🥃 Bushmills Original
Base line of the Bushmills brand: an Irish blend of malt and grain whiskey; 40% ABV; no age statement; bourbon and oloroso sherry casks.
Bushmills Original is the base blend of the Bushmills brand, also known as White Bush. It is an Irish whiskey from Northern Ireland that combines malt and grain whiskey. The strength is 40% ABV, and the label carries no age statement, only the minimum maturation that Irish whiskey must legally meet.
According to The Spirits Educator, the blend contains about 45% malt whiskey made from Irish barley and 55% grain whiskey made from corn. It matures in bourbon barrels and in Spanish oloroso sherry casks; the minimum age is 3 years, and the average is around four. The author adds that the malt component is distilled three times.
Why this matters to you. Original is the lightest and simplest line of Bushmills, so it is a good starting point for comparison with Black Bush, which has much more malt whiskey, and with the single malt versions. Do not confuse it with Irish Honey, which is a flavoured drink. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | PGI “Irish Whiskey” (Technical File; Reg. (EU) 2019/787) |
|---|---|
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | Irish malted barley and grain (corn); about 45% malt and 55% grain whiskey |
| Cask type | bourbon barrels and Spanish oloroso sherry casks |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in wooden casks under PGI rules; average about 4 years per The Spirits Educator; no age statement |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Bushmills Original → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Sherry, 🍷 Oak barrel, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Irish Grain Whiskey, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Bushmills, 🥃 Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Blended Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Bushmills 10 Year Old, 🥃 Bushmills 16 Year Old, 🥃 Bushmills 21 Year Old, 🥃 Bushmills Black Bush, 🥃 Bushmills 10 Year Old, 🥃 Bushmills 16 Year Old, 🥃 Bushmills 21 Year Old, 🥃 Bushmills Black Bush, 🥃 Jameson
Frequently asked questions
Is Bushmills Original a single malt whiskey?
No. It is a blend of about 45% malt and 55% grain whiskey, according to The Spirits Educator. The brand's single malts are the 10, 16 and 21 year old lines.
What is White Bush?
An unofficial name for Original. It is used to tell it apart from Black Bush, according to Difford's Guide.
How old is Bushmills Original?
There is no age statement. According to The Spirits Educator, the minimum is 3 years and the average is about 4.
What to read next
- 🥃 Bushmills Black Bush — Irish blend of the Bushmills brand with mostly malt whiskey, matured mainly in oloroso sherry casks; 40% ABV.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Jameson — A blended Irish whiskey brand tracing its history to 1780; made in Midleton (County Cork); owned by Pernod Ricard; the standard bottling is 40% ABV.
Similar
🥃 Bushmills Black Bush · 🥃 Bushmills 10 Year Old · 🥃 Bushmills 16 Year Old · 🥃 Bushmills 21 Year Old · 🥃 Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Special Reserve · 🥃 Tullamore Dew Original
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: The Old Bushmills Distillery Co. Ltd (range: Original/White Bush, Black Bush, 10 Year Old launched 1985, 12 Year Old added January 2022)
- The Spirits Educator: What's the difference between Bushmills Original and Bushmills Black? (45/55 and 80/20 malt to grain, casks, age)
- The Spirits Educator: The Complete Guide to Bushmills Irish Whiskey (ABV, malt/grain share, casks and age of each expression)
- Revenue (Ireland): Geographical Indication for Irish Whiskey and Irish Poteen/Poitin (GI verification, Tax and Duty Manual)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I, category 2 (whisky/whiskey)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)