The following article was produced in partnership with Bushmills Irish Whiskey, the official spirits partner of DMARGE House.
There’s never been a better time to be into whiskey. One of the few positives to come out of the long lockdowns that defined the last two years was that Australians of all ages and persuasions have been drinking ‘more and better’ – with pubs and clubs off the menu, we’ve been teaching ourselves about high-end alcohol.
The result? Aussies have never been more switched on when it comes to spirits. We’ve been making tropical cocktails during lockdowns instead of going on holiday and teaching ourselves about high-end dark spirits at home… As a result, we’ve all become real aficionados, especially when it comes to whiskey. This trend has continued now that we’ve been allowed out into the world: we’ve all become whiskey snobs, trying to impress friends by ordering obscure drops.
Despite this, many whisk(e)y fans – both novices and experienced drinkers alike – remain hung up on Scotch single malts. While it’s true that there’s an abundance of delicious single malts coming out of Scotland, particularly right now, Scotland is by no means the only region making nice single malts. Not by a long shot.
Irish whiskey has always been popular in Australia but in recent years, Aussies have been opening up to the smoothness of Irish single malts. Indeed, some of the best, most interesting single malts on the market have been coming out of the Emerald Isle – most of which are being made by Bushmills, Australia’s #1 Irish single malt and the official spirits partner of DMARGE House.
Bushmills is a distillery quite unlike any other. Located on County Antrim’s rugged coastline – just near the famous Giant’s Causeway – Bushmills is one of only a handful of distilleries in the world where all of the distillation, maturation, bottling and shipping happens all under one roof.
It also happens to be the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, with official records stretching back to 1608. 400 years of history means they’ve got unparalleled know-how when it comes to making whiskey.
Just because they’ve been around a while doesn’t mean they’re stuck in their ways, though – far from it. Indeed, Bushmills is easily one of the most innovative whiskey distilleries in the world; responsible for some of the most cutting-edge cask finishes and distillation techniques on the planet, Bushmills is doing some exciting stuff, especially in the single malt space.
But what if you’re looking for a place to start? Maybe you’re new to single malts, or Irish single malts – or perhaps you’re a connoisseur who’s looking for a benchmark to test the rest of Bushmill’s diverse range of single malts.
Well, let us point you in the direction of Bushmills’ 10 Year Old Single Malt. This has quickly become one of our favourite drops here at DMARGE, and for good reason: rich, complex, buttery smooth and highly versatile, it often gets called ‘liquid gold’ and we think that’s a very apt characterisation.
The “youngest” of Bushmills’ single malts, 10 Year Old is triple-distilled from 100% malted barley and matured for a minimum of 10 years in former Oloroso Sherry and bourbon-seasoned casks. These casks bless it with a heady mix of honey, vanilla and milk chocolate aromas, which foreshadow how spiced honey, sweet toffee and zesty fruit flavours dance on your tongue once sipped.
10 Year Old also happens to be the personal favourite of Bushmills’ newly appointed master blender Alex Thomas, who suggests it can be served neat, over ice or even frozen if you’re feeling adventurous.
Attendees at DMARGE House will also have the chance to try Bushmills 10 Year Old and Bushmills Black Bush in a variety of exclusive cocktail creations served on the day, as well as the opportunity to learn even more about the storied and innovative distillery that is Bushmills.
All in all, Bushmills 10 Year Old is the perfect introduction to the world of single malts. Elegant and approachable with the reassurance of an age statement yet dynamic and intriguing enough to entice even the most seasoned whiskey lovers, there are few better bottles you could hope to add to your collection in 2022.
Find out more about Bushmills’ amazing range of single malts at DMARGE House on the 5th of October at Ovolo Woolloomooloo in Sydney.