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Bushmills Red Bush

A slight variation on the Original

2 669

@MegawattReview by @Megawatt

25th Feb 2019

1

Bushmills Red Bush
  • Nose
    17
  • Taste
    18
  • Finish
    16
  • Balance
    18
  • Overall
    69

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Found this one on sale, was mildly curious about it. The label doesn't make clear what differentiates it from regular Bushmills Original, other than aging in bourbon casks. Yipee. As if every distiller on the planet doesn't already do this. But the website specifies first-fill bourbon casks, which is somewhat of a different story.

Anyway, on the nose it is very mild, a bit sweet. Initially I got a good whiff of red berries, which might have explained the curious name, but it is less obvious now. The palate is ultra-light, smooth, with malty sweetness leading into tingling grain alcohol and oaky dryness. The finish is short to the point of non-existence.

Overall this is definitely a mixer. Just not enough there to warrant sipping. The initial surge of malt flavour isn't bad but pales in comparison to the similarly-priced Tullamore Dew I had earlier today. I'm not exactly disappointed with this, but there's still not much to recommend here.

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6 comments

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

Thanks for your review. My overall experience with this whiskey was more positive than yours, but I don’t disagree with your overall descriptions. I’ll have to disagree about Tullamore DEW though. My sister got me a bottle last year and it was good when freshly opened but went very “flat” very quickly, as in tasted like rubbing alcohol less than two weeks later Oh well, batch variations and all that. But for the couple of extra bucks, Black Bush is far superior to Red Bush. I’m sure there’s some inappropriate sexual innuendo to be made there, but I’m too tired... wink

5 years ago 0

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

I was actually expecting to score Red Bush a little higher, but when I sat down to analyze it a bit this is what I ended up with. Next time I taste it I might adjust that score a bit. Or not...

Regarding Tullamore, the first time I tried it I didn't care much for it at all. But recently I've had it a couple of times and it impressed me a lot more than I recalled. Also the 10 year old single malt is excellent, although very light.

5 years ago 0

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

@OdysseusUnbound

To be fair, I'm tasting it again in a different glass and I'm finding more to appreciate. Not a lot more, but a bit. Tried it in a Manhattan cocktail (or whatever the Irish equivalent is) and it was very nice indeed. Nothing wrong with having a good mixing whisky on hand.

5 years ago 1Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

@Megawatt My positive experience with Redbush was probably influenced by the fact that I consumed most of it while camping with my family and my wife’s extended family. The weather was beautiful, the setting was perfect; it would have taken a terrible whisky to ruin that week. I haven’t had the urge to re-purchase Redbush, whereas I’ve gone through many a bottle of Black Bush. For the $2-$5 difference, I’ll take Black Bush every time

5 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

@OdysseusUnbound Your experience is very similar to my first bourbon experience, Basil Hayden at a camp, under the stars.

5 years ago 1Who liked this?

@MadSingleMalt
MadSingleMalt commented

"Found this one on sale, was mildly curious about it. "

That sums up everything about this product perfectly.

5 years ago 0