Bushmills launches rum cask whiskey into travel retail

Bushmills has expanded its travel retail-exclusive Steamship Collection with the launch of a rum cask-finished Irish single malt.

Bushmills Rum Cask Reserve is the fourth bottle in The Steamship Collection

The Steamship Collection pays homage to SS Bushmills, which in 1890 collected a variety of seasoned casks from wine and spirits producers around the world.

Bushmills Rum Cask Reserve is the fourth expression in the range, following Sherry Cask Reserve, launched in 2015; Port Cask Reserve, launched in 2016; and Bourbon #3 Char Cask Reserve, launched in 2017.

The latest iteration is inspired by SS Bushmills’ homeward bound journey that included a stop in St. Vincent in the Caribbean, where the ship was stocked with rum to bring back to The Old Bushmills Distillery.

It is a bottling of single malt matured in first-fill Caribbean rum casks, said to offer notes of “tropical fruit, subtle spice and vanilla pod with a smooth and creamy toffee finish”.

Helen Mulholland, master blender of Bushmills, said: “We are always innovating and, like the crew aboard the SS Bushmills, we love exploring new flavours that complement the smooth taste of our Bushmills Irish whiskey.

“We are really excited to launch this Rum Cask Reserve. For me, nothing brings out beautiful tropical flavours in our whiskey like maturation in a rum cask, so a Caribbean-centric edition for The Steamship Collection was a natural next step for us.”

Bushmills Rum Cask Reserve is priced at £99 (US$130) a bottle and has an abv of 40%. It can now be purchased from duty free stores globally.