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It’s that time of year when your Christmas gift list looms large. There are so many people to buy for, and it can be so hard to know what they’d like.
Food and drink is always a safe bet, and what better than Irish products of the highest quality? Whiskey lovers will always thank you for a bottle of Bushmills, known for their exceptional Irish Malt, and you can also give gifts infused with its unique flavour. Here’s what I’m buying for my family this Christmas.
It’s hard to believe that my dad has been dead for 22 years this Christmas so it has to be nothing but the best to raise a glass in his memory when we gather together on the 25th this year. The Bushmills 21-Year-Old is a marriage of single malts matured for at least 19 years in hand-selected Oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels, then finished in Madeira casks for a further two years.
This unusually long finishing period allows the single malt to patiently mellow, mature and pick up deeper notes of ripe fruit and dried raisins from the fortified Portuguese wine casks. This very special whiskey is only crafted in limited numbers.
As a skilled home cook, he’s going to love this Irish Whiskey Barrel Infused Balsamic Vinegar which has been naturally aged for two years in Irish Whiskey Barrels from the oldest distillery in Ireland. It’s the perfect ingredient to add a piquant, umami hit to your Christmas cooking, and pairs particularly well as a glaze for roast duck.
She’s the tea aficionado in the family so will best appreciate the deep flavours of this delicious blend – crafted by Suki Tea in collaboration with Bushmills. Uniting the best of Ceylon black tea, Rooibos and spices, this unique blend serves a deep, rich fruit cake flavour profile that lingers on the palate. Christmas in a cup.
As my Kris Kindle draw this year, he’s going to be delighted with a bottle of the good stuff. The Bushmills 16-Year-Old is a marriage of single malts matured for at least 16 years in hand-selected Oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels, then finished in port pipes for up to a year.
This triple casking transforms the colour to a beautiful ruby red and adds layers of juicy sun-ripened dark fruit and berries, complex almond nuttiness and a treacly vanilla spice.
My husband has a great eye for design and really appreciates a well-made piece. He will love this lead crystal, hand-cut decanter made by Belfast Crystal – with the square shape really adding to its appeal.
My mum loves marmalade so this one’s for her. Made in Fermanagh, with its unique whiskey flavouring, this is the perfect Northern Irish marmalade, made with care and love by the O’Donoghue family in Enniskillen.
While it’s great on toast, it’s even better in a Bushmills Old Fashioned: add the marmalade and Bushmills Black Bush whiskey to an Old Fashioned glass and stir. Add a couple of ice cubes, stir down, then add bitters, more ice and stir again, until the drink is balanced. Finally, garnish with candied orange. Slàinte!
Chocolate and whiskey combined – what’s not to love? I am a huge fan of Grainne Mullins’s Grá chocolate range and this hot chocolate is off-the-charts. The intense sweet sherry profile of Black Bush balanced with the rich notes of her cacao chocolate make this a stand-out marriage of flavours. It’s the perfect festive indulgence!
He loves to play golf and get out early, even on freezing mornings, so this gorgeous hipflask wrapped in soft, textured Harris tweed would be ideal for him. The pouch is perfectly moulded to fit the flask, the feel is snug, with a pleasing weight in your hand. Clever and stylish!
To be in with a chance to will a hamper containing all of these gifts, head to our Bushmills Gift Guide hub here.