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Bushmills Original

Average score from 14 reviews and 64 ratings 76

Bushmills Original

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@talexander
Bushmills Original

I was surprised to realize that I have never reviewed the two basic Bushmills whiskeys: the Original blend and the 10 Year Old malt. Shocking, since I've always enjoyed Bushmills - let's correct that and start with the blend:

The colour is a medium honey. Young and spirity on the nose, you get honey, vanilla, green apples and raspberries. Buttered toast and salted caramel. Fresh cut grass. Fresh and inviting, but there's very immature spirit in here that gives it an unpleasant edge. Becomes more spirity with water - so I recommend keeping it at bottle strength.

On the palate the honey is lighter, with green grass, grapefruit pith, brine and more vanilla. Clean and crisp - I quite like it, more than I do the nose. Fruity, not too sweet and very approachable. Water does little here so keep it at 40%.

The finish is a little chalky with bitter green tea, white pepper and - again - honey. As far as branded entry level whiskies go, it's fine, though I wish it were a little mellower. The dominant notes of honey and fruit make it a safe choice for an introduction into whiskey. I would choose the Black Bush blend over this (it has more body and a bit of smoke to it), and any of their malts, but this will do in a pinch.

@Georgy

Since I lost my testing notes on an number of whiskies (including this one), I'll have to rely on my memory here and keep it brief. NOSE: creamy citrus notes , creme brulee, vanilla, milk chocolate. TASTE: light and fruity with milk chocolate notes. FINISH: short and sweet =) Overall impression: a great whisky to begin one's journey into the whisky world.

@Generalissimo

Sampled neat, after a lunch consisting of a spicy chicken sandwich and fries. Nose: A smooth consistent smell, with a faint hint of what I thought smelled like butter tarts or raisins right at the beginning Palette: A hint of cinnamon, but other than that I think the spicy sauce from the sandwich was still muting the more complex flavours Body: seemed a little thin, but I'll take that over a gooey syrup Finish: Consistently tapers off, retaining its balance throughout

@Victor

Bushmills Original is the mass market expression of Bushmills blended Irish whiskey. The colour is very pale. This review is from a 50 ml mini. This review is in sequential format

Nose: sweet, malty, with a hint of fruit. Very pleasant

Taste: nice grassy grain flavours, lots of anise/black licorice, decent sweet/dry balance

Finish: all of these flavours hold up very well

Balance: EVERY other sample of Bushmills Original I have sampled prior to this one I have actively disliked and considered foul. This one honestly tastes and smells pretty good to me. If I liked anise in whiskey the score for me would go up at least 5 more points. My 82 score is a balance between the 87 score I would give this if I liked anise in whiskey, and the 77 I would give this based completely on my own preferences, which included disliking the taste of anise in whiskey

@talexander, there are SO many variables in whisky tasting. Since having written this review I have had some Bushmills Original out of a 750 ml bottle which I liked about as well as I liked this mini. I guess that I have become a little more accepting of the Bushmills Original flavour profile too. It is funny when I find my taste expanding in that way: I can enjoy that whisky more than I did, but I still completely understand all of those who cannot yet tolerate the whisky I used to greatly dislike, e.g. Bushmills Original. I have to say that I still have some substantial questions about quality control and batch variation with Bushmills Original. I have had a bunch of samples of it which I actively hated.

And it is not as though I dislike everything coming out of Bushmills, either. I am a fan of Bushmills 21, Black Bush, and Clontarf Single Malt.

Hm I wonder if the mini you had is older than most current bottlings - or if it oxidized more in the mini bottle. I just reviewed it and found it fine - but I didn't like it as much as you liked this sample. I certainly wouldn't call it foul though.

@ClanVidela

The color of the dram is your equivalent to a light lager beer which might cause some initial hesitation.

The nose is subtle and yet somewhat comprehensive underneath the surface. Candy banana skins with honey and vanilla and maybe some citrus.

The palate is to some extent oily though not unpleasant and reveals summer flowers and honey. Your mouth is left with some citrus essence and vanilla.

The finish is short to medium with some malty oily tones. Overall a well composed whiskey that shows the Irish strength at delivering a clean, crisp and refined whiskey experience.

@PMessinger

Long established history is a shame for this middle of the road non-event whiskey. Started out with a citrus, pear, berry fruit and developed into oaky woody short finish.

@Jahjehwa

I'm new to whiskey (new to sitting down and sipping and enjoying it , that is) and so this review is from a newcomers point of view.

I do smell some vanilla and caramel maybe some citrus notes as well. The taste is somewhat sweet not harsh and smooth enough to move around the mouth and enjoy a variety of flavors. A bit spicy at the finish but smooth and warm going down. I could sit and drink a few of these but it leaves me wanting something a little better.

I enjoy it for its value and getting into drinking whiskey and probably will purchase again (price) but I'll be looking elsewhere next time.

m

This is a classic low to mid end blend. Unlike the other blends of this price, it has less of the caramel sweetness that lesser quality slurps use to cover up weakness in their constitution. It's simple but effective and my notes reflect this. Nose - Orange, christmas and brown sugar. Hints of vanilla and leather. Palate - Oily, vanilla, some slight smoke, big citrus, sharp, hint of smoke. No big malt to speak of. Finish - Short but hits the nose well. Citrus continues. A little bitter but fruity. For a blend at the bottom end this is very satisfying, no ice needed. Enough depth to qualify as a warm up to a malt tasting session. The mark I give is a blend mark.

@britwhiskyfan

This expression is the most disipointing of the bushmill stable, very light easy to drink but when you are a big fan of the Scotch Island malts it lacks a little depth, its not a bad Whiskey,it tastes a little young. Along with Jamesons its the reason why I have never been a big fan of Irish Whiskey.

But if you are new to the world of Whiskey it is clean and crisp and a nice place to start (but move up to Black Bush as soon as you can)

@Moose

Color: Pale yellow, light straw

Nose: Oily, astringent, citric

Body: Thin, light, warm

Taste: Fresh toasted wood, light citrusy fruits

Finish: Light, fast, slightly smokey grass

Overall: Nice light whisky, okay on the rocks, but prefer to use as a mixer, fairly smooth, but not the best I have had.

@zerostar

When I'm ready for a single malt, I usually have a specific expression in mind; something to fulfill a targeted flavor, like my current fave Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength Batch 002 (My God, it's full of Peat!). To be clear, This is not that dram. This is a sublime, blended whisky that has become my daily drop. A brilliant palette opener and a relative comfort.

Along with the glorious Hibiki 12, This Bushmills has won me over as my go to blended bottle. On the nose, the initial aroma of rubber might throw some off of the true warmth of this dram (I know it caught me by surprise). As it opens, spirals of vanilla, strawberries and a slightly medicinal echo comes through.

The Taste is a fine mixture of Vanilla, honey toast, cinnamon, slight mint, and salt. On the finish it comes off a bit dry with a warm delay, waves of fresh grass and a distant afterglow of vanilla ice cream with strawberries.

Overall, a very bright and welcoming blend.

@rwbenjey
@jfpilon

First off, I'm part Irish, and so does this whisky. Am I biased? A bit, surely. But it's easy when it's good stuff.

Bushmills became recently my standard Irish whiskey. I use it mainly to mix my own Irish cream. Yes, I do my own Irish cream, and it's kickass.

But, every time I put together a batch for my friends or family, I, of course, pour myself a dram. And recently, one for my girlfriend as well.

Yes, my friends, I was able to drag my sweetheart into my whisk(e)y journey. And big thanks to the Old Bushmills for that one: it's the first dram she asked me to pour all to herself after tasting a sip from my glass.

It is a very smooth whiskey. A nose of sweet fruity maltiness: green apple, litchi, some delicate flowers. A nice body bringing the delicate malt and sweet corn taste with again hints of green-white fruits: sweetness but with a tangy, somewhat acidic touch that balances it. Creamy.

The finish is crisp, but bears a hint of metal.

And here's the rub: this eau-de-vie oxidises fast. And once it does, it becomes to me unpalatable: the hint of metal becomes overwhelming and becomes present not only in the finish but throughout the whole tasting.

The solution? Mix it, use it for your own Irish cream, ad some ice cubes or finish the bottle fast. But what if you want to sip it? Easy: use a wine preserving pump! I've been doing this for my wines for a bit, but only recently to preserve whisk(e)y. And it works flawlessly. Honest to god: my Bushmills Original is now as good on the 10th session as it was when I opened the bottle.

All in all a very smooth dram that is easy to mix, great on ice but can be sip easily. And a GREAT introductory whisk(e)y.

I agree, a great intro whiskey.

d

I got the chance to drink this whiskey at a friend's house, and I thought I'd share my notes with you. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated - I am here to learn.

This whiskey is Bushmill's cornerstone, being a blend of its single malts.

The wiskey forms quick, thin tears, which I suppose is to be expected from a younger whiskey. The nose seems to be very fruity, with honey, pears, fresh bananas and vanilla. Do I detect a bit of caramel? No peat whatsoever. On the palate, the fruit opens up, with more honey and some floral notes. Overall, the taste is sweet. The finish is short, leaving a slightly oily feeling in the mouth and sticky lips.

Overall I think this is a decent dram, even good if you take the price into consideration.

Finally got to try this one last night, after dinner at a local restaurant. The only one I had before that, is the Black Bush. I found the Original a wee bit harsh in comparison, but I don't mind that at all, and found it very pleasant. Try the Black Bush, though, for very little more cost. To me, it even wins out over the 16 year, which is also excellent. Next one to try is the 10 year! I am just learning as well, having been more used to the scotch malt whiskies. However, I am finding that I enjoy the Irish Whiskey even more. All of the Bushmills I have tried have been excellent. I like the Jameson as well, I would compare the Bushmills Original to the Jameson Irish Whiskey. Both a wee bit harsh to me, but very very drinkable. Cheers, Carl

Aaand I posted the review at the wrong bottle. To be clear, this is supposed to be a review of Bushmills Original! I contacted connosr on the issue.

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