Review #982 - Bushmills Prohibition Recipe
Here we have a twist on a celebrity-endorsed whisky - this Bushmills, instead of championing an actor or singer, is co-branded with the Peaky Blinders television show. There is a bit of an emphasis on the character of Tommy Shelby, portrayed by Cillian Murphy, across the label; this blend supposedly represents whisky in the style it would have been produced around 100 years ago, during the time period the television show is set in.
There isn't an obvious age statement on the bottle, but the back label does specify that the minimum age of the liquid in the blend is 3 years; this was fully matured in ex-bourbon casks, and we get a solid bottling strength of 46% ABV.
Bushmills Prohibition Recipe
Ireland - Blend
Price: USD 30 (2026)
Age Statement: 3 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks
Details: Not chill filtered, bottled 2022
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times (once blind) over 11 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Apples and honey, a bit of malt, more light fruit notes like pears and banana Runts candies. It's a little spirity and young, but creamy notes build, and we get a soft oak influence. It grows more sugary with time, and it leans soft and mellow in general.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin, and we get lots of sweet malty notes and a bit of a fizzy character. Pear drop candies, apples, honeyed grains and vanilla combine with cinnamon, graham crackers, and lime soda. There's a good balance between spirit and cask.
Finish: White fruits of pear and apples, honeyed oats, icing sugar, and plenty of vanilla. It's slightly starchy when the oak arrives, and we get a mild spice like white pepper. Honeydew melon lingers, and this has a medium length finish.
Final Note: This is a pleasant blend with a very good balance between spirit and cask influence. It does taste a bit mild and plain, but that's not to say it's bland - just mellow and well-rounded, with some classic ex-bourbon cask flavors that you expect from this sort of maturation.
This is a solid whisky, and considering the price of about $30 in our area, value is superb - one of the best value Irish whiskies that we've reviewed so far.
Our Rating: 6.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 8.37
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Bushmills reviews:
Review #958 - Bushmills 16 Year Single Malt
Review #833 - SMWS 51.21 'Delightful Intervention' - Bushmills 19 Year
