Bushmills 1608
Built on the foundations of 400 years of producing classic Irish whiskey, Bushmills 1608 is a superiorly smooth, flavorful, melt in your mouth whiskey. This whiskey owes its creaminess to a specialty barleycorn malt that takes on a crystalline appearance after a light toasting. The bottled 1608 is a blend of Bushmills malt whiskies (a selection from those aged in either American oak or Spanish sherry casks), a small amount of Irish grain whiskey and the crystallized malt.
Bushmills 1608 has a toffee-like smoothness with vanilla, honey and dried fruit notes. It is warm and inviting and a fine example of craft Irish whiskey. When tasting it straight I liked it best neat; ice seemed a distraction and unnecessary dilution of the whiskey's sweetness. That said, there is no reason to refrain from mixing 1608. Try it in a Burning Bush, Irish Martini or Black Nail, anything that will compliment, but not distract from, its smooth, sweet character.
Between February and December of 2008 Bushmills 1608 will be available in the United States. But after that you will have to travel to the distillery to taste 400 years of craftsmanship in this form.
It was in 1608 that King James I granted the Bushmills region of Ireland an official license to distill, but Bushmills' notoriety has been thought go back a few centuries prior, with tales of King Henry II's troops imbibing on its spirits. The tradition is alive at the oldest operating distillery in Ireland, where the entire process, from distillation to bottling, takes place. Over the last 400 years Bushmills has developed a name worldwide as a fine example of classic Irish whiskey and today, the distillery has a rich portfolio of whiskey.
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