Bushmills Concludes Rare Casks Series With a 31-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Bushmills’ The Rare Casks series ends with a bang that was 31 years in the making. (Photo: Bushmills)

On Tuesday, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery announced its newest product.

The 31-year-old single malt whiskey is the fourth and final release in Bushmills Irish Whiskey’s series of limited-edition single malts, The Rare Casks.

Rare Cask 04 is the oldest member of the series and was aged in bourbon casks and sherry butts for 14 years before being transitioned to new American oak casks that were constructed and toasted to Bushmills’ specifications. After its 31 total years of aging, this whiskey was bottled at 45.6% ABV.

Like all Bushmills whiskey, Rare Cask 04 was triple-distilled  in copper pot stills from unpeated malted barley and blended by Bushmills Master Blender Alex Thomas.

A total of 780 bottles of Bushmills Rare Casks 04 are available. They can be found online from ReserveBar and at select U.S. brick-and-mortar retailers for a suggested retail price of $2,600.

Bushmills’ previous Rare Cask releases bore age statements of 28, 29 and 30 years. Rare Cask 1 was finished in Cognac casks, while 2 was finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and 3 in Madeira sherry casks.

Tasting Bushmills Rare Cask 04 31 Year Old

This writer had a chance to taste Bushmills Rare Cask 04 ahead of its release. Here’s what I thought:

On the nose, Bushmills Rare Cask 04 is rich and fun, with a delicate mix of malty goodness and huge tropical fruit notes. Mango, kiwi and pomegranate abounds, and the sherry influence shines through but doesn’t dominate. The fruity notes are joined by a strong oak backbone, butterscotch, graham cracker and sourdough.

The bright, sweet, tropical character from the nose carries forward onto the palate, which is buttery and rich in flavor despite a thin to medium mouthfeel. Notes of banana, kiwi and mango are joined by a big hit of tobacco, almond, white pepper, honey, buttered rolls and plenty of satisfying oak throughout.

The finish is a long rollercoaster that valleys initially with some light black pepper and tobacco, and then comes roaring back after a short while, with oak, cola, white pepper, kiwi and a hint of lime zest.

Overall, this is a delightful and rich whiskey that’s wildly easy to enjoy. I would love to taste it at a higher proof, but it’s still spectacular as is.

Bushmills may be the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, but the brand is not one to shy away from innovation. Just last year, Bushmills opened a brand-new £37 million ($47 million) distillery on the north coast of Ireland.

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