodox dram that has you sitting on the fence. A whisky that does deliver well but can fall a bit short in terms of depth. Perhaps a bit more grunt could have been ideal for a 15 YO. But that’s just me! Let me know how your journey goes if you were to cross paths with this one.

Slainte!