Bushmills 19 year old 2001 SMWS 51.17

Monday offered up an oaky Bushmills thanks to its first-fill bourbon barrel. I'm going to try another one from the Ulster that spent more time in a theoretically-milder aging vessel. Same bottler, similar ABV. May the fruits be with this whiskey.

Distillery: Old Bushmills
Owner: Casa Cuervo
Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Type: Single Malt
Distillations: Three
Age: 19 years old (16 Jan 2001 - 2020)
Maturation: second-fill bourbon barrel
Cask: 51.17
Cutesy SMWS name: A spring in your step
Outturn: 175 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.6%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Lots of mint in the nose here, but less anise than was in the 15yo. Some pine needles and pumpernickel toast in the middle. Nectarines and orange blossoms in the background. The palate starts off with white peach, bitter orange peel and butterscotch. The bitter citrus note builds over time, with smaller moments of mint and pepper in the back. It finishes with pairings of bitter citrus and sweet citrus, peach and cayenne.

DILUTED to ~43%abv, or >1½ tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

Now the nose shows more orange and lime zests with a bit of kiwi candy. The palate gets sweeter and maltier while holding onto the citrus and peaches. The finish balances tart, sweet and bitter well.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Much better. In the 15yo oak blocked much of that whiskey's development. Here in the 19yo, the barrel helps frame the fruit, which is what some of us look for when trying well-aged Irish malts. I'm not someone who hands out compliments to SMWS often (or at all), but I appreciate that they dumped this barrel before letting it ride another decade and charging a half grand per bottle for the result. The spirit is still alive here.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Bushmills 15 year old 2002 SMWS 51.9

Cork distillery reviews last week. Ulster distillery reviews this week. Midleton. Bushmills. Both producing whiskies that fare better when served up at higher strengths than what we usually see from the standard offerings. Bushmills is particularly guilty of maximum dilution. Even their regular 21-year-old has always been 40%abv. Luckily I obtained three samples of cask strength Bushmills single malt last year, and now is a good time to dig in.

First up, a 15yo from whisky's No Homers Club.

Distillery: Old Bushmills
Owner: Casa Cuervo
Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Type: Single Malt
Distillations: Three
Age: 15 years old (21 Feb 2002 - 2017)
Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrel
Cask: 51.9
Cutesy SMWS name: Sinful indulgence
Outturn: 240 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose begins with a mix of aged malt and corn whiskies, but it's the barrel that ultimately takes over. Mint, caramel chews and toasted coconut lead the way, with smaller notes of anise and roses in the background. Vanilla, black pepper and plums arrive first in the palate, with hints of grapefruit and cinnamon red hots around the edges. It gradually becomes more floral with time. It finishes with vanilla fudge, flowers and acidic fruit.

I'm not going to water it all the way down the Bushmills Basic 40%abv, but it'll be close...

DILUTED to ~43%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

Vanilla, whipped cream and orange candy in the nose, followed by Cow Tales candy and cinnamon. The palate has become much sweeter, all tangerines and vanilla. And that's where the finish sits as well, with a bit of black pepper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Nothing "sinful" here, except that the barrel's dominance is a slight disappointment. No "indulgence" either, since this is a mild, comfy drinker. In fact, the official 16yo is more complex at 40%abv, than this whiskey at full power. Or at least it was when I last had the 16 five years ago. I'm not saying this 15yo single cask is a dud, rather it is of a very contemporary style, with the US oak riding up front, telling the other passengers to STFU with great success. (Ugh, lumpy metaphor.) Next up, a Bushmills in a refill barrel...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 82

Redbreast 10 year old Limited Edition, 2021 batch

For those of you who are new to this site, please know that I am utterly, disgustingly smitten by Redbreast single pot still Irish whiskey. That's a warning.

Though the annual 12 year old Cask Strength seems to still exist, Midleton dropped another in a series of limited edition full-powered Redbreasts into the marketplace early last year. Most of the previous LEs were NAS, but this edition came with an actual age statement of 10 whole years. The whiskey was spun from bourbon and sherry casks (allegedly) between the ages of 10 and 15 years. Due to the batch's ABV, I doubt any underproof casks were involved here.

Brand: Redbreast
Country: Ireland
Distillery: Midleton
Style: Single Pot Still
Age: minimum 10 years
Maturation: ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks
Outturn: 7,000 bottles

Release year: 2021
Alcohol by Volume: 59.1%
Chillfiltered? no
e150a? possibly not
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A very pretty nose. First up: fresh cherries, white peaches, flower blossoms and a mango custard. Then: honey, orange zest and Big League Chew. Hints of clove linger in the background. The palate's sweetness and fruitiness is balanced by some malty heft and raw nuts (walnuts and almonds). But yeah there's apricot jam, limes and guava. Honey and cayenne pepper. And that is exactly how it finishes as well.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp per 30mL whiskey

The nose becomes more floral, yet not at all perfumey. There's also peach crumble, ginger and eucalyptus. Mango appears in the palate, along with the limes and honey. Hints of vanilla and toasted oak remain in the background. The sweetness recedes in the finish, as the raw nuts return and the fruit grows tarter.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Oh the fruits, so many fruits. This gorgeous thing tops all four of those USA-exclusive Small Batches from 2019/2020, as well as most of the 12yo Cask Strengths. I prefer it neat, where there's less oak, more fruit, and the heat is just right. Folks who want more cask action should dilute it. Though I try not to encourage anyone to indulge in the still mostly-illegal-in-the-USA secondary market, I still did take a look at the bottle's price. And I sobbed.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - Don't look
Rating - 90

Jameson 18 year old Bow Street, Cask Strength 2019 edition

I was really REALLY excited in 2018 when I'd heard that Jameson was releasing a full strength version of their 18 year old. Five minutes later I realized this was really only a half-step up from cask strength grain whiskey, and my enthusiasm subsided. Then I had to keep reminding myself of that for more than a year before I truly lost interest in a whole bottle. The stories we tell ourselves...

This did not stop me from taking part in a bottle split of the 2019 edition, though. And so here it is, four years later, cask strength Jameson with age...

Distillery: Midleton

Owner: Pernod Ricard

Brand: Jameson

Type: Irish Blended Whiskey (grain + pot stillwhiskey)

Age: at least 18 years old

Maturation: a mix of bourbon and sherry casks
Release year: 2019

Alcohol by Volume: 55.1%

Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

All dessert things on the nose. Vanilla, salt water taffy, candy corn, coconut cream (active oak + grain whiskey), cheese danish and crème brûlée.

The palate begins with baking spices, nectarines and salty popcorn up front, tapioca pudding in the back. It picks up a dash of Madeira with time, and more than a dash of wheated bourbon (Old Weller).

The finish is a pairing of Madeira with an egg custard and a shot of OWA 107.

DILUTED to ~40%abv, or ¾ tbsp of water per 30mL whiskey

Now it noses of coconut cream, rosewater, vanilla and shortbread.

The palate is hotter, bitter, very rough, coated with simple syrup and imitation vanilla extract.

It finishes with Nillas, raw grain whiskey and pepper sauce.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I've never had a whisk(e)y drop from a B to a D+ with dilution, until now. Once I watered this thing it sprouted weeds. The high grain content and aggressive casks may have been the culprits. BUT, I found the whiskey to be very enjoyable when neat, something to indulge in with or for dessert. It's better than most 18yo scotch blends, but then again there aren't any cask strength 18yo scotch blends offered by the majors. Whether it's worth the price is up for debate but, per Winesearcher, Bow Street averages only a 20% premium over the standard diluted, dyed and filtered Jameson 18. And that is unusually reasonable.

Availability - three editions can be found at specialty retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - $160-$250 (US); $140-$240 (Europe w/VAT)
Rating - 84 (do not dilute)

Things I Really Drink: Three Jamesons

I was too wrapped up in Scotch whisky reviews to honor St. Pat's Day with Irish whiskey reviews this year. So you're gonna get them now.

CASKMATES BACKGROUND

In an early attempt to expand the Jameson blended whiskey range, Pernod Ricard rolled out the Caskmates sub-range, which included the standard blend finished in beer-seasoned refill casks. The series began and ended with two whiskies. One finished in Cork's Franciscan Well stout casks, and one finished in "craft" IPA barrels.

Though I'm apparently the only one who thinks Jameson Black Barrel was a large step down from the standard expression, I was interested in these two beery whiskies because I've enjoyed the interplay of whisky and beer on my palate and in my tummy, more so than whisky and wine.

BOTTLE BACKGROUND

Jameson and I have been chums for nearly a quarter of a century, but we've grown apart over the past eight years or so. Either my palate or the whiskey's recipe has changed because my opinion of it has dropped precipitously. Jameson was always grain-heavy, but it seems to have crossed into 80-90% 3-year-old grain content territory. The 375mL bottle I'm reviewing today was purchased more than two years ago, but has barely been touched.

I also bought the stout edition two years ago and drank it rather swiftly. And there was good reason for that, as it paired really well with Guinness. The 375mL bottle being reviewed today was opened on 3/17 of this year and will be reviewed only with its two mates, no Guinness.

The IPA Edition was also opened on St. Patrick's Day this year. It registered so foully on my palate that night that I haven't touched the whiskey since.

So that is where we begin.

Irish Triplets:

Jameson bottled 2020 - 40%abv	Jameson IPA Edition bottled 2018 - 40%abv	Jameson Stout Edition bottled 2018 - 40%abv
This stuff is getting closer to Canadian Club every year. The nose is mostly just Nillas soaked in vodka, with hints of citrons, cherry blossoms and Powers-style machinery in the background.	IPA dominates the nose at first, all grapefuity hops and old bong water. It picks up lemon zest and lemon candy with time. No vodka.	This has a much better integrated nose. The gentle stout element forms the foundation, balancing ripe peaches, toffee, and a hint of vanilla bean. Like the old Gold Reserve, it's what I wish Jameson actually smelled like.
Neutral grain spirit, imitation vanilla extract and corn whiskey lead the palate, with occasional notes of flowers and peppercorns appearing occasionally.	The manic palate starts with lemon candy, Lucky Charms, flowers, vanilla and hoppy bitterness. It goes Full IPA after 15 minutes with only the vanilla and lemon candy clinging on for dear life.	Mild roasted grain and mellow bitterness from the stout registers first in the palate, with a slight pencil shaving note that almost makes this read like a French oak thing. It has the mildest vanilla and sweetness of the trio.
Heat, vanilla and black pepper in the finish.	The bitterness starts tilting towards woodiness in the finish, mixing awkwardly with a cloying sweetness and lots of vanilla.	It finishes with lemons, peppercorns and vanilla porter.
On the Rocks: The vanilla and corn notes grow, the vodka vanishes. An improvement.	On the Rocks: Ah, this is that note I didn't like when I tried the whiskey three weeks ago. An ugly bitterness mixed with vodka.	On the Rocks: This one also loses all of its good aspects, turning it into something close to the regular Jameson.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Jameson - As referenced in the notes, this has become almost interchangeable with Canadian Club, which is quite a descent. Though ice helps it out, I don't really see any need to use this bottle's contents again, especially with the Stout Edition on hand.

IPA Edition - There's no doubt this version will appeal to IPA fans since the end result is so close a moderate India Pale Ale. The palate is a weird goulash of flavors, which winds up being the whiskey's best attribute. Sadly the parts didn't come together as well as Glenfiddich's IPA Experiment. Perhaps a 43%abv single malt has more backbone than a grain-heavy 40%abv blend.

Stout Edition - The best of the trio by some distance, though I was surprised to see it take to ice so poorly. Otherwise, it's the only one of the three I'd buy again. Heck, it's the only one I want to drink again. My bottle was on the clearance shelves here in Ohio, so I hope this expression is not being phased out.

RATINGS:

Jameson, bottled in 2020 - 70 (and that's being generous)

Caskmates IPA Edition, bottled in 2018 - 76 (keep it neat)

Caskmates Stout Edition, bottled in 2018 - 82 (keep it neat)

Things I Really Drink: Speyburn 15 year old (bottled 2017)

I'll always give Speyburn a try. A decade ago their 10 year old single malt provided surprising quality for $15, though they have since doubled its price and lowered its ABV. Priced well in Europe, the 18 year old is a very solid pour. But the 15yo is my favorite of their standard range. I enjoyed my sample of it so much that I bought an entire bottle. Crazy, right?

Well, I've finished the bottle and have set aside a substantial quantity for this review. I have a picture of the bottle to prove that it's a real TIRD.....somewhere around here......ah, here it is:

You're welcome.

Distillery: Speyburn
Ownership: Inver House (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Region: Speyside (Rothes)
Age: at least 15 years old
Maturation: American oak casks and Spanish oak casks
Outturn: 3500 cases per year
Bottle code: L17/346
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from the bottom third of my bottle)

NEAT

The nose begins with lychee-laced oloroso casks filled with lavender blossoms, anise and Granny Smith apples. It slowly picks up hints of dijon mustard, dunnage, milk chocolate and rum cake. Classic Speyside-style sherry casks appear first in the palate. Think Aberlour with a squeeze of tart lemons. Black pepper and sweet oranges develop in the midground. It has a decent mouthfeel throughout, but some woody bitterness starts to show at the 30 minute mark. It finishes with tart citrus, tart apples and black pepper.

DILUTED to ~40%abv, or <1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Now I'm getting Balvenie with lime on the nose. (These distillery references are a bit lazy and not terribly helpful, sorry about that.) Stones and barley in the middle, flowers and caramel in the back. The palate starts off with a mix of dark and milk chocolates teamed with unripe plums, tart blackberries, flowers and some of that woody bitterness. The milk chocolate and wood carry into the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This works much better as a casual drinker than a thing to dissect. I noticed very little of the bitterness during the life of the bottle, usually finding it to be comparable or better than more-famous sherried Speysiders. Perhaps that's because the whisky usually found its way to my mouth not via Glencairn, nor the bottle neck, but in a heavy tumbler. And that is how I'd recommend the thing be consumed, while keeping it undiluted. (Mr. Opinions reviewed a pour from this same bottle just last week and was less enthusiastic about it than I.) Though I'm happy to have tossed some coin to Speyburn and finished this bottle, I don't anticipate getting another any time soon.

Availability - many specialty retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - $60-$80, essentially unchanged in 4 years
Rating - 84

Vega 40 year old 1977 blended malt, North Star Spirits

The North Star Spirits Quartet wraps up with the eldest, a 40 year old blended malt from 1977. It's un-Sirius in that it had a small outturn (400) and was built from sherry cask whiskies. Yet it possesses a matching ABV, 43.1%abv. I'm curious to see if the different casks and extra time gave it more oomph than the 31yo vatting, pushing it into the 90+ point arena.

This is 40

Company: North Star

Range: Vega

Type: Blended (or Vatted) Malt

Distilleries: in Scotland

Age: 40 years (October 1977 - January 2018)

Maturation: "Spanish and American oak"
Outturn: 400 700mL bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 43.1%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose feels like old Glenfarclas. Dunnage, furniture polish, antique stores, carob, cloves, dates, very dark chocolate, pipe tobacco, dried currants, dried blueberries and on and on and on.

Meanwhile, the palate is reminiscent of 1970s Johnnie Walker Black Label, but a little thinner and less peaty. There's dust and dunnage and a dash of gooey paxarette. Bitter citrus peels and dried apricots in the middle. A hint of pipe tobacco in the background.

Bold bitterness dances with moderate sweetness in the finish. Baking chocolate meets brown sugar? Hints of clementines and dried apricots drift in the distance.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though this one is sure to win more fans, I may pick Sirius over this Vega. I will not dispute the utter joy in the whisky's nose. The glories of the casks' old age do not carry over to the palate as the vessels have long overtaken the spirit they'd carried.

(Considering the raves this whisky has received, I drank the second half of the sample while typing up my notes, just to make sure I wasn't crazy. While I can't guarantee my sanity, I can say Vega's finish is shorter and simpler than any other 40+ year old whisky I've tried. Again I wonder if one of the two(?) casks involved had dropped below 40%abv.)

Availability - It might still exist in Europe, or the night sky (recycled joke)
Pricing - somewhere between €400 and €600, maybe?
Rating - 86 (gorgeous nose, though)