New aged whiskey from Bushmills as US sales and other exports spiral

Old Bushmills, the iconic Irish distillery has just launched its oldest whiskey to date to meet the spiralling demand, especially in the US, the world’s biggest marketplace for Irish whiskey.

The new whiskey is among the distillery’s unique Causeway Collection that marks its heritage on Northern Ireland’s glorious north coast and is a

33-year-old spirit.

The Causeway Collection, developed by renowned master distiller Colum Egan and master blender Alex Thomas, varies in age from nine to 33 years. It is a 10-bottle series that includes a 33-year-old Port finish, the oldest expression ever released by Old Bushmills Distillery.

It reinforces the historic distillery’s outstanding reputation for premium quality, innovative and outstanding taste and will enhance the company’s standing as one of Northern Ireland’s leading exporters and probably best known global brand.

“It is truly a privilege to work with such rare whiskeys in The Causeway Collection,” says Alex, who trained at Old Bushmills before being commissioned to develop The Sexton Single Malt from whiskey matured at the Co Antrim distillery (It has since become one of the biggest selling single malts in the US).

“They are the fruits of over 400 years of Bushmills whiskey-making tradition, each expertly created and nurtured over decades. The Causeway Collection is a celebration of our passion for single malts, and these special whiskies are our greatest treasures. At Bushmills we continue to innovate and create new spirits to excite the whiskey community. This collection, which includes liquids matured expertly over many years, is our gift to them. We are proud to build on the growing legacy of the Causeway Collection in 2022 and excited to share it with whiskey fans around the globe.”

From Coleraine, Alex became master blender at Old Bushmills last year. She has a vast knowledge of wood used in casks to mature whiskey. Alex, who first joined the Bushmills team in 2004, succeeded Helen Mulholland, and took responsibility for selection and management of the casks for Bushmills single malt as well as the rest of the portfolio of blends and aged whiskies along with heading up all new product development. Helen Mulholland is now holding a key management position at the new Lough Gill Estate Distillery in Sligo, part of the Sazerac family which also owns Paddy Irish Whiskey.

Alex continues: “I’m excited to explore my passion for developing new whiskeys and experimenting with different casks and flavours, while still maintaining the iconic Bushmills taste and quality. The craftsmanship and passion that goes into Bushmills is something that has truly captured my imagination. Whiskey fans know Bushmills Irish whiskey for the brand’s 400 years of quality and taste, so part of my job will be ensuring that we continue to meet that high standard.

“It is a really exciting time for Bushmills, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings both here at the distillery and in the industry as a whole. I am very honoured to be a part of the amazing history and heritage and look forward to contributing to its future growth.”

The Old Bushmills Distillery remains one of the few ‘grain to glass’ distilleries in Ireland, which means the whiskey is crafted with care in small batches on one site, rather than in different locations. This process at Bushmills includes all the critical stages of production – malt distilling, maturing, blending and bottling.

The quality of the ingredients, Alex continues, is vital to the quality of the final whiskey and water is critical to the process of creating Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

The distillery draws water from Saint Columbs Rill, which is a tributary of the River Bush, which runs from the Antrim Hills through the same type of basalt rock that makes up the Giant’s Causeway, passes through Bushmills before reaching the sea at Portballintrae on the north Antrim coast.

Dating back to 1608, Bushmills is the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. Over 400 years later, whiskey is still being made in Bushmills, thanks to the experience and craft passed down from generation to generation. All the whiskeys at Bushmills are triple-distilled, which gives them a signature smooth character.

The company has enjoyed remarkable growth in terms of new whiskey’s and exports since being acquired by Mexico’s tequila leader Jose Cuervo and New York-based global distributor of premium spirits, Proximo, in 2014. There has since been a number of new single malt whiskeys produced using innovative casks for maturing the spirit produced in classic copper stills.

The Causeway Collection also includes two Madeira-cask finished whiskies, a 25- year-old and a 30-year-old, as well as an 11-year-old Cognac cask-finished expression and an 11-year-old Banyuls-finished bottling.

Other cask styles used for finishing in the series include a 2012 Pomerol, a 1997 rum, a 12-year-old Tequila, a 2012 Burgundy and a 2002 vermouth.