Friday 27th May 2016: 10.31pm. Location: Dromahane.
Put my back out this morning plus feeling pretty sore from a week of cycling, so treated myself to this. I'm not a huge fan of Bushmills usually, its cheapest ten year old is the least worst whiskey in the bottom range of price and it's usually what we get when we have flu, though it's actually not awful, just a bit bland and has an unpleasant aftertaste. I'd say the same for all their range rising in price thereafter actually, all a bit bland and same unpleasant aftertaste, with their only recommending feature being they are a bit cheaper than others in their price category. This 21 year old is also a good bit cheaper than others of the same price category, but it's really rather good and not bland at all. It aims higher than it achieves, it's a bit rough for a 21 year old and could do with another five years in a barrel, plus the wow taste factor starts and abates really abruptly in a frustrating way, but it is a much more interesting whiskey than the relatively boring Midleton which is probably the biggest Irish whiskey in the same price bracket. This whiskey aims squarely at the kind of taste experience you get with the Glenfiddich 21 year old which is a truly exceptional whiskey, and totally unlike any Glenfiddich you've had before. I could drink that stuff for a week and not tire of it, indeed what makes that Glenfiddich so unusual is its amazingly consistently good drinking experience such that it's very easy to drink a bottle without noticing. This Bushmills isn't as good, however it is one third cheaper and you can buy it in Mallow even if the store manager must fetch a special key from the safe to open the display 😃
