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Bushmills unveils ultra-rare ‘once in a lifetime’ 36-Year-Old whiskey

It's a stylish bottle with a suitably handsome price tag

Bushmills unveils ultra-rare ‘once in a lifetime’ 36-Year-Old whiskey

By Danielle de Wolfe

10 March 2024

Bushmills Hill Street Edition is unlike any whiskey the producer has ever unleashed.

An ultra-rare blend that also happens to be the oldest expression ever released by The Old Bushmills Distillery, this all-new release has something special up its sleeve.

A 36-year-old Irish whiskey that pays homage to its Irish roots, this tasty wee dram has been crafted exclusively for Belfast's world-renowned whiskey shop The Friend at Hand.

The clue is most definitely in the name, with The Friend at Hand located on, you guessed it, Hill Street itself.

Serving up a selection of its own blends alongside limited-edition series, the store also stands on the precise spot where Bushmills' former headquarters was once located - a delightful homage to the past and the present.

Now, back to the whiskey at hand.

This rare Irish whiskey was first distilled in 1986 before later being recasked in a sherry hogshead cask in 2001.

It's also the last of its kind.

Exclusively matured in sherry wood, this limited-edition liquid is the very last available stock of Bushmills Single Malt.

A homage to Belfast’s whiskey history, this spirited release is a nod to the bonded warehouses that once lined Hill Street, a place where Bushmills' barrels could regularly be seen rolled down its now iconic cobbles to the docks.

Each limited-edition bottle from the collection includes memorabilia, including date-stamped, hand-written correspondence from the former Bushmills Belfast headquarters.

Priced in at £5,000 per bottle, this is anything but your average nightcap.

Speaking of the collaboration, Bushmills Master Blender, Alex Thomas, described the limited-edition release as a “once in a lifetime whiskey”.

She said: “In every bottle of Bushmills, we honour our past and the immense passion and patience required to craft the world’s most exclusive single malts.

"It is my privilege to bring this exceptional whiskey back to Belfast, to the site of Bushmills’ former HQ on Hill Street, in what is a milestone moment for the brand.”

In an age where ultra-rare is the aim of the game for whiskey collectors, this bottle certainly bridges the gap between affordable run-of-the-(bush)mill offerings and the ultra-premium collectors editions.

With only 208 bottles of this 36-year-old in existence, this exclusive serve is set to be snapped up fast.

Available exclusively from The Friend at Hand, be sure to pick yourself up a bottle while stocks last.