Where: The Old Bushmills Distillery, 2 Distillery Road, Bushmills, County Antrim, BT57 8XH
When: 12th January 2018
Though not much of a drinker of alcohol, I very much appreciate history, heritage, science and big machinery, so I decided to pop into the Old Bushmills distillery for their tour. Bushmills do not use animal products in their processes and as such all their whiskeys except the Bushmills Irish Honey Whiskey (though this is no longer being manufactured) are vegan. The old Bushmills distillery is the oldest licensed distillery in the UK, having obtained its license in 1608 from King James I of England, VI of Scotland. Coincidentally the same year my secondary school got a charter from the same bloke. Anyway…
Julie, the tour guide was entertaining and approachable as she took us around the various parts of the whiskey making process including distillation, the important role of the various casks and barrels specific to each whiskey, blended whiskeys, the difference between Scotch and Irish whiskeys and a sneaky peek at the bottling lines too. No photography was allowed on the tour itself, due to the amount of alcohol in the air!
At the end of the tour there is a free whiskey, cocktail or soft drink, you can even get a hot toddie if so inclined. I chose the 5 year blend and a cocktail. The cocktail was a ‘daisy’, this normally comes with honey but you can ask for it without. Both were delicious and flavoursome and it was great to taste after being taught about the sweetness of the whiskey compared to Scotch whiskey which takes on the flavour of the way the malt is dried right at the beginning of the process. *hic*
The tour is £8 and includes a free whiskey or alternative.
The Greedy Herbivore 