There’s whiskey in the jar
Report | James Bartlett Irish whiskey celebrates its official 400th birthday this month, so there’s never been a better time to take a tour of The Old Bushmills Distillery on Northern Ireland’s breathtaking coastline THE OFFICIAL STORY of one of Ireland’s bestloved exports, the water of life, also known as whiskey, began 400 years ago [...]
Report | James Bartlett
Irish whiskey celebrates its official 400th birthday this month,
so there’s never been a better time to take a tour of The Old
Bushmills Distillery on Northern Ireland’s breathtaking coastline
THE OFFICIAL STORY of one of Ireland’s bestloved
exports, the water of life, also known as
whiskey, began 400 years ago this month, when
King James, the then ruler of Ireland, granted a
formal licence for whiskey to be distilled in the
small district of Bushmills on the stunning north County
Antrim coast – 1608 was a very good year indeed.
By the mid-1600s, there were 1,200 recorded distilleries
in Ireland – and most of them were unlicensed. Today,
though, there are only three. Of those, the most popular is
Jameson, which sold 2.3 million nine-litre cases of its 2007
vintage. But the oldest, dating as far back as 1784 – and
the best, if you’ll believe The New York Times – is considered
to be the Old Bushmills Distillery. So it’s no wonder that
it has taken it upon itself to put on special events to mark
the official 400th anniversary of Irish whiskey. A major sign
of Bushmills’ significance among the national culture is its
agreement with the Bank of Northern Ireland to feature
the brand on the back of its bank notes, and it is also issuing
a limited edition blend, Bushmills 1608.
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To make it even more sought-after, Bushmills 1608 is on
sale worldwide only until December this year, but after that
if you want a bottle you’ll have to come to the distillery
itself. But even without this added incentive, 100,000
visitors a year already undertake one of the six daily tours
(four on weekends), which show visitors the huge vats, stills
and endless casks involved in the production process.
Bushmills is the only whiskey-maker in Ireland that
gives tours of its working distillery, and is also unusual in
that the entire process – from grain to glass – is done on
site. This means that visitors not only get to see the whole
process, but also to meet and talk to the people making the
whiskey, many of whose families have worked at the distillery
for generations. Adult visitors also get the chance to enjoy
the amber liquid itself.
Written records tell us that whiskey-making Irish-style
first began sometime in the 6th century, when French monks
landed in the country. They adapted their techniques and
equipment to suit the local environment, which resulted in
the spirit that is now favoured over its Scottish and American
counterparts by millions of people around the world. Indeed
the word “whiskey” itself comes from an Anglicisation of the
ancient Gaelic uisce beatha (which translates as water of life).
Irish whiskey is available in a number of popular types,
including single malt, single grain, pure pot still and blended,
and it distinguishes itself from Scotch whisky (spelled
without an “e”) by being distilled three times instead of
twice. Peat is not usually used in the malting process.
Essentially, whiskey is water and malted barley or grain which
is ground and mixed with hot water (or “mashed”) to produce
wort. It is then fermented by adding yeast (to produce alcohol)
and left to mature for at least three years in oak casks. The
‘angel’s share’ is the evocative name given to the liquid that
evaporates from the barrel during this time.
“All whiskey is produced as a clear spirit,” explains
Darryl McNally, warehousing manager at Bushmills. “It is
the wood casks that not only give whiskey its colour, but
its character and flavour profile.”
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Each Irish distillery creates its own unique flavours and taste
by varying its ingredients and distillation processes (whether
its whiskey is made in a pot or column still, for example). They
then mature the whiskey in barrels that formerly contained port,
sherry or bourbon for varying amounts of time (as indicated by
the numerical brands, for example Bushmills 16-year Malt).
Bushmills is unique in that it uses only malted barley in its
Bushmills Original, Black Bush and 10, 16 and 21 Malt types,
but its 1608 was distilled using a special crystal malt – named
because of the crystallised appearance which the barleycorns
take on when gently toasted – to add a sweet, toffee-like
smoothness to the taste.
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“There are many different whiskeys – from Irish and Scotch
to Kentucky bourbon,” explains Colum Egan, master distiller at
Bushmills. “Each has its own unique flavour profile, so it really
depends on each individual to decide which whiskey is right for
them. Me personally, I prefer Irish!”
Well he would say that, wouldn’t he
For details of the Old Bushmills Distillery tour and access
to the gift shop visit www.bushmills.com
KNOW YOUR TYPES
- SINGLE MALT
Distilled from malted barley in pot stills, for example
Bushmills 10, 16 and 21 Malt. - SINGLE GRAIN
Distilled from maize, grain or corn in column stills, for
example Greenore Single Grain from the Cooley Distillery. - PURE POT STILL
Distilled solely in pot stills, such as Jameson Pot Still. - BLENDED
A blend of malt and grain, for example Bushmills Original
and Bushmills Black Bush.
THE OTHER TWO
- COOLEY DISTILLERY
Cooley Distillery in County Louth on Ireland’s east coast
is the only remaining independent, Irish-owned distillery.
It has taken over the brands formerly owned by the
Kilbeggan Distillery, previously Locke’s Distillers, based in
County Westmeath. Today, Kilbeggan Distillery is open to
the public as Locke’s Distillers Museum, while its warehouses
are still used for storing and maturing Cooley’s whiskeys.
Facilities include a bar, restaurant and gift shop. Cooley
Distillery’s main brands are Connemara Peated Single Malt
Irish Whiskey, Tyrconnell Single Malt, Greenore Single Grain,
Locke’s 8 Year and Premium Blend, Millar’s, Inishowen Peated,
Eblana, Michael Collins and its most popular label, Kilbeggan.
For more details visit www.cooleywhiskey.com - MIDLETON DISTILLERIES
Located in County Cork, Midleton Distilleries is one of the most
modern in the world and produces nine million litres per year.
See for yourself the largest pot still in the world, and visit the
distiller’s cottage and the giant waterwheel before stepping
into the Jameson Bar. Midleton Distilleries produces Jameson,
Powers (the best-selling whiskey in Ireland), Paddy, Tullamore
Dew, Redbreast and Midleton Very Rare. To find out more visit
www.jamesonwhiskey.com/omd
