Bushmills Castaway 1995

Bottled at 53.5% abv.

Colour: Vibrant copper.

On the nose: Fresh and full of spice, malt spice, caramelized bananas with dark chocolate shavings. There’s distinct orange zest surrounding by macadamia nuts, wood shavings, dried apricots and herbaceous blackcurrant leaf. This is all the while underlined by sweet demerara caramel and honeycomb.

In the mouth: Poached peaches and pears with a chocolate and coconut flakes sprinkled throughout. The nuttiness shines throughout the palate while the distinct malt character holds its own, still distinctly Bushmills. It’s got a hint of marshmallow which makes me think of Rocky road with a dashing of dried fruits. Traces of oloroso sherry, raisins, sultana getting darker and more intense as I draw more air through the palate. The finish has cinnamon and clove covered crisp apple slices and considerable length.