An Unusual Ingredient Unlocks Distinctive Flavor In Bushmills 26 Year Old Whiskey

Dating all the way back to 1608, Bushmills is the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery — and if you preclude licensing, the village of Bushmills has been producing whiskey since the 1500s. But despite the brand's age and worldwide fame — it is the world's most awarded single malt Irish whiskey, after all — it has not slowed its innovation. The Rare Cask series is a testament to its experimentation, featuring Irish whiskey aged in scarce and select Cognac, sherry, and Madeira casks to imbue the spirit with exquisitely complementary flavors. But while the aging process is a fairly classic method for offering a unique flavor profile from a familiar whiskey, the most recent offering from Bushmills takes the innovation to the other end of the production line: the mash bill. The unique character of Bushmills newest contribution to the whiskey world, a 26-year-old single malt, comes from the novel use of crystal malt.

Fittingly called Bushmills 26 Year Old Crystal Malt, this inventive offering eschews the traditional malted barley, opting instead for a grain produced under very specific conditions to create crystallized sugars. Brewed and triple distilled, the result is a whiskey with aromas of creamy chocolate, deep flavors of malty caramel, burnt sugar, and subtle spice, as well as a complex, lingering finish warm with sweet fruits. Aging in first-fill bourbon barrels adds further complexity, introducing aromas of delicate vanilla and soft oak. It is an exquisite whiskey thats unique character justifies its ultra-premium price tag. But what exactly is crystal malt, and why does it make this whiskey so unique?

All single malt whiskey is produced using malted barley, a three-stage process in which barley grains are soaked and allowed to begin germinating before being stopped and dried — a process called kilning — at the ideal moment to produce the necessary ingredients for fermentation into alcohol. However, in the case of crystal malt, the process is slightly different.

For crystal malt, rather than the typical kiln drying, the grain is transferred directly into a drum for roasting, a process that liquifies the endosperm of the seeds. It is then dried at high temperatures, which darkens the grains and causes the sugars to crystallize, giving the malt its namesake. This process creates higher levels of unfermentable sugars in the malt, as well as increased caramelization in the sugars due to the Maillard reaction, which are what create the unique characteristics crystal malt lends to brewed and distilled products.

Broadly speaking, crystal malt is not actually an uncommon ingredient in the production of alcoholic beverages, but it is in the world of whiskey. Many beers make use of crystal malt, from pale ales and bitters to brown ales and porters, to impart both color and sweet, nutty notes of caramel. The use of crystal malt in whiskey is not dissimilar, lending the spirit a unique complement of flavors spanning from toffee to dried fruit.

If the description of this unique single malt has your mouth watering, you may need to act quickly, as this limited-run is not likely to last long on the shelves. Only released in the U.S. in September of this year, it was already awarded Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and is sure to be a hot ticket item for whiskey collectors and connoisseurs. That said, this is primarily a selection for the collectors out there, as it carries a suggested retail price of $1,000 per bottle.

As for how to actually drink it, well, there's no pairing this bottle of Bushmills with Irish coffee. Proper tasting conditions for a bottle of Bushmills 26 Year Old Crystal Malt are the same as for all of the other best Irish whiskeys: Pour a dram into a tulip-shaped glass that allows you to fully appreciate the aromas. Gently observe the fragrance and sip slowly, rolling it over your tongue and allowing the gentle burn to abate, while taking note of its delicate complexity. Finally, swallow and exhale, taking in the long, elegant finish, as the flavors linger on the palate. When you taste it you will understand that this Irish single malt is a rare glass indeed, and one deserving of the utmost reverence.