First travel retail exclusive from Bushmills

Bushmills Irish whiskey has launched its first range of limited edition Irish whiskeys to be available exclusively to shoppers in select travel retail outlets – The Steamship Collection. The first release in the collection, Sherry Cask Reserve, marks the 125th anniversary of the maiden voyage of SS Bushmills. The bottle is presented in a distinctive maritime-designed pack featuring a replica illustration of the famous Bushmills steamship.

The limited edition collection is inspired by the extraordinary voyages of the SS Bushmills steamship to new corners of the world and introduces a range of special cask matured Bushmills Irish Whiskeys. In 1890 the ship, commissioned by then owners The Boyd Brothers, set course for America, travelling as far as Philadelphia and Yokohama, before eventually returning refilled with casks of rum, fortified wine and bourbon – the gateway to new flavour possibilities.

David Phelan, director of Jose Cuervo global travel retail, says: “The launch marks an exciting phase for Bushmills and demonstrates Jose Cuervo’s commitment to unlocking the potential of this legendary whiskey in the high profile travel retail channel. The Steamship Collection is available now in Belfast, Dublin and London Heathrow, and while it can’t be purchased elsewhere, we hope distribution will extend across the world, just like the voyages of SS Bushmills to the US, Asia and beyond.”

Sherry Cask Reserve is exclusively matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts to deliver additional spiced honey, dark chocolate and rich dried fruit flavours.

Colum Egan, master distiller at The Old Bushmills Distillery, comments: “For centuries distillers have experimented with different barrels so naturally I was inspired by the adventures of the ship and the opportunities it opened to experiment with various casks from around the world. Ttogether with master blender Helen Mulholland, we created a whiskey with a rich, complex flavour and a smooth finish – a characteristic synonymous with our range of triple distilled whiskeys.”

A limited number of bottles of Sherry Cask Reserve are available now exclusively to travellers in Belfast City, Dublin and Heathrow T5 priced at €80, £65, $89 for 1litre. It is the first release in the collection, which will soon comprise three permanent expressions plus regular special releases.

17 February 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor