Bushmills 21 Year Single Malt

Smelling this, it seems like some generic scotch. Drinking it though, wood hits first and just as the wood is starting to become tedious, the duck introduces some citrus fruit and floral notes mixed with some brine and smoke. The sweetness grows toward the finish, whish is simply perfect. This is like Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or mixed with Highland Park 18 that finishes with a flavor of mild gummy bears and rosewater. I'll need to try this again to be sure that it is actually this amazing, but my opinion as of now is that it edges out highland Park 18. On second taste, it is half way between Highland Park 18 and Oban 14, perhaps with a touch of caramel a la Don Julio 1942. The banana and mango are right there and so rich, but not gross in their sweetness and do not add any weird flavors. Apples come in too for a bit and they dance with pears. There is a salt and a tad of seawater too. One could catch this whiskey on the technicalities, but it's flavor is amazing and when I want to drink something, this is one of the first ones that I think of in most circumstances. Following an Islay, this is a sweet delight. No matter the circumstances though, this is deep and, frankly, a triumph. How is this so much like the Bushmill's 16, yet also clearly so much better? Whereas Highland Park 18 makes an impressive entrance and is strong throughout, Bushmill's 21 makes a somewhat weak entrance but stays around for a powerful finish. This tastes like a less woody but more punchily fruity and floral version of Tullibardine 25. It's good - great, actually - but it definitely tastes younger. I really wish that this were bottled at a higher ABV and not chill filtered. The alcohol is really too strong here. There's so much delicious flavor in here that it is a tragedy that the bad flavors counter-balance it. This has less complexity and balance than Redbreast 21, but its sweet nectar flavor is just so delightful. Then there are the bitter undertones though. Slightly better than Highland Park 18. This is the closest to perfection that I have come so far. A couple steps shy of perfection, but still a unique and delightful drink. The nose does not come across as particularly old, but the palate is rich and balanced. The flavors starts a bit bitter and bland, but then apricot and orange with some mild spices come out, blooming into a rich, sweet flavor that develops into s fruity, floral finish. The alcohol is only present in the beginning and while there are some minerals throughout, they are not overwhelmingly strong. The beautiful finish really makes this an exceptional whiskey; otherwise it's not terribly exciting. The richness is good and the balanced flavor in the finish is immaculate, but it needs more complexity and punch with reduced alcohol and minerality. A higher ABV release could also be helpful. The smoothness is terrific though. The flavor is initially sweet with some delicious orange flower, apricot, honey, orange peel, and caramel, but some aggressively bitter wood comes in. The bitter wood takes over and leaves an unpleasant finish. There is some smoke, but it is piercing and out of place. What a divine flavor at the front and a disappointment that it is not fulfilled. This is richer with substantially more apricot than Glenfiddich 14. It lets more bitter alcohol through than it should, but it also has some really delightful fruit flavors leaping out, demanding to show their talents. The net flavor could use some more complexity and less alcohol, but those beautiful notes are quite good. There's a lot of vanilla here and the flavor is quite full and rich while also being on the sweet side. It's quite nice to drink, but it just isn't one of those undeniable classics.

Rating: 20/23 Took a couple sips of this for St. Patrick's Day and was really impressed. I remembered liking this, but being a bit underwhelmed, particularly given all of the hype, and not finding it to be worth the money. At $180, it's still quite spendy, especially considering that it's only 40% ABV, but I'm actually quite impressed by it. It has a decadent apricot flavor and so much depth. This is a really refined dram. It has the nuance of something like A De Fussigny XO (18/23), but it has less burn and a little more balance. Based on that side by side, I'm thinking no lower than a 19, but a 20 is more likely. El Dorado 21 (21/23) is the other dram that immediately comes to mind when I taste this. All three of these are decadent and complex while only being 40% ABV. The El Dorado certainly has a very different profile than this does, but they're in the same range in terms of complexity and decadence. I was initially thinking that this would be below the El Dorado, but the depth as this develops and moves into the finish is outstanding. I'm now thinking that they're kind of neck and neck. I'd love to stock both of them since they're so different in terms of profile, but it is hard to argue for this seeing as it costs nearly twice what the El Dorado does. Yellow Spot (17/23) is more funky, rugged, and brash. It's less sophisticated than this is, but still great. I would take this over it, but not by miles. This might be kind of moving me back into the 20 range for this. This is so nearly the perfect Irish whiskey, but I think the main thing that holds it back is its low ABV of 40%. Going with 40% ABV might be perfect for some drams, but this one feels a bit limited. I think a large part the sort of muddled vibe I'm getting from this is a result of the low ABV. I kind of doubt that cask strength is the way to go for this dram, but something in 43-45% range would probably be better. I can even imagine a more bold 48% version of this. I'm going with a 20 right here. Funnily, I thought I'd given this a much lower rating previously because I had vague memories of disappointment, but it turns out that I gave it a 19 last time and that's pretty close to what I've landed on now. Lovely.

Nose: Oak cask - that's the first note - old oak cask, and that aroma permeates everything else on the nose. It's a rich, almost funky aroma of dark fruits, stone fruits, nuts, berries, toffee, wine, dark honey and old leather trousers (!), but everything has been aged almost to the point of decomposition. I don't think you could let this sit in the casks for one month more before it fell apart. There's a singular mustiness about the nose that you either love or hate, and after a while the aroma tends to fall into a brown-sugar amalgum. Palate: There is this thing that old Irish whisky does that transports you away on a wave of silvery, satiny, glistening cereal flavours and it happens here in spades. Peaches and apricots, mangoes, guava and soursop on the arrival, served on a day-old barley-meal trencher with caramel sauce. The texture is silken, velvety and gripping from the oak presence. Slightly drying and oaky as it evolves, very elegant and even more dry towards the finish with an autumn-leaf/tobacco character. Finish: Medium. Dry, almost astringent, dark chocolate and oak. The aftertaste is all dark chocolate and funky mustiness. An interesting and slightly unusual nose coupled with one of the most indulgent palates I've tasted. There is nothing demure about this whisky - it's Mae West dancing to Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer as covered by Madonna. Yummy and singular stuff. I remarked in my review of Bushmills 16 that it was the first Bushmills that I had tasted that I really liked, and this is definitely the second, but to be honest it's in firm second place behind the 16. There is something that tries too hard about this whisky. I very much enjoyed tasting it but whereas I'd buy a bottle of the 16 at $120, I wouldn't be seeking out a bottle of this at the asking price of $240. It's wonderful, almost mandatory to taste, but not something to own, particularly given the penny-pinching proof. I'm rating it as equivalent to the 16 year old expression, but for completely different reasons, and in my opinion the official Distiller score here is amusingly doe-eyed and inflated. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)

To finish up my Irish whiskey run, @ContemplativeFox was generous enough to provide a sample of Bushmills 21 that was aged separately in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 19 years then were married together in Madeira casks for the last 2 years before being bottled at 40%. The nose starts with tropical fruit salad of guava, mango, papaya and lychee fruit followed by light sherry influence of grape must and dark chocolate covered raisins with some roasted nuts then comes some light powdered sugar covered bubble gum along with citrus fruits of apples and oranges then light barrel spices, light oak and light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a tropical fruit salad of guava, mango and lychee fruit followed by light sherry influence with a hint of sulfur, grape must and dark chocolate covered raisins then comes some light powdered sugar covered bubble gum that transitions to a mild bitterness and spice that lingers before revealing light barrel spices, light oak and light ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with guava, bubble gum, a light bitterness and spice, light sulfur, dark chocolate covered raisins and light oak. This is a very well-aged Irish whiskey with a balance of tropical fruits, light sherry and citrus fruits, but the mid-palate turns mildly bitter and spicy that lingers throughout the finish. The ABV at 40% also doesn’t help this whiskey which seems to create a thinner mouthfeel that struggles to bring over some of those fruits from the nose over to the palate. If Bushmills were to bump that ABV in the 43-46% range that might help those fruits on the nose carry over stronger on the palate as well as give it a well-rounded fuller mouthfeel, but, as it is today, this is a very delicious, easy sipping whiskey which I’m extremely grateful that @ContemplativeFox was so kind to share with me.

Nose - orange blossom, fresh cut flower, honey, peach, almond, powdered sugar, apricot, cocoa, caramel apple, light vanilla, grass, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet oak, mint, lemon, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - orange zest, grapefruit, grass, green apple, salted caramel, sweet floral notes, vanilla, peach, cinnamon, dark chocolate, clove, honey, apricot, bitter oak, spearmint, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with citrus zest, mint, chocolate, and light baking spice flavors. The only Bushmills I’ve experienced is the Original, which was rather mediocre, as expected. Let’s see if some aging significantly improves it. TLDR it does. The nose is beautifully delicate, fruity, and floral. It’s reminiscent of walking through an apple orchard. Crisp fruitiness abounds with sweet honey, malty chocolate, and a light touch of nuttiness. The palate is similar, but the citrus and creamy chocolate notes are accentuated. Some sour grapefruit comes through as well. Interestingly, there’s a sharper bite than I expected. I’m not sure whether it’s an oakiness or a bitter nut note, but there’s a spicy, tannic quality that builds around the mid palate. Overall, this is great stuff. I think the nose is outstanding and the palate is solid, albeit slightly underwhelming. There’s a nice contrast between the delicate aromas and the more robust flavors. It‘s in the same territory as some of the best Irish whiskies I’ve tasted. And at around $200, I think this is priced right for a tasty, well aged whisky. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample.

Several years ago, we took a trip through Ireland and visited the Bushmills distillery. It was a fun tour especially seeing the Wild Turkey barrels in the warehouse. I quipped that the reason that Bushmills was so good was because it was aged in WT barrels. The guide got me back later saying bourbon wasn't particularly good to consume but the old barrels were great to age Irish whiskey. We tried several Irishes on that trip with Redbreast 12 being my favorite. I searched in vain for Bushmills 21 the rest of the trip. A year later I found one in an ABC store in Florida. Dusted of the box today and decided to air it out for the family for Christmas. This is a 2016 vintage bottle and if you can believe it, I got it for $109. The nose is absolutely decadent, tropical fruits and honey lead the way. Mango, guava and citrus are all there, Just a touch of coconut and a lemon honey note. It evolves nicely and there is allways something new. I know to search for the WT spice notes and think they might be there. Taste elements are true but honey is in the lead. It's subtle on the tongue and no heat The body is disappointing, quite thin and it's difficult to get a tongue coat. 90-100 proof would have made this a far better experience. Nosing a spirit is my favorite part and this one excels in that department. The palate is quite good but the body and finish a bit short for me. Last night, I had Redbreast 12 and it had a much better mouth feel and finish. But Bushmills 21 surely has the nose.