Irish whiskey brand Bushmills has unveiled a limited edition 30-year-old expression – its oldest single malt to date.
Bushmills revealed its Causeway Collection earlier this month, which comprises of 10 cask-finished single malt whiskies that vary in age from nine to 30 years old.
The Causeway Collection includes expressions finished in new American oak, Cognac, wine and fortified wine casks. However, Bushmills only released details of one bottling at the time, the UK-exclusive 2001 Feuillette Cask. The single malt was aged for more than 17 years in oloroso Sherry butts and Bourbon barrels before being matured for two years in a rare Burgundy cask – one of four feuillette casks at the Bushmills distillery.
Bushmills has now revealed another expression in the range – the 30 Year Old New American Oak Cask single malt.
The whiskey was initially matured in oloroso Sherry butts and Bourbon barrels, and finished in new American oak casks for an ‘unprecedented’ 16 years. The non-chill-filtered single malt was bottled in September 2020 at cask strength (48.4% ABV).
The expression has notes of honey malt with the virgin oak providing ‘intense flavours of vanilla, chocolate and warm wood’.
Bushmills master blender Helen Mulholland said: “It’s a privilege to work with such rare whiskeys in The Causeway Collection. This 30 Year Old New American Oak Cask, our oldest single malt to date, is a truly special Irish single malt.
“Maturing it for 16 years in the new American oak casks has allowed the sweetness to gradually soften, making it creamier and velvety smooth in texture. I love its tropical fruit notes and hints of spiced coconut alongside the warm and reassuring wood notes.
“I’m immensely proud of how we’ve been able to create such sensational waves of flavour in a 30-year-old whiskey. Like the whole Causeway Collection, it’s a celebration of our passion for single malts, our rare and unique casks and our 400 years of whiskey-making heritage.”
There are only 100 bottles of the single malt available in 2020 exclusively from The Irish Whiskey Collection at The Loop in Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland from 17 December. It is priced at RRP €700 (US$851) per 700ml. The remaining 332 bottles will be released next year.