Bushmills 1608 Anniversary

[Jobi]

Has anyone been able to try this one yet?

[Aidan]

Have not seen it, apart from on eBay. It's going to sell for £49/€75, but on eBay it's already going for £100+. I thought it was going to be available from Feb.

[DavidH]

I'd like to try it myself but in the meantime Ian Buxton has written a couple of good articles about it:

On The Scotch Blog
On The Whisky Channel

[Di Blasi]

Have not seen it, apart from on eBay. It's going to sell for £49/€75, but on eBay it's already going for £100+. I thought it was going to be available from Feb.

Ebay strikes again, just great! Well, whoever buys it obviously likes gambling and the ease of buying it that way, rather than the fun hunt of finding it in a shop or somewhere for a fair price. To each his or her own.

[Aidan]

One person withdrew their bid on that bushmills, so the price dropped right down. Still, it's back up to £81 now. The seller is not being completely geniune about the whiskey - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-400-Year-Ann ... dZViewItem

[woodhill]

If that person withdrew their bid because "entered wrong amount" surely you would expect the correct amount bid to be entered.

[Aidan]

Yes, that's true.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Ah come on Aidan .... there is only 10,000 cases .... surely that puts it in the very rare category

[Aidan]

Ah come on Aidan .... there is only 10,000 cases .... surely that puts it in the very rare category

Yeah, and he doesn't know how many he'll be able to get his hands on. Considering some are going to America, he may only be able to get hold of 5,000 cases.

By the way, Adrian, Bowmore tasting at the end of Feb in Dublin. I think it's the 21st.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Yeah, and he doesn't know how many he'll be able to get his hands on. Considering some are going to America, he may only be able to get hold of 5,000 cases.

By the way, Adrian, Bowmore tasting at the end of Feb in Dublin. I think it's the 21st.

I know

Thanks for the heads up on the tasting by the way .... are you going? Might be on for that...

What about you IainB ???

[DavidH]

By the way, Adrian, Bowmore tasting at the end of Feb in Dublin. I think it's the 21st.

If I may enquire, who is organising that?

[Aidan]

David, it's organised by the Celtic Whiskey Shop on Dawson St. Have a look at their website and you can sign up to be informed about these tastings. I will keep you informed anyway.

Adrian, I hope to go to the tasting, but it's too far ahead for me to be sure yet.

[DavidH]

Strange... I have been on their mailing list for some years now but I didn't get that one. I'll chase it up with them.

Thanks for the heads up!

[Aidan]

Hi David

They have not sent out information on this one yet. The emails will be sent out in the next week or so.

john

[DavidH]

Ah, great. I was just wondering what else I might have missed.

Slap in the middle of the (Jameson) Dublin film festival it is. Hope there is nothing good showing that evening.

[IainB]

Yeah, and he doesn't know how many he'll be able to get his hands on. Considering some are going to America, he may only be able to get hold of 5,000 cases.

By the way, Adrian, Bowmore tasting at the end of Feb in Dublin. I think it's the 21st.

I know

Thanks for the heads up on the tasting by the way .... are you going? Might be on for that...

What about you IainB ???

If I'm around I'll certainly try to make it. I'm supposed to be heading away with the other half, having ditched the kids for a few days, and I think that's the next day. That said, there's worse ways to start a long weekend away.

[IainB]

And back to topic I believe the Celtic Whiskey Shop will have the Bushmills 1608 in the next couple of weeks.

[Aidan]

There are a good few for sale on eBay now. Most of them with the line "these will go up in value". It seems they already have on the trip between the distillery shop and someone's house. I have no problem with people making a few bob on these, but they are not being honest in their listings.

The people buying them from the distillery are also saying "I don't know if I will be able to get any more", but they're going to be on sale in the distillery for years...

[irishwhiskeychaser]

If I'm around I'll certainly try to make it. I'm supposed to be heading away with the other half, having ditched the kids for a few days, and I think that's the next day. That said, there's worse ways to start a long weekend away.

No worries ... make the most of the week-end with out the appendages

Actually I did not realise that it was a long week-end so may not make it myself if that is the case.

[IainB]

If I'm around I'll certainly try to make it. I'm supposed to be heading away with the other half, having ditched the kids for a few days, and I think that's the next day. That said, there's worse ways to start a long weekend away.

No worries ... make the most of the week-end with out the appendages

Actually I did not realise that it was a long week-end so may not make it myself if that is the case.

It's not an official long weekend. I'm just making it one by taking Friday off! I've dropped the first suggestion on the tasting last night - may yet make it!

[jimidrammer]

This Bushmill's 1608 400th Anniversary is going on sale March 1st in a semi-local store for $89US, $113 original price. Does anyone have notes on it yet? For reference the Bushmill's 21yo goes for $95 and I have one of those. I'll be going to the store to pick up Lagavulin 16yo also on sale for $64US and if I hear good things about this, I may get one to round out my Bushmill's lineup. Jim Murray scored the original "1608" 88 points with notes of "massive surge of fruit", "light spice", "pure silk", "velvety sherry". What's everyones take on this?

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Unfortunately I have not got a bottle yet and I won't be going up to Bushmills till end of March so it may be a bit late for you.

Will post my thoughts anyway when I do get my hands on it

[Aidan]

It's now on sale in the celtic whiskey shop in dublin...

[IainB]

It's now on sale in the celtic whiskey shop in dublin...

Since when? I was there about 10 days ago and they said it would be a few weeks! How was the Bowmore tasting, by the way?

[Aidan]

It was there last Thursday. I bought a bottle, and then left it in a pub. Hopefully I'll get it back...

Tasting was very good. I am a Bowmore fan. The 12 yr old I used to dislike - now I think it's brilliant.

[Ganga]

Found this at my local bar in Glendale. I plan to have a dram tomorrow. I will get to you with some thoughts. Mind you, I haven't been the biggest consumer of Irish whiskey but I'll do my best.

[whiskeybro-mark]

My Whiskey Brother Mike scored a bottle of 1608 last week at BevMo. he paid about ~$75USD for it.

Thanks to Steve Beal at Diageo we got to pre-release pour it at our charity event last month. My review is here: http://www.whiskeybros.com/bushmills_1608

Bushmills 1608 is one of the wonderful examples of both technical excellence in whiskey and a personal favorite. If I have to put a number on it, I'll call in an 88. In our collection, that's just above the Bushmills Malt 21, Midleton 2007, and John K. Hall Limited. In our little tasting, everyone who tasted the 1608 has a new favorite on their shopping list.

[Ganga]

Ok, I went to our Tuesday evening trivia and I ordered up a dram of the Bushmill's 1608. Here are my notes.

Nose: very malty with light citrus-lemon, some notes of cocoa. Reminds me of being in inland Ventura Co where you get the smell of sea air and citrus groves together.

Taste: malty grains and chaff, bitter chocoalte, lemony, salty

Finish: moderate with an interplay of lemons and salt.

Very reminescent of Glenlivet 12 and 15. Good malt.

[IainB]

Just bought a bottle - I'll let you know what I think when I open it - Probably this weekend at some stage.

[IainB]

Drank quite a few of these over the weekend. Quite a close relation to Black Bush if you ask me. Reminded me a bit of the 16yo Bushmills also. Anyone know what casks were used for the malt?

[Aidan]

All I know is that it's supposed to be a combination of quite old grain whiskey, making up 10% of the blend. Sherry and bourbon matured malt. I heard it's like a slightly more delux Black Bush.

[IainB]

I'd heard the grain was about 10%. And I think that was the same percentage in the old duty free 1608.

I would say the deluxe black bush was reasonably accurate, having tasted them both together on Sunday. I'd asked the port question as I thought there were some similarities to the 16yo also.

Anyway, I have a small bottle of the old 1608 over in Mayo. I'll be in the house over Easter so I maybe I'll try the new and old 1608 and the Black Bush together then for comparisson.

[Aidan]

This is amusing - the seller says that there's 15% off, but really there's "100% on".

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Very-Rare-Bushmil ... dZViewItem

[IainB]

Amusing indeed. Still, not a bad price for a 400 year old whiskey. (That's what the blurb seemed to imply).

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Spent the week-end in Derry and popped over to Bushmills an picked up a few Anniversary bottles as I was in the area

Will crack one open very soon and let you know what I think