By Randall H. Borkus
Rating: B
(Credit: Bushmills)
Bushmills’ Distillery began in 1608 with a royal distillery license granted to Sir Thomas Phillips, which serves as the basis for the brand’s claim as the world’s oldest licensed distillery. However, the actual and direct lineage of the distillery was founded in 1784 by Hugh Anderson. Bushmills is best known both as one of the survivors of the near extinction of the Irish Whiskey industry in the 1970s (Jameson’s New Midleton is the other survivor); and as the major Irish distillery located in Northern Ireland, and thus part of the United Kingdom.
This 26 year old whiskey was first released in 2024 in the UK and EU. Bushmills waited about a year before it bringing it to the US market. Bushmills 26 is triple distilled using crystal malt, which tends to impute intense caramel and creamy mocha flavors before maturation in first fill bourbon barrels.
Crystal malt is generally used in beermaking, and is a type of caramel malt where wet barley is sprouted and then heated in a sealed, moisture-retaining vessel until the starches undergo saccharification. The barley is then subjected to high temperature drying, causing the sugars to “crystalize.” Crystal malts typically contain a relatively high percentage of unfermentable sugars, which has a significant impact on the mash flavor profile.
The Whiskey
The Bushmills 26 Year Old Old Crystal Malt was barreled in 1997. It was aged entirely in first-fill bourbon barrels from Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky. This whiskey is non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% abv (92 proof).
The color is a glistening amber in my Glencairn. The nose jumps out at me with dried tropical fruits, vanilla and canned pears. I also found hints of a bitter oak and coffee grounds as I continue to nose the whisky. The front and midpalate are full of caramel and topical fruits. The midpalate is slightly astringent moving into a tropical fruit sweetness, Caramel, butterscotch and a slice of Crème Brûlée. The finish is juicy with Caramel drizzle leading to an orange peel dryness ending with an astringent bite. The astringent dryness tends to last with nuttiness.
This whisky is good but not great which surprised me. I poured my Bushmills 21 Year Old to compare and found it a bit lighter in the body, yet the flavor is much more complex and enjoyable, especially on mid-palate and the finish. This is great concept using Crystal Malt, yet I simply expected bigger flavor impact from a 26 year old Bushmills.
The Price
The suggested retail price for a 750ML bottle at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago is a hefty $999.99.
