Did you know that Irish monks were known to have brought distilling to the country as far back as 1000 AD! Step into the Bushmills distillery, Northern Ireland, the oldest distillery in the world. Text & Photographs: Gustasp and Jeroo Irani A toast to Bushmills 36
in the spotlight O n our way to the world s oldest whiskey distillery, we stopped, appropriately enough, at the devil s own backyard the Giant s Causeway, a World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland. This is a stretch of coast lashed by a stormy sea where sandy stretches are interspersed with craggy cliffs and gigantic boulders piled on top of one another, in almost drunken fury. Had nature gulped a couple of Irish whiskeys and then created this geological phenomenon? The rye allegory The old Bushmills distillery is located not far from Giant s Causeway on the edge of Bushmills Town. The ghostly 12th century Dunluce Castle, cantilevered over the ocean, added another spooky dimension en route. One stormy night, a long time ago, the kitchen with its entire staff of cooks and maids fell into the sea even as they prepared a banquet for the resident lord of the manor! 37
The Bushmills distillery was gutted in 1885 in a fire, BuT was rebuilt soon. in a fire and was rebuilt to rise like a phoenix once again. Its heady products were exported to the United States, Japan, China and Singapore on the steamboat SS Bushmills and, according to our guide; it was a top-selling brand then. In the 1920s, Prohibition in the United States, conflict with Britain We needed a few stiff ones after being socked between the eyes by the country s sheer beauty, spooky legends and mystical aura. The fragrance of whiskey, the uisce beatha or water of life in Irish Gaelic, surrounded us as we stepped into the over 400-year-old Bushmills Distillery for a tour and a spot of whiskey tasting. Whiskey has been distilled here since the 13th century (the troops of Henry II knocked off Bushmills whiskey with great alacrity), but it was in 1608 that the company was granted an official licence by King James I. Ever since, Bushmills has been making the finest Irish malt whiskey, beloved of connoisseurs as well as the occasional tippler. In the course of its history, Bushmills has seen some ups and downs and changes in ownership the distillery was gutted in 1885 and war nearly felled it. But, the then director of Bushmills had large stocks ready to ship out once Prohibition was lifted and so Bushmills survived. But, it was a body blow nevertheless for Irish whiskey s pre-eminent position was by then usurped by Scotch whisky. Brothers in arms not quite But, there are some differences between the whiskies of Ireland and Scotland, revealed our guide. 38
Scotch whisky is distilled twice, while Irish whiskey is distilled thrice. In Scotland, the malted barley has a peaty smoky character as it is dried with peat smoke, whereas at Bushmills, the malted barley isn t smoked. Hence, Irish whiskey is lighter and has a more honeyed malt flavour. Another minor difference Irish whiskey is spelt with an e while Scotch whisky is spelt without the e. We were led through the various processes and ingredients required for making the smooth distinctive whisky from the water of the springs of St Columb s Rill (the quality of water is a very important factor), the malting of Irish barley, triple distillation in copper stills, and maturing in oak casks. Maturing the whiskey can take time from five to 30 years, depending on the blend. Generally, there are around 171,000 barrels maturing at any given time. Savour your senses It was time for some whiskey tasting in the warm cafeteria with its blond wood and green colour scheme. We removed our jackets and cleansed our palates by drinking some water and sipped Bushmills Original, one of the two main blended whiskeys in the range, the other being Black Bush. Bushmills Original, aged in bourbon casks, was a balanced blend of malty and spicy notes and Black Bush, aged in former sherry casks for eight years, was sweet and refreshing. The 10-yearold Bushmills single malt was as smooth as velvet. Is it better to enjoy a glass of whiskey with water or soda? While this is a matter of personal preference, water enriches the whiskey and enables it to linger longer on the palate. Soda tends to change its flavour, we learnt. And, if you don t fancy whiskey, try Irish mustard laced with whiskey and honey, or apple jelly spiked with cloves and whiskey. All these and other lip-smacking innovative items were available at the Bushmills gift shop. 39
But, it was Irish porridge laced with whiskey and cream, which we tried at Bushmills Inn for breakfast that stole our hearts. The inn, a charming world of turf fires, oil lamps and stripped pine, was at one time a retreat for saddle-sore visitors on their way to the Giant s Causeway. On our last evening, we sat in the bar, suffused with soft gas light and a roaring peat fire, and raised a toast to Bushmills. We sipped a 25-year-old Bushmills malt whiskey from the hotel s cellar The bushmills inn a charming world of Turf fires, oil lamps and stripped pine. and then happened to spot a late 19th century advertisement that hung on the wall trumpeting the virtues of drinking whiskey a most healthful drink! The poster claimed that doctors prescribe Bushmills for gout and rheumatism. Yes, why wait for these crippling ailments to strike! We raised another toast to ensure robust health! Fact File The village of Bushmills, home of the distillery and the inn, lies between the Giant s Causeway and Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, county Antrim. For more information, visit www.bushmills.com or www.tourismirelandindia.com In Southern Ireland one can visit the distilleries of Jameson Whiskey (www.jamesonwhiskey.com) which has whiskey tasting tours at its factories in Dublin and Cork. 40