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Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Northern Ireland distillery Bushmills has announced the release of what it is calling the oldest Irish single malt ever released (a claim that seems to check out). This 46-year-old whiskey was entirely matured in sherry casks, yielding a dark, decadent, and delicious dram that comes with a pretty hefty price tag of $12,500 per bottle.
The full name of this new whiskey is Bushmills 46 Year Old ‘Secrets Of The River Bush,’ a nod to the distillery’s water source that flows near its grounds. Bushmills claims to be the oldest licensed distillery in existence, with more than four centuries of whiskey making under its belt. The reality is that the distillery as we know it, which is owned by Proximo Spirits (the company that also controls Jose Cuervo), has really been around since the late 18th century (although there are records of whiskey making in the area that date back to 1608). Bushmills only produces single malt, so it sources the grain component for its core blend, Bushmills Original, from Midleton (the distillery that makes brands like Jameson and Redbreast). While the core lineup consists of some excellent age statement single malts, this new release is obviously much older than any of those whiskeys.
At an event in New York City last night, Bushmills master blender Alex Thomas was clearly very excited about the launch of the new whiskey, describing it as a “sensory delight.” The whiskey was laid down in 1978, which Thomas described as a bad time for the Irish whiskey industry given that there were just two distilleries operating at the time—Bushmills and Midleton. It was aged in just two Oloroso sherry butts from the Antonio Paez Lobato Cooperage in Jerez, Spain, which were stored in warehouse eight. And after 46 years, there was only enough liquid left for a run of 300 bottles—clearly, the angels were very thirsty for their share—which ultimately bottled at cask strength of 46.3 percent ABV.
This is a truly unique Irish single malt, starting with the opaque color that’s almost like blackstrap molasses, much darker than many comparable sherry cask-matured single malt scotches. The whiskey sits in its own category, so remove all expectations because it has been transformed in a pretty spectacular way. The core Bushmills DNA is there to some degree, but this is a rich, full-bodied whiskey that is exploding with flavors like rum raisin, mulled cider, wet leather, dark roast espresso, and a handful of trail mix that is heavy on the dried fruit and dark chocolate. There is a dose of sweetness on the palate, but it’s tempered by dry tannic notes and a pinch of spice on the finish.
There have been a few other Irish whiskeys that approach the high age statement of this new whiskey: Dublin distillery Teeling released a 40-year-old single malt while Midleton has launched some older whiskeys, but they have either been single pot still expressions or blends. Of course, you should expect some special packaging for a whiskey this expensive. The bottle comes inside a bespoke walnut case that shows the topography around Bushmills with a gold engraving tracing the course of the River Bush. If you’re interested in purchasing one of the 100 bottles of Bushmills 46 that have been allocated to the U.S. market, you can find them available to purchase from Total Wine Concierge Sales. And you can find the rest of the lineup, including some previous Rare Casks releases, available at ReserveBar now.
