Bushmills 12 Year "Triple Wood" Single Malt Irish Whiskey

VITALS:

- $50

- 80 Proof

- 12 Years

- Ireland

It's not often that I find myself purchasing Irish whiskey. There's no particular reason for it, I guess just that there aren't many brands where I feel I must have particular releases. Of course, I love some well-aged Redbreast, and I've certainly tried all of the "Spots" I've been able to get my hands on.  But, it's just not the aisle of the liquor store that draws my attention. 

Of course that changes when St. Patrick's day is coming. We planned on having neighbors over for food and drinks to celebrate, and having only a bottle of Gold Spot on my shelves to offer my visitors, I felt the need to pick up at least one more bottle. So I came home with this, a 12 year Irish whiskey aged in Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon barrels before finishing in Marsala casks. I figured there's a lot going on there, and even at 80 proof, this should still pack a good amount of flavor.

With my first pour I noticed right away a bright and fruity aroma. The Sherry and Marsala casks definitely made their influence known, as I got raspberry and strawberry, along with a sweet honey note. There were also traditional malt notes of sweet tobacco leaf and butterscotch, but there was also a distinct vanilla note along with a light black pepper note, perhaps showing some of the ex-bourbon cask influence.

At only 80 proof, this whiskey unsurprisingly came across as thin and watery. Despite that, it packed a very good punch of flavor. That raspberry note came through right away, but it also had a bit of tartness to it, kind of like a cranberry note.  Once again, those Sherry and Marsala casks made their influence known, but it was far from overdone.

The sweet tobacco note also came through right away, and it seemed to be sweetened by a bright honey note. There was also a sort of sweet tea flavor that I got, adding a sort of earthy but sweet note that worked really well with the bright berry notes.

On the finish the tea notes certainly came through, but the sweetness seemed to fade a bit. It was more like a basic black tea. Some of the raspberry notes lingered, but even those were faded as well.  What I really noticed, and couldn't avoid once noticed, was a weird metallic note. I'm not completely sure how to describe it other than that, but there was something definitely metallic that bugged me.

For an easy-to-find, off-the-shelf Irish whiskey, this is a crowd pleaser. Everyone that tried it loved it, as it's very approachable at a low proof and offers sweet and bright fruit notes that even a non-whiskey drinker might appreciate. In the end, though, I had a hard time moving past that weird metallic finish that seemed to linger.

Grade: C+

Bushmill's Blended Irish Whiskey

VITALS:
- $18

- 80 Proof

- NAS

- Ireland

This seems like a bit of a weird review, only for the fact that this is a whiskey that everyone has probably tried at some point. It'd be kind of like reviewing Jameson or Jim Beam White.  It's not like anybody is going to make a purchasing decision based on a review of Bushmill's. That being said, I've always maintained that I write this blog more as a journal for myself, as opposed to for the benefit of others. After all, as I've said in the past, reviews are stupid.

But, this was a gift for boss' day. I'm not one to turn away any whiskey, and I knew I would eventually polish off this bottle at some point. So, with an empty bottle of a whiskey that has yet to make an appearance here on this blog, not to mention the fact that my Irish whiskeys are few and far between, I decided to nonetheless write this one up.  So here goes . . .

On the nose the very first note I wrote down was oatmeal raisin cookie. This was exactly where my mind went as soon as I smelled this. It had the softness of the oat grain, the sweet brown sugar as well as the rich fruity raisin note. I also got some other aromas, though, particularly in later pours after this sat for a while, such as black pepper and nutmeg, and even a bright apricot note. At times I also got a kind of a white wine note, like a chardonnay.

As for flavor, this comes across as very sweet and, particularly given the low proof, very easy to drink. I didn't get the oatmeal raisin cookie so much as I did a mouthful of honey with a light citrus lemon note.  Perhaps this would be good for soothing a sore throat?

The bright apricot and black pepper were also present, mingling with a layer of vanilla bean that made it far more interesting and tasty than I expected when I first received this bottle. It also had a crackery note to it, albeit a plain on, kind of like saltines. 

The finish came across as a bit peppery, and the honey lingered as well. However, I also got something very weird on the finish that really turned me off. I likened it to a mix of cardboard and soap--oddly two flavors that I think most people might actually be able to relate to. I know I've tasted both. While it wasn't overly offensive, it just wasn't great.

All in all, this is fine, and if presented with limited options, I'd be fine choosing this.  But overall, I'm not likely to buy another bottle myself, particularly with that weird finish.

Grade: C