Bushmills Original
Light, smooth and easy to come back to. Bushmills Original keeps things simple, with honey, orchard fruit and gentle spice in an approachable Irish blend.
Tasting notes
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THE BOTTLE
Bushmills Original comes from the Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland, a name with a history stretching back more than four centuries.
The famous 1608 date needs a little context. That’s the year King James I granted Sir Thomas Phillipps a licence to distil whiskey in the area around Bushmills. It’s the history behind Bushmills’ claim to being the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery.
Bushmills Original is a blended Irish whiskey, combining Bushmills single malt whiskey with a lighter grain whiskey. It’s bottled at 40% ABV and carries no age statement.
Bushmills describes the recipe behind Original as dating back to before Prohibition. It’s also one of the lighter, more straightforward bottles in the range, which is very much how it came across to us in the glass.
OUR TAKE
Bushmills Original isn’t a whiskey we’d reach for when we want something big or particularly complex.
That’s also not really what we liked about it.
It’s light, smooth and incredibly easy to drink. Honey and vanilla come through early, along with fresh orchard fruit. There’s some gentle spice through the palate before everything moves into a clean, crisp finish.
Nothing really dominates, and the whiskey never feels heavy.
That makes Bushmills Original an easy bottle to come back to. You can pour it with a splash of water, and we’d also be comfortable giving this to someone who’s only beginning to explore Irish whiskey.
For us, that’s where the bottle makes the most sense.
If Jameson Original has been most of your experience with Irish whiskey so far, Bushmills gives you another producer and another style to explore without asking you to make a huge jump.
It may not be the bottle in this series that demands the most attention, but it’s one of the easiest to simply pour and enjoy.
It's light, smooth and approachable, without much intensity from oak, spice or alcohol getting in the way.
We'd also point towards Bushmills Original if you've mostly been drinking Jameson and want to see what another major Irish whiskey producer brings to the table.
And at around ₹2,025 in Delhi, it's an accessible way to do that.
Honey, vanilla and fresh orchard fruit keep things sweet and approachable, with gentle spice and a clean finish.
It's a dependable, easy-drinking Irish whiskey and a very natural bottle to explore if you're ready to look beyond the usual Jameson pour.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bushmills really the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery?
That's Bushmills' longstanding claim, but the 1608 date needs context. In that year, King James I granted Sir Thomas Phillipps a licence to distil and sell spirits in the Bushmills area. It doesn't mean the present distillery has been continuously operating under the same licence since 1608.
Is Bushmills Original a single malt?
No. Bushmills Original is a blended Irish whiskey. It combines Bushmills single malt whiskey with a lighter grain whiskey. Bushmills does make several single malts, including its 10, 12, 16 and 21 Year expressions, but Original belongs to its blended range.
How old is Bushmills Original?
Bushmills Original carries no age statement, so there isn't a declared age on the bottle. Bushmills instead describes it as a signature blended whiskey made from its single malt and lighter grain whiskey, using a recipe that dates back to before Prohibition.
What's the difference between Bushmills Original and Black Bush?
Both are blended Irish whiskeys combining malt and grain whiskey, but Black Bush uses a much higher proportion of malt whiskey. Bushmills also specifically states that Black Bush is matured in former Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks, giving it a richer, more fruit-led style than Original.
What does Bushmills mean when it says the recipe predates Prohibition?
Bushmills says the recipe behind Original dates back to before Prohibition in the United States, which began nationally in 1920. It's a statement about the history of the recipe rather than the age of the whiskey currently in the bottle.
How should you drink Bushmills Original?
We'd suggest trying Bushmills Original with a splash of water. Its light, smooth character also makes it an easy whiskey to use in a simple Highball or other uncomplicated mixed drink. Bushmills itself positions Original as a versatile whiskey and recommends it in classic cocktails.