Bushmills’ 14-year-old Malaga cask release is a true marker in time for the whiskey distillery, bringing new aromas and flavour to this most famous of whiskey families.
The unmistakably different 14-year-old single malt has been matured in first and second-fill bourbon barrels before being finished in Malaga casks - unlike its siblings, which have been influenced by sherry cask maturation. Malaga is a fortified wine and made from one of the oldest grapes in the world.
Known as the Alexandria grape, its earliest recorded use was in the city of Alexandria on the banks of the Nile in Egypt, before travelling to Spain where winemakers continued to use it to create Muscat wine. For master blender Alex Thomas, this ancient sweet white wine’s history and heritage is a perfect match for the Bushmills single malt.
The flavour and aroma of the Muscat of Alexandria grape is wonderful, she says, adding a luscious fruit intensity and beautiful smoothness to the whiskey, but the story of its survival and journey around the world maps the story of Bushmills itself.
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“When I think of whiskey I like to reflect on storytelling and the connections we forge in our work,” she explains. “Bushmills has survived difficult times, like prohibition in the US. The Alexandria grape has also faced many challenges over the years, so there was a link between them from the beginning. By linking the two, we’re exploring that idea of survival and staying true to our 400-year history that’s rooted in innovation and a restless pursuit of perfection.”
Core bottle
Unlike the many Bushmills special release bottlings, this is a permanent addition, sitting within the existing family of 10-, 16- and 21-year-old single malts as well as the 25- and 30-year-olds.
The 14-year-old was matured in first and second-fill bourbon barrels before being finished for up to a year in Malaga casks. These casks held Malaga wine for around five years, seasoning the wood with notes of ginger, cinnamon and spices. Alex explains how they arrived in Bushmills just three days after they were emptied, allowing her team to capture the very best of the Malaga influence and combine it with the lengthy bourbon maturation.
“Having those beautiful flavour profiles from the bourbon without the sherry influence really allows those wonderful layers of cinnamon, warm caramel and vanilla to marry with the Malaga - giving this wine its chance to shine. Layers of mango, pineapple and apricot give it a delicious fruitiness that, I think, will really appeal to whiskey enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike.”
Experience
Alex Thomas recently celebrated 20 years at the Co Antrim distillery and used all the experience of those two decades to create this new whiskey. “I always think back to what I learned from people like former cooper Watson McCook. He was a craftsman and would talk about the different woods and how the treatments affected them. He’d talk about how, with bourbon, you had to set it on fire through charring to let the whiskey in. And from that, I developed this real love of European oak and the process of maturation.”
It’s fascinating to imagine Alex and her team curating a new whiskey from over 500,000 casks maturing in the Bushmills warehouses, filled with single malts of varying vintages. “Arriving at a 14-year-old wasn’t pre-planned. We were very lucky to find this wonderful whiskey was ready at this exact age. It could have been an older vintage, but we found this one worked perfectly for the Malaga.”
The Bushmills team is undeniably restless in its pursuit of perfection. “We’ve got an insatiable curiosity,” Thomas says. “I really wanted to step out of my comfort zone and create an exciting taste experience for everyone – something a bit unexpected -that’s unmistakably different to any other expression in our core range.”
Tasting notes
The official tasting notes promise that this has been achieved. Bottled at 40 per cent ABV, Bushmills 14-year-old is a wonderful golden chestnut in colour. On the nose, you can expect sweet honey, vanilla and mandarin orange with a warming spice. The palate follows with layers of mango, pineapple and apricot with gentle ginger, cinnamon milk chocolate and caramel, all wrapped up in oak and floral notes. The finish is long and crisp with lots more citrus pushing through the spice.
As a brand new member of the Bushmills family, the 14-year-old will be expected to work hard to match the popularity of its siblings, but Thomas is more than confident that it’s a perfect fit. “It was really exciting to bring something like this to life in the Bushmills style. When you taste the layers of complexity, you know it’s a Bushmills. For me, it’s about flavour every step of the way, and only when I can ensure consistency of flavour can I allow a whiskey to become part of the core range. I’m really proud of this exciting new addition.”
The 14-year-old single malt is available across the island of Ireland (€70 /£60). To find out more, follow @BushmillsIRL
Please enjoy Bushmills responsibly
