In 2020, the oldest whiskey distillery on Earth, Bushmills, unveiled its oldest expression yet, a 28-year-old Irish single malt that spent its final 17 years in ultra-rare Cognac casks. It was the first in a new annual series called The Rare Casks.
The iconic Irish distillery is now back with its third entry in the collection, Rare Casks 03, aged 30 years. However, it would no longer be considered Bushmills oldest release following a 33-year Causeway Collection whiskey from earlier this year. Helmed by Master Distiller Colum Egan and Master Blender Alex Thomas, this new single malt whiskey is made from a mashbill of 100% malted barley before it was triple distilled in the brand’s proprietary copper pot stills on Halloween of 1991.
Spending the first 13 years and 4 months in hand-selected bourbon and sherry casks, the whiskey then finished its maturation for 17 years in first-fill Madeira wine casks before being bottled at cask strength. The meticulous and long aging process imparted notes of praline, toffee, peach, and dark fruits, giving way to a long finish of oak, spice, and orange peel.
If you want to try the new Rare Casks 30 Year, be prepared to burden a hefty price tag of upwards of $1,000. The whiskey should be available on Flaviar next week.
