Bushmills claims to the world’s oldest distillery. Though King James I (of Bible translation fame) only granted Bushmills its license to distill “Aqua Vitae” in 1608, whiskey has been made here since the 13th century.
Bushmills is made of only three ingredients: malted barley, water, and yeast. Tours start with the mash pit, which is filled with a porridge that eventually becomes whiskey.
The leftovers of that porridge are fed to the county’s particularly happy cows. 😊 You’ll see some impressive equipment, including giant washbacks – where is yeast is added to the mixture to induce fermentation, producing alcohol – and copper pot stills, where distillation increases the alcohol content.
In the casking factory, you’ll see a huge room full of whiskey aging in oak casks – casks already used to make bourbon, sherry and port.
Whiskey picks up its color and personality from this wood (which breathes and has an effective life of 30 years). Bushmills shapes the flavor of its whiskey by carefully finessing the aging process – often in a mix of these casks.
The finale, of course, is the opportunity for a sip in the 1608 Bar – the formerly malt barn.
No pictures were allowed on the tour… so this is just around the outside of the visitor center and property. 🙁