Bushmills 21 years Irish Single Malt is not only old enough to order itself at a bar, but it tastes amazing. I remember the first time I tried it I was floored and every time I’ve gone back to it over the years I’ve consistently been impressed. It is now and has been for about 6 years, one of my favorite, “easy to find”, whiskeys on this planet.
Bushmills 21 starts out with the same triple distilled Bushmills Single Malt juice that’s in all of the Bushmills whiskeys and like the Bushmills 16 it utilizes 3 different casks in it’s maturation, but instead of getting finished in port barrels it’s finished in madeira barrels. After spending 21 years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels the whiskeys are mixed together and set to marry for up to 2 years in the ex-madeira barrels giving the whiskey some wonderful fruity and darkly sweet notes.
Bushmills 21 years Irish Single Malt Review
Distiller: Bushmills
Age: 21 years
ABV: 40%
Price: $120
EYE
Caramel
NOSE
Complex orchard and tropical fruit that’s a mix of apples, guava, pears and papaya to name a few. Rich malty sweetness, caramel, dark fruit gummies, toffee, vanilla custard, brittle, and candied citrus rind. The aroma on this thing is fantastic.
PALATE
Rich malty sweetness, dark complex fruit, sherry like notes, wood, raisins, cinnamon and a nutty undertone create the bulk of the flavor tapestry. Light notes of vanilla and char flit about and become more present towards the end.
FINISH
Long and raisiny with notes of wood, spice, malt and dark fruity sweetness.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Perfectly balanced with a rich round body and thick heavy texture.
OVERALL
There is a reason Bushmills 21 has been on of my favorite whiskeys for the last 6 years… it’s really damn good. Rich, dark and fruity malty nose; malty raisiny flavor; long delicious finish and a thick chewy texture… what’s not to like? Seriously. It’s just plain amazing.
SCORE: 93/100
Bushmills 21 years Review 120
Bushmills 21 years Review
Bushmills 21 is 1/2 the price of the Redbreast 21 and tastes almost as good. It’s also a whole lot cheaper than most Single Malt Scotches that have spent more than 2 decades in wood. This is definitely a great value in the world of over-aged whiskey… Irish or not.
Overall
- Nose - 90
- Palate - 91
- Finish - 90
- Balance, Body & Feel - 90
User Review
( votes)( reviews)
Hello, I was given a bottle of the 21 year about 10 years ago and have been saving it for a special occasion. Not sure if it’s worth waiting for the value to go up or just enjoy based on your review. Sounds tasty.
Het JJ, there isn’t much of a secondary market for older Bushmills 21, I’d just drink it. It’s probably great :)
After seeing your other Bushmills reviews, I was hoping you would review this one. I concur! This is one of my favorites. You just can’t find much 21-year-old whisk(e)y at this price point, especially some that has been finished the way Bushmills 21 has. At 80 proof, it is very smooth and yet still manages to pack plenty of character. The triple distillation seems to make this taste “clean.” That is kind of the best way I can describe it.
Glad to see you enjoy it as much as I do.