Bushmills 1608 Anniversary Edition - Irish Whiskey Review - October 2025

The Bushmills 1608 Anniversary Edition is a beautiful blend with sentimental value. Released in 2008 to commemorate Bushmill's 400th anniversary for their license to distill, a new review now may seem somewhat out of place. For reasons I will now expound, the review is timely in October 2025.

When Irish Whiskey Society America launched in October 2010, there were only 3 Irish distilleries producing whiskey. Variety was somewhat lacking, especially compared to today with over 40 distilleries and numerous other bonders, bottlers, and independent brands. As we were just beginning as an Irish Whiskey club in the USA, this expression from Bushmills was available in the USA and stood out from other options. This was a period that only had one Redbreast and one Green Spot representing the entire single pot still style. This Bushmill's release represented something new at a time when Irish Whiskey was still awaiting its new renaissance. 

While a special edition, this release was not limited. No official bottle count was available; however, you could find it pretty easily years later and may still spot one in your local store today. Bottles readily appear in online auctions. The bottle came in a special premium box with red 'velvet' interior and a history outline of Bushmills. Given the limited options available 15 years ago, I accumulated several bottles as it was high quality and reasonably priced.

The blend consisted of 65% triple distilled single malt, only 5% grain (aged 11-13 years), and 30% crystal malt. Bourbon and sherry casks were used for maturation. Three items of distinction were, 1) extremely high malt component for a blend (95%),  2) use of the unique for whiskeys caramelized malted barley, and 3) bottling at 46% abv. Bushmills releases were all 40% abv at the time making the higher strength different and somewhat unique during that period for most Irish whiskeys. Crystal malt, named for the heating process during its more common use in beer-making which crystalizes the natural sugars, added a more sweet, caramel, and toffee flavor to the whiskey. 

So why resurrect this special "blend" at this time? As of this writing (Oct'25), the IWSA is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Crystal is the symbol for 15 year anniversaries. Use of the crystal malt made this Bushmills much darker than existing releases, more of a ruby red color, another traditional symbol of 15 year anniversaries. Throw in that the whiskey itself was the Anniversary Edition, and all the signs were beckoning to make this the subject of the review and October 2025 IWSA Whiskey of the Month.

This was a favorite of mine during the burgeoning years of our club's history. Given the explosion of Irish Whiskey releases since 2010, this has taken a back seat as new expressions have been explored. Breaking out a bottle for first time in a while had me wondering if I would enjoy as much as the good old days.

Impressions of the pour made me think of smores by the campfire. Toasted marshmallow on the nose gave way to graham cracker taste with honey, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. As expected, the malt really shines in this one but differently due to the sweetness from the crystal variety. Mild peppery spice is muted by creaminess on the medium finish. The higher abv is welcome too with the bourbon cask influence really expressive. The sherry cask influence provides some modest nuttiness. 

Overall this one did not disappoint upon retry after too long a hiatus. While worthy, don't limit yourself to only special occasions like anniversaries if you come across a bottle. Price point could be an issue given its growing scarcity. Bushmills released a 26 year Crystal single malt in 2024 which won't help regarding the cost. A more budget friendly expression is available in the USA from Teeling Distillery which released a non-age statement crystal malt in 2024. 

Cheers to 15 years for the IWSA!

Review by A. Dwyer