They say all good trilogies come in threes, right? Dad jokes aside, the completion of a three-part series is something to be celebrated and famed Irish whiskey producer Bushmills is doing precisely that. The world’s oldest whiskey distillery has announced a new limited-edition 2012 Burgundy Cask, bottled exclusively for Australia. Rich and flavoursome, the new release is loaded with the notes that Bushmills fans have come to love over the label’s last few centuries, but there’s added element that makes this drop something to behold. The Bushmills 2012 Burgundy Cask officially forms the heritage cask trilogy that underpins the stalwart’s iconic Causeway Collection.
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2022 Bushmills Causeway Collection’s 2012 Burgundy Cask | Image: Bushmills Irish Whiskey
A stellar selection of Bushmills finest drops, The Causeway Collection was designed to bring the flavours of Ireland to the world in a truly unique manner. Since it was first established in 2020, the range has grown significantly, with landlocked options providing an enticing investment opportunity for eagle-eyed collectors. Here in Australia, fans have been lucky enough to get their hands on the 2011 Banyuls Cask, alongside the Australian-Exclusive 2008 Douro Cask Finish and the 2006 Marsala Cask.
This time around, Bushmills has turned back the clock for a heritage release that echoes the great distillery practices of old. The 2012 Burgundy Cask was created exclusively for The Whisky Club and marks the first release to be unveiled under the direction of newly-appointed Bushmills master blender, Alex Thomas.
“The Causeway Collection is a celebration of our passion for single malts and these special single malt whiskeys are our greatest treasures,” Thomas said. “It truly is a privilege to work with such rare whiskeys. At Bushmills, we hand-select casks that give an insight into the depth and breadth of casks we have at the Old Bushmills Distillery. The 2012 Burgundy Cask is a sensational liquid, I honestly think that this is one of the best whiskeys that Bushmills have produced to date, and I can’t wait to share it with Australia’s biggest community of whiskey lovers!”
2022 Bushmills Causeway Collection’s 2012 Burgundy Cask | Image: Bushmills Irish Whiskey
As the master blender explains, the new Bushmills 2012 Burgundy Cask has had an interesting life up to this point. The liquid was matured in oloroso sherry and bourbon casks at the Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland in 2012, before making its way into burgundy wine casks in 2018. The result is a fragrant nose loaded with summer fruit aromas and notes of fresh raspberry, leading to a black cherry and vanilla finish.
As with all rare single malts, only a limited number of cases have been made available, continuing the Causeway Collection’s penchant for exclusivity. This time around, the only way fans can get their hands on a bottle is through The Whisky Club, which partnered with Bushmills for the previous Causeway releases. Seamus Carroll, The Whisky Club’s buyer and ambassador said the rapid premiumisation of whiskey, particularly in the Irish category was seeing demand for products like The Causeway Collection grow at an incredible rate.
“The whiskey world went nuts when we released the very first whiskey in The Causeway Collection, our 2006 Vintage Marsala Cask which sold for up to 20 times its RRP at auction,” Carroll revealed. “The same happened last year with the 2011 Vintage Banyuls Cask, selling out in just 48 hours. And history is about to repeat itself with our 2012 Burgundy Cask.”
“Each of the whiskeys in this series have been finished in rare, heritage wine casks seldom used in whiskey making,” he continued. “Our 2012 Burgundy Cask is really something else — this is Burgundy from a Domaine dating back to the 1400s. It’s incredible, Bushmills have access to casks that very few distilleries can get their hands on.”
The 2022 Bushmills Causeway Collection’s 2012 Burgundy Cask is available exclusively through The Whisky Club and is priced at AUD$135. The release is bottled at ABV 51.8% and will be offered in extremely limited quantities. For more information on the stunning new drop, visit The Whisky Club.
2022 Bushmills Causeway Collection’s 2012 Burgundy Cask | Image: Bushmills Irish Whiskey
The writer of this article received a bottle of the Bushmills 2012 Burgundy Cask for review.
