Bushmills debuts 15YO whiskey

Proximo Spirits-owned Bushmills has launched a 15-year-old single malt exclusively in the UK.

The new expression was matured in first- and second-fill Bourbon barrels for 14 years, with a year-long finish in rare Cognac casks. It offers ‘hints of gentle toasted oak and soft spice’ on the nose, followed by ‘warm vanilla with sensational caramelised pear richness’. Bushmills master blender Alex Thomas said: “We’ve approached this 15-year-old in a really experimental way, using whiskey aged only in Bourbon barrels to give a wonderful vanilla sweetness. Then we’ve layered on complex fruity notes from the finest oak casks sourced from the ancient forests of central France and used to age rare Cognac by a small family-run Cognac maker. “For several years, the Cognac soaks deep into the fine grain of these luxurious casks before they’re ready to be emptied and sent to us at the Old Bushmills Distillery. It’s a lavish and really exciting process. “I like to sample the whiskey every two months or so, just to make sure the softer vanilla notes from the Bourbon casks aren’t overpowered. I’m looking for a harmony of sweetness and fruitiness. Only when it’s perfect do we bottle it.” Bottled at 40% ABV, Bushmills 15 Years Old is available for £49 (US$62) from Amazon this month, with other retailers to follow. Last month the Irish whiskey brand added a 14-year-old whiskey finished in rare Malaga wine casks to its core range. In 2023, Bushmills opened its £37 million (US$46m) ‘state-of-the-art’ Causeway Distillery, more than doubling its production capacity.