Bushmill's Millenium Malt

[gr8erdane]

While driving through Louisville on the way to the Sampler, I stopped at Liquor Barn to pick up a few bottles of bourbon of course, and chanced upon a bottle of Bushmill's Millenium Malt which I picked up to give one of my best friends who is of Irish descent. The price was in line with the 10 yr old single malt I had been giving him for his birthday the past couple of years so I figured this might be a bit of a change. The bottle says it was from a single cask and the date it was distilled but not the date of bottling or the proof. I tried to find info on the web and for some reason bushmills.com is down. Liquor Barn's web site only shows their specials so I was wondering if anyone has any info on this bottling?

[Speedy_John]

Dane:

I could be wrong, but I think you might have made the steal of the century. The only Bushmill's Millenium Malt I am aware of was distilled in 1975 and bottled from single casks in 1999 to celebrate the Millenium. It was a very limited release--actually, I thought it was available only at the distillery, but apparently I was wrong about that. The whiskey of which I speak was sold for several hundred dollars a bottle, far above the $30-$35 you would pay for a bottle of the 10yo malt.

For corrections, clarifications and/or confirmations of any of the above information, we now turn you over to StraightBourbon.com's resident Irish Whiskey expert, BlackKeno. Take it away, John....

[Bill_Hilly]

That was been something I've had my eye on for the last year of living in Louisville. I can confirm that I saw the same thing - the 1975 stuff for a VERY cheap price for such aged whiskey. I must be a pessimist- I figured there was something wrong with it that everybody but I had heard about. Maybe I'll have to pick up a bottle.

Mark

[gr8erdane]

I can add that after wiping the road dust out of my eyes I did find that it is 86 proof. My bottle says it is 80/88 for Liquor Barn. For anyone interested, I found it right in front of the checkouts by the premium lockup case at the Fern Ridge LB.

[Speedy_John]

Eh...ahem...Take it away, John....

[Speedy_John]

John?!

[gr8erdane]

John must be busy running to LB for the remainder of the Millenium Malt.

[Speedy_John]

From what I know of John and his enthusiasm for Irish whiskey, that would not surprise me one bit.

SpeedyJohn

[Blackkeno]

OK, I know I should check the boards EVERYday...

That is a great price for the Bushmill's Millennium Malt.

I had not been very fond of their 10yo single. I do like the 16yo, so I figured that Bushmill's needed special casking to really shine. Also based on previous ages, I figured it must not stand up well to many years in the wood. One taste of this BMM dispelled both of those misconceptions. I rarely buy more than one of a particular expression. I immediately bought 3 bottles of BMM. Although it usually sold for $100 or a bit more, I found them at what I thought was a great price of $59. Sound like you got a steal!

Since these are single cask bottlings, there are significant differences between expressions--more so than I find in most single barrel bourbons. I have tried 3 different bottlings. All were great, but one I received as a gift from Dave Russo was easily the best.

[jeff]

I'm not a scotch enthusiast by any means, but I found several bottles on Friday for $40 as Dane experienced. I might pick up a couple as gifts or to put back if they are really that special. Should I?

[Bill_Hilly]

I'll add to the frenzy by stating that I picked up the last bottle on the shelf at LB on Hurstbourne in Louisville for $40. Bottle 81 from cask 81.

Mark

[Dave_in_Canada]

Jeff, (BMM isn't scotch) of course you should. You know you should.

Michael Jackson claims that the BMM was sold by the cask only. Perhaps LB purchased a few and did their own bottling. Only guessing here.

[jeff]

DOH,

Of course it's not I was writing that after a full afternoon's tasting of OCPR . I know it's wrong, but in my mind I tend to lump all of those "foreign" whiskies in the same catagory. I think I will pick up some, thanks!

[Dave_in_Canada]

Jeff, buy a bottle for me too, put it in your closet, and I'll pick it up next time I'm in KY. I'll bring you a trade and we'll talk whisk(e)y.

[brockagh]

This is a great price, indeed. These bottles are selling at stg200 at the moment. Individual casks were bottled for differnet places. It was assumed you'd get a certain amount from each barrel 400 bottles, or something like that, and the rest was labeled Angel's Share. The rest of the bottles will have the name of the organization that bought the casks on the label...

These are the 25 yr old versions, but there are also 15 yr and 18 yr old cask strength Millennium Malts produced by Bushmills. These are more expensive and more rare than the 25 yr old.

[brockagh]

I currently have one of the rarer Bushmills Millenniums for sale on eBay at http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6193627020&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1 - This is the cask strength 1982 version.