tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post1149031383631758437..comments2024-03-16T11:28:41.525-04:00Comments on Diving for Pearls: Single Malt Report: Bushmills 12 year old Distillery ReserveMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02288790197865570681noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-10648588657829050972014-12-10T00:24:00.776-05:002014-12-10T00:24:00.776-05:00Incidentally I was rather confused by Jose Cuervo&...Incidentally I was rather confused by Jose Cuervo's interest in Bushmills UNTIL I remembered Jose Cuervo's parent company is Proximo who also happen to own LDI. So Proximo and Jose Cuervo do have experience in the whisk(e)y world. Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-89178007785871519972014-12-09T14:55:25.351-05:002014-12-09T14:55:25.351-05:00Thanks, Shane! Definitely will try the 16yo. In fa...Thanks, Shane! Definitely will try the 16yo. In fact, I'll try to post a review in January or February. I haven't actually seen a Kilbeggan 21 in the wild. It sounds great!Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-32707003083282576792014-12-08T05:23:20.674-05:002014-12-08T05:23:20.674-05:00The 16 yr old is fantastic dram . Try it Krav. I o...The 16 yr old is fantastic dram . Try it Krav. I opened a 21 yr old Kilbeggan last night, brilliant, spicy but subtle. ShaneEarlybirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00525225017408292695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-32356017506743924342014-12-07T01:33:38.587-05:002014-12-07T01:33:38.587-05:00Strangely enough, I had a bottle shipped from Hi-T...Strangely enough, I had a bottle shipped from Hi-Time Wines (your neck of the woods) because they were selling the 1608 for $60. However I later bought a second bottle for $100 (the MSRP) at BevMo because I liked the whiskey. However I think the former price was more appropriate.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-76740886339123720222014-12-06T22:46:27.341-05:002014-12-06T22:46:27.341-05:00Good to know. I'd rather spend my time with th...Good to know. I'd rather spend my time with the tastings as well. I might do one or two Diageo distillery tours just to give a try and (perhaps) to provide additional blog content.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-54519466433113773962014-12-06T22:42:53.567-05:002014-12-06T22:42:53.567-05:00What would you say a good price is for the 1608? ...What would you say a good price is for the 1608? I've seen a very wide range of pricing on it.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-21341027340493963272014-12-06T20:35:40.529-05:002014-12-06T20:35:40.529-05:00Reading this review made decide to revisit my open...Reading this review made decide to revisit my open bottle of Bushmills 1608 which is 46%. Now I have a bit of a cold right now but the use of crystal malt in the whiskey lends a very unique smelling nose. There's something on the nose that reminds me of fresh milk. The taste is pretty similar to Black Bush but the higher ABV means a better texture. Sadly the DiageoGold treatment means I cannot tell what kind of cask this was aged in.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-62165929506191148172014-12-06T14:38:26.529-05:002014-12-06T14:38:26.529-05:00I found the tour of Lagavulin a bit uninspiring, b...I found the tour of Lagavulin a bit uninspiring, but both of the tastings I did at Diageo distilleries were top notch. So unless you're a completionist, it'd be legit to skip the tours and just do the tastings. The stills are really going to be the only interesting bits and you can probably peek your head in the stillhouse doors.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-77893951515813222182014-12-05T11:24:43.076-05:002014-12-05T11:24:43.076-05:00Hey Ol' Jas. Thank you for your comments and ...Hey Ol' Jas. Thank you for your comments and the info! I'll update the price part.<br /><br />I wonder if the tour issue is common to the Diageo distillery tours. Their distilleries are almost fully automated and they hire minimum staff. And it's all run by a big company that seems pretty aloof towards its single malt customers. Someday I'll finally do some of their tours to find out.<br /><br />I agree about a higher ABV being a way to distinguish Bushmills. Less water, more whiskey. I'm a big fan of Irish whiskey but I agree that the 40%ABVs are a big issue. Midleton/Pernod is just starting to release their Powers products at 43+%.<br /><br />The 40%ABV problem is one that I also have with Canadian whiskies, leaving them all feeling very watery and thin, to me.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-76097549121827619672014-12-05T11:10:43.173-05:002014-12-05T11:10:43.173-05:00Good point about Diageo. Keep in mind though that ...Good point about Diageo. Keep in mind though that Bushmills distillery is 1/12th the size of Midleton. So the Midleton monster can pop out new brands left and right with more ease. It's almost as if Bushmills's ownership needs to push the "single malt" part rather than the Irish part unless they're willing to build a whisky fortress to take on the leader.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-83518771509342784032014-12-04T03:33:40.285-05:002014-12-04T03:33:40.285-05:00(I'm the anonymous from above.)
I should have...(I'm the anonymous from above.)<br /><br />I should have explained why the tour was bad: Scripted, cold, too-large group, few opportunities to ask questions, no visit to the actual warehouse, bottling not in action (though I think that last point is just a matter of chance and timing).<br /><br />Also, this is "Ol' Jas" to use my usual whisky site handle.<br /><br />Jas outAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-80706249378417557782014-12-04T03:30:47.085-05:002014-12-04T03:30:47.085-05:00I was there this past summer. I bought a bottle of...I was there this past summer. I bought a bottle of this to bring back for my sister, who wanted something unusual for her moderately enthusiastic whisky-drinking boyfriend. This was perfect for that. So, a few notes:<br />•It cost around £36 or $60 USD. Pretty high for what it is, but reasonable given the distillery-only cache and the reliable sales. (Nearly everyone I saw buy ANY bottle that day was buying this.) Keep in mind that Bushmills is one of the main stops on the well-trodden Antrim Coast tourist route.<br />•The tour itself is awful.<br />•The tour does include a dram in their nice tasting room at the end, though. They line up tons of pre-poured drams that tour-goers trade their ticket stubs for. Again, almost everyone goes for the distillery-only option. I was with my mom who didn't want any, so I got to have two. I compared the 10 YO with the 12YO Distillery Reserve. In a comparison, the Distillery Reserve is notably richer and just better. I liked it.<br />•Yes, it'd be awesome to have it at 46%. But with their tourist consumer base in mind, I think that's exceptionally unlikely.<br />•And I do hope the Cuervo folks spice things up. Wouldn't higher ABV be a perfect way to distinguish Bushmills from the sea of almost always 40% Irish whiskies out there? I sure think so. The low ABV is one of the main things that keeps Irish whiskey consistently off my buy list.<br /><br />My sister's boyfriend liked it quite a bit. I hear he zoomed through it in just a couple weeks. (I, on the other hand, have yet to open the bottle of Connemara Turf Mor that I brought back for myself.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-43481426387704355962014-12-03T19:58:39.685-05:002014-12-03T19:58:39.685-05:00I brought this up because Diageo didn't seem t...I brought this up because Diageo didn't seem to know what to do with Bushmills. Except for the really good 1608 edition, Diageo just seemed content with maintaining the present line-up of products and not release new products like Midleton's single pot still blitz. It was a similar situation with George Dickel until American whiskey began heating up.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-31754411497910142522014-12-03T10:29:39.710-05:002014-12-03T10:29:39.710-05:00That's a good point, I totally forgot about th...That's a good point, I totally forgot about the sale already. I'll update the owner notes above. The distillery lasted 18 years with Pernod Ricard and 9 years with Diageo. Should we give it 4.5 years with Cuervo?<br /><br />The brand is actually growing but not as fast as Jameson's. Diageo wanted to chase Jameson's lead in the category but their products are different. The only thing similar is the "Irish" and "Blended" words on their cheapest product's labels. Plus the White Label was awful the last time I tried it, and that's even with me giving Irish whiskey a lot of leeway.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-72425319828650673612014-12-01T13:50:26.321-05:002014-12-01T13:50:26.321-05:00Well, there's a bit of good news with Jose Cue...Well, there's a bit of good news with Jose Cuervo taking ownership of the distillery. Here's hoping they actually do something with the place unlike Diageo.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.com