Friday Night Flights & Bites 6/6 & 6/13, Starting at 2pm

Featured Flight: Cask Influence – Bushmills Edition

The barrel isn’t just a vessel, it’s an ingredient. In Irish whiskey, the cask plays a defining role in shaping aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel. This week’s flight explores the impact of cask influence through the lens of Bushmills, Ireland’s oldest licensed distillery.

Bushmills & The Art of the Cask

When it comes to Irish whiskey, few names are as foundational as Bushmills. With over 400 years of distilling history, it’s one of the oldest licensed distilleries in the world, and a leader in innovation today. While many know Bushmills for its classic smooth single malts, the cask finishes are where the distillery showcases its more experimental side.

This week’s flight explores the impact of cask influence by starting with the approachable, orchard-fruited Bushmills 10 Year Old, matured primarily in bourbon and sherry casks. From there, we move into two unique finishes from the Private Reserve Collection, a newer lineup that’s only available in select travel and bar venues. These whiskeys are aged in traditional casks before being finished for up to six years in carefully sourced wine and spirit barrels, offering new dimensions of flavor without the extreme rarity or price tag of the ultra-premium Causeway Collection.

This lineup allows you to taste side by side how the same whiskey can take on dramatically different personalities depending on its finishing cask. Burgundy lends elegant red fruit and spice. Tequila adds a fresh herbal note with hints of citrus and vanilla. And the 10 Year? It’s the anchor, showcasing Bushmills' house style of honeyed fruit and soft oak.

Bushmills 10 Year Old – The Classic

ABV: 40%
Cask: Bourbon & Sherry

• Nose: Honey, ripe banana, soft spice, and light toasty oak

• Taste: Smooth and creamy with vanilla, green apple, and a hint of nuts

• Finish: Gentle, with lingering malt sweetness and soft fruit

This triple-distilled malt is a hallmark of Bushmills’ core range—aged for a minimum of ten years in seasoned bourbon and sherry casks. It’s approachable yet refined, showcasing the signature smoothness and fruit-forward profile that defines the distillery.

Paired Bite: Dubliner cheese – nutty, sharp, and creamy, it highlights the fruit and vanilla tones in the whiskey.

Bushmills Burgundy Cask (Private Reserve) – The Silken Red

ABV: 47%
Cask: First matured in bourbon, finished in Burgundy wine casks

• Nose: Red berries, soft oak, toasted almond, and floral hints

• Taste: Layers of tart cherry, baking spice, and honeyed grain

• Finish: Long and warming with elegant fruit tannin and dry spice

This Private Reserve release finishes Bushmills single malt in French Burgundy wine casks, lending structure and red fruit character. A refined contrast to the 10 Year’s orchard notes - deeper, drier, and more tannic.

Paired Bite: Dried cranberries and shelled pistachios – bright and slightly tangy, they emphasize red berry notes and balance the wine cask tannin.

Bushmills Tequila Cask (Private Reserve) – The Bright One

ABV: 47%
Cask: First matured in bourbon, finished in tequila barrels

• Nose: Bright citrus, green apple, vanilla, and herbaceous agave

• Taste: Zesty lemon-lime, honey, white pepper, and soft smoke

• Finish: Clean and crisp, with a grassy edge and oak sweetness

A unique cask finish that brings unexpected liveliness to Irish single malt. The tequila barrel adds brightness and herbal complexity - offering a fresh, modern twist on the Bushmills tradition.

Paired Bite: Plantain chips – subtly sweet and toasty; draw out citrus and pepper, while providing a crunchy contrast to the whiskey’s silky texture.

Special Price: $12 for flight (reg. $17 for flight alone)
Includes: Three 0.5 oz pours + curated bites

Optional Add-Ons (+$6 each)

Bushmills 10 Year Private Reserve – Amarone Cask Finish (2014 Vintage)

ABV: 47.3%
Cask: Initially matured in bourbon and oloroso sherry casks for 4 years, then finished for 6 years in Amarone red wine casks from Verona, Italy

• Nose: Rich dark fruits, cinnamon, and warming vanilla

• Taste: Cherry, blackberry, damson, plum, and caramelized sugar

• Finish: Mellow, rich ripe fruit leading into a long, dry finish

This expression showcases the influence of Amarone wine casks, imparting deep fruit flavors and a luxurious mouthfeel to the classic Bushmills profile.

Bushmills 10 Year Private Reserve – Moscatel Cask Finish (2013 Vintage)

ABV: 48.5%
Cask: Initially matured in bourbon and oloroso sherry casks for 6 years, then finished for 4 years in Portuguese Moscatel casks

• Nose: Soft floral notes, caramelized sugar, and orange blossom

• Taste: Vanilla, mandarin orange, peach, and apricots

• Finish: Delightfully sweet and fruity, slightly dry, with a long persistent finish

The Moscatel cask finish brings a delicate sweetness and fruity complexity, enhancing the traditional Bushmills character with vibrant citrus and stone fruit notes.