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Since its 2020 debut, Bushmills’ exceptional Causeway Collection has consistently upped the ante, exceeding expectations with each release and ensuring that whatever came next was guaranteed to reside amongst the most eagerly anticipated events on the whiskey calendar.
Released exclusively through The Whisky Club—the largest and most popular Whisky Club in the world, the Causeway Collection has proved a potent source of unmissable whiskeys. From its 2020 debut with the outstanding Marsala Cask, which sold for four times its original price on the secondary market, to last year’s launch of the 2010 Double Moscatel that won the Club’s whisky of the year and shortlisted for the for World’s Best Irish Single Malt. The Causeway Collection has showcased Bushmills’ talent for crafting wonderfully premium, limited-edition, and rare-cask expressions.
Now, the Causeway Collection returns with the 2012 Oloroso Sherry Cask. Continuing Bushmills’ collaborative partnership with The Whisky Club, it should come as no surprise that this new release builds upon its predecessors’ knack for satisfying even the most discerning of whiskey lovers.
Cause for Celebration
Embodying Bushmills’ unwavering commitment to its principles and values even as times inevitably change (this is a distillery with over 400 years of history, after all), the 2012 Oloroso Sherry Cask is an unmissable release. Exclusive to Australia and New Zealand, it will have you falling in love with its notes of ripe fruit, dark chocolate, toasted oak, and warm spice.
Plus, in news that will be music to Bushmills aficionados’ ears, this limited-edition, rare-cask-finished, cask-strength (51.6% ABV), and non-chill-filtered Irish single malt is the work of visionary master blender Alex Thomas. Taking inspiration from the historic distillery’s singularly striking surroundings, Thomas claims the expression is both a celebration of Bushmills’ traditions and a bold step forward for the whiskey-making firm.
Irish Tradition & Spanish Flair
“With our distillery’s centuries-long history, we have a profound sense of privilege as we continue the traditions of those that came before us with every new whiskey we release,” Thomas explains. “Since it first launched in 2020, the Causeway Collection has been a particularly special example of this. Named for the Giant’s Causeway, which embodies so much of our region’s natural beauty, every release honours the giants and generations of the past as we bottle something of the incomparable landscape in which our whiskey is forged.”
While this firm sense of Irish tradition is essential to the Bushmills mindset, Thomas explains that the 2012 Oloroso Sherry Cask balances it with a bold dose of Spanish flavour: “This unique single malt has spent its entire life in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez, Spain. It was filled on 18th December 2012 and has spent over 12 years patiently maturing in the Old Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim, slowly picking up notes of dried fig, apricots, and raisins. I’m sure you’ll agree it has been well and truly worth the wait.”
Worthy of a Standing Ovation
It has indeed. From its rich shade of amber mahogany to its nose of warm honey and luscious ripe fruits layered with waves of delicate spice and toasted oak, you know you’re in for an exceptional experience before it even touches your lips.
Once it does, you’ll encounter a spectacular burst of raisins, dates, apricots, and cherries that unfolds into rich dark chocolate, warm toffee, and walnuts, before finishing with layers of clove, cinnamon, and liquorice. Then, you’re left with a warm, spiced finish with lingering notes of sweet fruit. It’s a spellbinding experience.
Join the Club
As an exclusive The Whisky Club release, the 2012 Oloroso Sherry Cask stands tall among the year’s most highly regarded whiskey releases. According to The Whisky Club’s founders, Bertie Cason and Emily Ashbolt Cason, it’s one of the most exciting releases in the Club’s most popular whiskey series.
“To describe Bushmills’ 2012 Oloroso Sherry Cask as highly anticipated would be an understatement,” they explain. “The first ever Christmas Causeway is here, and the 2012 Oloroso Sherry Cask is the ultimate collectable in the Collection, with Bushmills’ first ever 100% first-fill Oloroso maturation. It’s a perfect demonstration of the bold Bushmills spirit.”
The 2012 Oloroso Sherry Cask certainly embodies Bushmills’ willingness to stand apart. As the distillery’s new STAND campaign clearly illustrates, when you’re the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, you tend to make and then break the rules, rather than simply follow them. Bushmills’ latest triumph demonstrates this beautifully.
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