Old Bushmills Distillery
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The Old Bushmills Distillery was founded in 1608 and is now owned by the major drinks company Diageo. Bushmills whiskey is produced, matured, and bottled on-site at the Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The distillery is a tourist attraction, with around 110,000 visitors per year.
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[edit] History
Despite a lack of historical evidence, it is believed that troops of King Henry II enjoyed the taste of Bushmills some 400 years before the distillery became officially licensed in 1608 by King James I.[citation needed] In 1784 the Bushmills Distillery became an officially registered company. From 1740 to 1910 Irish emigrants to the USA spread the word of Bushmills, and it soon became a huge success at international spirit and whiskey competitions.
In the early 1900s the USA was a very important market for Bushmills (and other Irish Whiskey producers). Prohibition in 1920 came as a large blow to the Irish Whiskey industry, but Bushmills managed to survive. Wilson Boyd, Bushmill's director at the time, predicted the end of prohibition and had large stores of whiskey ready to export[citation needed]. After the Second World War the distillery was bought by Isaac Wolfson. Then in 1972, it was taken over by Irish Distillers, meaning that Irish Distillers controlled the production of all Irish whiskey at the time. In June 1988, Irish Distillers was bought over by Pernod Ricard.
In August 2005, the distillery was bought by Diageo for £200 million. Diageo has significantly increased production at the distillery and hopes to double production by 2011. This is in contrast to the serious neglect that the brand suffered during its time under Irish Distillers, during which the whiskey stocks at Bushmills were severely decreased in order to increase the market share of Jameson Whiskey, which is Irish Distillers' main brand. Diageo have also announced a large advertising campaign in order to regain a market share for Bushmills.
[edit] Current Bushmills whiskey range
- Bushmills Original - Blend of single malt Irish whiskey and Irish grain whiskey — sometimes called White Bush or Bushmills White Label. The grain whiskey is matured in American oak casks
- Black Bush - A blend comprised mostly of single malt. Selected Spanish Oloroso sherry-seasoned oak casks mature the malt, before it is blended with delicate sweet single grain whiskey. Developed in 1934, it was originally called “Old Bushmills Special Old Liqueur Whiskey”.
- Bushmills 10 year single malt - Matured in American bourbon barrels for at least 10 years.
- Bushmills 12 year single malt - A special edition currently sold only at the Bushmills distillery, matured mostly in sherry casks.
- Bushmills 16 year single malt - Matured for 16 years or more in a combination of American bourbon barrels, Spanish Oloroso sherry butts and Port pipes.
- Bushmills 21 year single malt - A limited number of 21 year bottles are made each year, and are matured in 3 different types of casks: firstly in American bourbon barrels and secondly in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. Together it will total 19 years in these casks, where it may lie in Madeira drums for a further 2 years until bottling.
- Bushmills 1608 - A special 400th Anniversary whiskey. A blend containing 95% malt and 5% grain whiskey made with 30% crystal malt for exceptional smoothness. From February 2008 it is available in Bushmills outlets across the world, however from 2009 it will only be available in the Whiskey Shop at the distillery and in duty free. One of approximately 300 bottles.
[edit] Retired Bushmills whiskey range
- Bushmills 25 year Millennium malt - An exclusive 25 year old whiskey bottled in the new millennium. Only a limited number of casks were produced, many being reserved by celebrities and many exclusive hotels.
- Bushmills Irish Cream Liqueur was an Irish Cream rather than a whiskey. Its production ceased in 2005 following Diageo's takeover of the distillery, as Diageo owns Bailey's Irish Cream.
