Bushmills The Causeway Collection 10 Year Old Plum Brandy Finish

Distilled on 15 November 2012 and bottled on 31 October 2023, this 10 year old single malt from Bushmills forms part of The Causeway Collection and was released exclusively for the Polish market. It centres on the use of fruit brandy casks as a finishing tool, showing how non wine and non fortified barrels can shape flavour structure without obscuring the underlying spirit.

The whiskey matured initially in a combination of bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry butts, laying down a base of oak influence, gentle sweetness and developed spirit character. It was then transferred into plum brandy casks for its finishing period before bottling at 59.6 percent ABV without chill filtration.

Plum brandy casks behave very differently to wine or fortified wine barrels. Having previously held high strength fruit distillate, the wood carries fruit derived esters and lighter phenolic compounds rather than residual sugars or wine driven acidity. When whiskey enters these casks, extraction favours stone fruit aromatics, orchard fruit lift and dry fruit intensity, shaping flavour without introducing syrupy sweetness or overt wine character.

Bottling at higher strength stretches the flavour across the palate rather than letting it peak early. Structure holds from entry through the finish, with dryness and grip giving the whiskey momentum and length. The absence of chill filtration keeps ester content and phenolic material intact, contributing to texture and persistence rather than visual clarity.

On the nose, the whiskey opens with ripe stone fruit, orchard fruit and light spice over seasoned oak. The palate is firm and concentrated, with plum, apple and spice carried by controlled bitterness from the wood. The finish is long and drying, with fruit intensity continuing as the palate gradually tightens.