Bushmills The Steamship Collection #3 Char Bourbon Cask Reserve

Bushmills #3 Char Bourbon Cask Reserve The Steamship Collection is a Global Travel Retail exclusive single malt, bottled in 2017 as the third release in the Steamship Collection. The range takes its name from the SS Bushmills, the steamship once used to transport Bushmills whiskey around the world, and each edition focuses on a specific cask style to show how it shapes the distillery’s spirit character.

Matured in No.3 charred bourbon casks, this whiskey leans into what deeper barrel charring does to flavour development. A No.3 char creates a heavier layer of thermally degraded wood, increasing the availability of caramelised wood sugars and sweet oak compounds, while also introducing more toasted notes and gentle char-derived spice. The end result is a profile that reads richer and more dessert-led than lighter bourbon cask maturation, without adding wine-cask tannin or dried-fruit heaviness.

On the nose, expect honeyed malt, vanilla and ripe fruit with a clear toasted oak edge. The palate brings crème brûlée sweetness, caramel and warm spice, with a firmer toasted finish that lingers on vanilla, oak and a touch of char.