Bushmills 28 Year Old Irish Whiskey Review

By Andrew Graham

Rating: A

Bushmills 28 Year Old Single Malt
(Credit: Bushmills)

Bushmills on Oct. 1 debuted the first release in a new annual series, “The Rare Casks.” It’s a dizzying and phenomenal dram: the 28-year-old expression was triple distilled in 1992 and spent 11 years maturing in ex-Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon barrels before marrying and having a secondary maturation of 17 more years in Cognac casks.

“Maturing this precious malt in former Cognac casks has brought out unique notes and characteristics specific to Cognac, developing the whiskey into something new and distinct for Bushmills, with bold intensity and subtle sweetness. [This expression] is a time capsule of my career at the distillery, and one of the most complex and layered whiskeys ever released by us,” said Helen Mulholland, master blender at Bushmills, in a statement.

The mash bill of this expression is 100% unpeated malted barley, the foundation for all Bushmills expressions, and it’s bottled at 46.7% ABV.

The Whiskey
Right out of the bottle, I encountered immediate and powerful aromas of clover honey and apricots. There was an initial tartness to the flavor that reminded of lemon oil, which quickly dissipated, allowing a turn towards fresh cedar, peach cobbler, and bouquets of fresh flowers.

As these flavors mingled with one another, notes of buttered popcorn and caramel were introduced, and those trailing flavor notes stuck for a silky, warming, and amazingly long finish. It’s a light and sunny whiskey, but layered and complex.

The Price
This is a U.S.-only limited release of fewer than 500 bottles, according to Bushmills, at a retail price of $500 per 750ml, and it’s available at select retailers as well as on flaviar.com. Anyone who has $500 to spend on a bottle of whiskey they intend to drink from right away could have their expectations met if not exceeded with this expression.