Bushmills Rum Cask Reserve Single Malt Irish Whiskey

let’s begin

A definite add to your Whiskey collection, the Bushmills Rum Cask Reserve brings together the brilliance of Irish Whiskey, with the heat of Caribbean Rum.

The Collection

This expression is part of the Steamship Collection, a celebration of the SS Bushmills. This ship set sail in 1890 to deliver its precious cargo of Bushmills malt all across the world.

When it returned, it brought with it casks from producers around the globe, symbols of the relationships they had created along the way. One stop brought the SS Bushmills to St. Vincent, an island in the Caribbean, well known for its Rum production.

This stop is the inspiration for the Rum Cask Reserve bottling, which is the next part of the collection, following a Sherry Cask Reserve, Port Cask Reserve and Bourbon #3 Char Cask Reserve.

Helen Mulholland, who is Master Blender at Bushmills, says: “We are always innovating and, like the crew aboard the SS Bushmills, we love exploring new flavours that complement the smooth taste of our Bushmills Irish Whiskey. We are really excited to launch this rum cask reserve.

“For me, nothing brings out beautiful tropical flavours in our whiskey like maturation in a rum cask, so a Caribbean-centric edition for THE STEAMSHIP COLLECTION was a natural next step for us.

The malt

This is an incredible single malt, with lots of rich flavours.

Helen explores it further: “To create this rare expression, we matured our fine Single Malt in first fill Caribbean rum casks to create a rich and perfectly balanced whiskey with notes of tropical fruit, subtle spice and vanilla pod with a smooth and creamy toffee finish.”

Tasting notes for the Bushmills Rum Cask Reserve Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Bottle cost: £128

The nose begins with sweet pineapple and mangos. The fruits are excellent, with big bold flavours and a lovely subtle spice.

The flavours blend together quite well, with the sweetness of the fruit and the warmth of the spice melting together.

The palate is rich and creamy, with vanilla, white sugar and cotton candy appearing. Again, the sweetness really takes over here, but it is wonderfully complex and rich.

The triple distillation, which is characteristic of mos Irish distilleries, gives it a really mellow and creamy mouth feel. This goes perfectly with the caramel and toffee notes.

Oak wood and the rich, warming hints of rum are really elegant and full of flavour.

The finish is strong, with more oak and vanilla.

This is a really well matured malt, with lots of hints of Rum and spice, perfect for the incoming Christmas season, and a wonderful addition to any Whiskey Collection.

What’s your take on the Bushmills Rum Cask Reserve? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: BushmillsBushmills Single Malt Irish WhiskeyCaribbean RumIrish whiskeyRum Cask Reserve

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.