Bushmills Causeway Collection 1991 Madeira Cask and 2000 Port Cask

Causeway Collection

Bushmills Irish Whiskey launched their Causeway Collection in 2020. The first release was the 2001 Feuillette Cask, which sold out in 24 hours. This Autumn, Bushmills is introducing two new cask strength whiskeys. They will both be exclusive to Great Britain.

Bushmills 1991 Madeira Cask

The Bushmills 1991 Madeira Cask is a rare release of only 738 bottles. The whiskey was first aged for over 13 years in a mix of oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels. It then went through a second maturation period of 15 years in first-fill Madeira wine casks. The resulting, unique, Irish single malt is rich with a deep, sweet, fruity character. It's bottled at a cask strength of 50.2% ABV.

Bushmills Causeway Collection 1991 Madeira Cask Tasting Notes

• Colour: Antique gold
• Nose: Rich fruit notes with hints of mandarin orange. Toasted cocoa, black coffee and charred oak.
• Palate: Sweet fruit gives way to a nutty praline creaminess. Notes of smooth chocolate. A touch of black coffee.
• Finish: The mellow comforting heat continues. The dried fruit returns, ending with a long dry finish.

Bushmills 2000 Port Cask

The Bushmills 2000 Port Cask is also a rather special Irish single malt. It spent its entire life in rare first-fill ruby port casks. After 20 years in wine casks from Portugal, this whiskey has big, bold red fruit flavours. The Port 2000 Cask expression is bottled at a cask strength of 54.1% ABV.

Bushmills Causeway Collection 2000 Port Cask Tasting Notes

• Colour: Red gold
• Nose: Luscious red fruits, the perfume of ripe raspberry and plum with a hint of grapefruit.
• Palate: Bold ripe red strawberry flavours intermingle with caramelised toffee. There is a growing warmth of sweet chilli and allspice.
• Finish: Sweet spiciness that lingers on the palate.

These two new rare Irish single malt releases are inspired by the mythical tales of the Giant’s Causeway. The UNESCO World Heritage site is a stone’s throw from the Old Bushmills Distillery. It has been a source of inspiration to Bushmills’ Master Distillers for centuries. The Causeway’s hexagonal columns, each unique but  locked together, is likened to the casks chosen for The Causeway Collection. Both are shaped by their surroundings and interact with the alchemy of nature. Every drop of water from the River Bush drawn by the distillery will have lapped the same mineral rich basalt rock as the Causeway.

Colum Egan is Bushmills Master Distiller. He said: “The whiskeys used in The Causeway Collection were created by craftsmen steeped in whiskey-making tradition. That tradition has passed from generation to generation for more than 400 years here at The Old Bushmills Distillery. The Collection celebrates our rare and unique casks, our passion for single malts and our rich heritage. It’s a privilege to work with such rare liquid. We can’t wait to share this year’s Collection with the world.”