Bushmills 21 Year Old Irish Single Malt Whiskey

The Bushmills 21 Year Old is a single malt Irish whiskey from Bushmills, one of the oldest distilleries in Ireland. This expression is also known as the ‘Three Wood’ whiskey due to its maturation in three different types of barrels.

The 21 Year Old is the most premium expression from the Bushmills core range. The distillery produces only a finite number of them each year, with unique individual numbers adorning all bottles.

History of Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Some accounts trace the origins of the Bushmills Distillery back to 1784 when a man named Hugh Anderson built the ‘Bushmills Old Distillery Company’. There are several conflicting theories and accounts of the period between the date of the distillery’s establishment, and 1885, when the distillery was destroyed by a fire.

Rebuilt, the Bushmills distillery has since been prominently involved in representing Irish whiskey worldwide. Although the brand was hit badly by Prohibition in America, they managed to survive through the years.

There is clarity about Bushmills’ history after Isaac Wolfson purchased the distillery after the Second World War. It became a part of the Irish Distillers group in 1972 along with Powers, and Jameson, the powerhouse of the Irish whiskey industry for over a century.

Bushmills is currently owned by Jose Cuervo, makers of the Don Julio tequila brand among other products. Although the Bushmills brand has been around for centuries, the brand has undergone a number of shakeups and changes over the years.

Currently, the Bushmills core range is lean, and made up of six different expressions. The Bushmills 21 Year Old Triple Wood sits at the top of that range.

Making Process of Bushmills 21 Year Old Irish Single Malt Whiskey

The Bushmills 21 Year Old single malt Irish whiskey is formed with two single malts, one aged for nearly 19 years in ex-American Bourbon barrels, and the other in Oloroso Sherry barrels.

After this process, the two whiskeys are blended together and matured for a further two years in Madeira casks. This process finishes the whiskey, mellowing it and creating a wonderful harmony between the three different influences.

Alcohol Percentage in Bushmills 21 Year Old Irish Single Malt Whiskey

The Bushmills 21 Year Old Triple Wood Irish single malt is bottled at 40% ABV, the standard permissible limit for Irish whiskeys.

Awards

Irish Single Malt of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2013

Irish Single Malt of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2014

Irish Single Malt of the Year at The Irish Whiskey Awards in 2013