Tonight I finally made it down to Skye Avenue Kitchen and Lounge. A newly open, upscale restaurant in Surrey. They are located right off the Surrey Central Skytrain station and mall, giving them transit convenience and plenty of parking.
They boast one of the largest whisky collections in Canada, making it the perfect location for today’s Irish Whisky Masterclass. Hosted by Ciara Farrell, the National Whisky Ambassador for Bushmills; which would also be the spirit of the hour.
We would get the background story to the oldest licensed whisky distillery in Ireland. Founded in 1784, named after the water used in its production, triple distilled in pot stills. Ireland is the official home of whisky, which translates to “water of life”.
We spent some time learning how the still works to separate alcohol from the water, and the fermenting of raw ingredients to get there. Reverse osmosis to purify and have less handling time for the whisky to be. Followed by how thanks to its climate, Ireland‘a Angel share (how much they lose from evaporation) is only 2%, meaning they have more whisky overall.
We then walked through the entire collection including 4 age statements, working our way to the oldest. The entire line of Bushmills is built on mouthfeel, each new bottle keeping with that tradition.
We started with Bushmill, the original. A single malt that only uses malted barley and room temperature water to help sprout their grains during fermentation. 45% malted barley the rest unmalted.
We went through the taste buds on our tongue and how they affect what we get from the whisky. Sweet, sour, salty, the back of the throat is bitter, and the centre is a savoury umami that picks up on mushrooms and/or oils. Making note of the texture on the roof of your
The first sip is to climatizes your senses, the next is to taste and recognize the flavours and where it hits. Our host spoke to “zinginess”, and the sweetness of The Original from it maturing in a younger bourbon cask. Banana, hay, and orange peel for an elegant drink.
We also learned how to neutralize what we smell, by sniffing the back our of hands. We were advised to do this then nose the spirit, going back and forth 3 times, to be able to capture new scents after each pass. Everything we recognize is from a nostalgic smell, where the brain talks to your senses.
Our second bottle of Bushmills was their Black Bush, matured in a Sherry cask reserve. This, our host said was the bar’s favourite. An 8 year old blended whisky, where the master blender knows when it is ready and not restricted to set time frames.
Declared the best bang for your buck and a great one to mix with for all your classic whisky cocktails like the Manhattan, Boulevardier, and Old fashioned. Nutty with dried fruit and syrupy with honey and red berries. It takes its sweetness from the Sherry cask giving it a fruit cakey nuance.
From here, we left the blends to visit Bushmill’s single malt family. They use their single malts to test the boundaries of how whisky sitting in any given barrel can taste.
The Sexton is their one shot at an Irish single malt. It is named after the church official dealing with the deceased. People tell the sexton about you, before you are buried, and this is typically done while enjoying a bottle of Sherry. So in homage of that tradition, this is the only whisky not aged in bourbon barrels, but 100% Sherry. The bottle further speaks to Ireland’s traditions with its ridges and stones mimicking that of the Giant’s Causeway landmark in Ireland.
The barrels are seasoned for 18 months, where all the liquid stays within for 16 years, never being removed until time. They hide the colour in the black Sexton bottle to speak to this process.
From here we went to the age statements. Bushmills 10 has rich scents of honey and milk chocolate on the nose, followed by vanilla and pear on the palate, finishing clean and crisp with a hint of lemon zest.
Bushmills 12 has a baked flavour with apple and honey on the nose, toasted walnuts and charred pineapple on the palate, and brown butter as its finisher. It has a nutty malt character, making it a great accompaniment to any salty and savory charcuterie boards or as the feature to in decadent Boulevardier.
This was created to bridge the gap between the 10 and 16 year. It was a limited release last year, and is now back due to popular demand. Hitting shelves the beginning of October. This was unique with an over arching nutty profile that included green chestnut. This would be a good one to mix with for a rich fall flavoured cocktail.
Bushmills 16 has big aromas of toffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg on the nose. Notes of caramelised peach, mango, toasted walnuts and olmonds follow on the palate, finishing long and lingering with notes of port. This is predominantly Sherry and Bourbon led with up to five years in port pipes, and influenced by temperature. The port pipes gives the whisky a tart flavour that opens up gastric juices. Strawberry, currant, and cranberry hold strong. The tannic element creates a lasting flavour, even after you have swallowed. I got pea flower greens at the end.
Bushmills 21 is their oldest single malt, and like all the others, recommended to enjoy on its own, neat or with a cube of ice. Rich aromas of honey and ripe fruit on the nose. Deep flavours of toffee, vanilla, and toasted nuts follow on the palate, concluding with a long lingering finish with a hint of raisins and charred oak. It left your umami palate clean with herbal greens on the edges of the tongue.
And as the tasting winded down we were given veggies and dips, plus roast beef sliders to graze on; Proper Twelve mixed Old Fashioned to sip on.
In short, this was a great way to learn more about a whisky with longevity.
