While there may be some debate over which distillery (across all spirits) is the oldest in the world, Bushmills deserves the crown, even if it’s based on a technicality. You have names like Kilbeggan and Glenturrent, all getting their licenses in the mid-1700s. However, Bushmills was granted a license to distill by King James I way back in 1608. Despite earlier periods of whiskey production around the area, the current Bushmills Distillery in its current form wasn’t officially established until 1784 (the current site was actually rebuilt in 1885 after a fire) but its historic claim is nevertheless significant.
Yet, regardless of its age, the Irish legend — or any Irish distillery — has yet to bottle a single malt as old as the 46-year-old whiskey it just unveiled.
A Note on Irish Whiskey
Despite inventing whiskey sometime in the early 1400s (and maybe even earlier than that), Irish distillers went through a very rough patch during the mid-20th century. Due to factors like the Irish Civil War, a trade war with Britain, and American Prohibition, the entire Irish whiskey industry was nearly demolished entirely. By 1972, only two distilleries were left in the Emerald Isle: Midleton and Bushmills. And so, when we’re talking about old whiskeys from Ireland, there are only a couple of places they can actually come from.
Bushmills 46 Year Single Malt
Named “Secrets of the River Bush,” this 46-year-old single malt from Bushmills is quite staggering, especially considering it’s the oldest from a whiskey-making nation that’s been doing it for hundreds of years.
For Bushmills, culled from Oloroso sherry casks that began their journey in 1978. The barrels themselves were sourced from Spain’s Antonio Paez Lobato Cooperage.
Yielding just 300 bottles at 46.5% ABV, the whiskey is said to appear deep mahogany in color and has an aroma of “ripe dark fruits, sweet apricot, caramel, and warm aging oak” on the nose. This gives way to a palate of baking spice, “developing into black cherries, sun-dried raisins, plums, and coffee” with a “smooth yet robust” finish.
Common with ultra-aged spirits like this one, it’s possible that the distillery can pull from this same batch of barrels again next year (and the years after that) for an even older whiskey. With its 46-year-old single malt, Bushmills womps its own personal best, which was a 31-year whiskey from last year’s Rare Casks series release.
Other Old Men
While Irish whiskey lovers have never experienced a 46-year-old single malt (a whiskey made entire from malted barley and from a single distillery), there have been some similarly old whiskeys of the blended variety. In particular, Midleton’s Very Rare Silent Distillery series has seen both a 46- and 47-year bottling that blends pot still and grain whiskeys. And in terms of single malts, Teeling released a 40-year a year ago, which was the oldest we could find up until now.
Spec Sheet
Region: Ireland
Type: Single malt whiskey
ABV: 46.5%
Nose: Ripe dark fruits, sweet apricot, caramel, warm aging oak
Palate: Baking spice, black cherries, sun-dried raisins, plums, coffee
Pricing & Availability
As to be expected, the “Secrets of the River Bush” 46-Year will cost $12,500. Fortunately, Bushmills doesn’t do anything extravagant with the decanter itself to hike up the price tag. Head over to the distillery’s website for more information.
Recap
Bushmills 46-Year Single Malt Whiskey “Secrets of the River Bush”
Bushmills just broke the record for the oldest single malt Irish whiskey ever released with this 46-year-old expression. Limited to just 300 bottles, the whiskey also costs $12,000.
