I believe it was early 2023 that I put my greasy mitts on these two bottles through the Whiskybase Newsletter. Last week, I decided it was high time that I emptied them.

Both whiskies are Irish Single Malts, distilled at Bushmills distillery and bottled by Rolf Kaspar under their Lichtburg Historic Series. One matured in bourbon cask 19, the other one in cask 22.

Apart from the bottler and the series name, there also is a title for each bottle. One is called the Entrée Single Cask, the other one is called the Golden Twenties cask. Both whiskies are from peated barley.

Buhsmills 21, 2001-2022 ‘Golden Twenties’, Ex-Bourbon Cask 19, 53.1% – Lichtburg by Rolf Kaspar

Sniff:
Light on the nose with a bit of dryness and a whiff of acidic smokiness. Very bourbon-cask-y, with dry oak and barley. Quite different from what I expected for an older Irish whisky, with almost no sweetness to it. A hint of unripe banana, and crisp apple. Slightly coastal with a hint of salt too.

Sip:
The palate packs a bit of a punch, and the (by now) expected dryness helps that along to bite just a little bit more fiercely. Apple seeds, oak, barley, dark toast. It’s very dry indeed.

Swallow:
The finish keeps biting for a while, and is even more dry if that’s possible. Quite long with lots of barley forward notes. Dry oak as well, very much white oak.

It’s quite different from those Irish single malts that were older and from about a decade ago that were all the hype. Those were a lot sweeter than these are, and if that’s your thing, you probably like those more. By now, and even then, those are a lot more expensive though. Personally, I would opt for a bottling like this, because of its dryness. It’s not overly typical for Irish whisky, but it doesn’t stray far from the path either. A very lovely dram!

88/100

Bushmills 21, 2001-2022, ‘Entrée’, Ex-Bourbon Cask 22, 53.4% – Lichtburg by Rolf Kaspar

Sniff:
The way the peat manifests itself makes this smell a lot younger than it is. Initially the lighter style of whisky doesn’t seem to get past this note of younger spirit. Slightly acidic with lemon and star fruit.

Sip:
The palate is quite sharp and, as on the nose, the peat makes this taste a lot younger than its 21 years. Green with some barley, heathery smoke and a bit of a bush like bitterness. Unripe lemons, green banana peels, a bit of oak.

Swallow:
The finish is a bit warmer, a bit more mature. Still it doesn’t feel like it’s 21 years old. The finish is quite long, and shows lots of acidic peat. Oak, barley, sharp orchard fruit notes.

This one feels a bit green throughout. Which is not necessarily a problem but it does make it taste younger, and that makes the 21 years you’re paying for a bit steep. The fruity notes are quite lovely, but it does lack a bit in depth.

86/100