Bushmills 21 Year Old Three Wood

Bushmills 21 Year Old Three Wood is a limited Irish single malt whiskey from the World Wood series, showcasing how three different types of casks can shape a single whiskey. It is made exclusively from malted barley and, as is typical for Bushmills single malts, undergoes triple distillation.

It matures for a minimum of 18 years in a combination of American bourbon casks and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. After this long maturation, the whiskey is transferred to rare first-fill casks previously used for Sicilian Marsala, where it ages for an additional 3 years. The total age of the whiskey thus reaches 21 years.

The Marsala casks were previously filled with Marsala Fine Ambra Semisecco DOC. Before being used for whiskey maturation, they were lightly charred to release softer and fruitier notes from the wood. This final phase adds another layer to the character created by the bourbon and Oloroso casks.

The result is a complex whiskey where caramelized brown sugar, candied orange, and vanilla meet notes of ginger, plums, figs, and cherries. Gradually, hazelnuts, chocolate, and subtle oak are added. The finish is long and sweet, with notes of coffee, candied fruit, and spice.

The whiskey is bottled at 46% alcohol, which is a higher strength than the classic Bushmills 21 Year Old. The World Wood edition was originally created for Global Travel Retail, and this 21-year-old version was released as one of the flagship bottles of the collection.