Bushmills 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey
Bushmills 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey is a 40% ABV (80 proof) single malt in a 750mL bottle — triple-distilled from 100% malted barley, aged in ex-bourbon barrels and oloroso sherry butts, then finished in Marsala wine casks from Sicily, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL (US bottle; 700mL in the UK)
- Age: 12 years
- Casks: ex-bourbon barrels + oloroso sherry butts, finished 6–9 months in Sicilian Marsala wine casks
- Style: triple-distilled single malt, 100% malted barley
- Origin: Old Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim, Northern Ireland — licensed since 1608
Twelve Years, Three Casks, One Sweet Spot
Bushmills claims the title of the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery — the license dates to 1608. The 12 Year Old spent years as a distillery-exclusive before joining the core range in 2022, and in September 2025 it replaced the 10 Year Old as the UK's entry-level Bushmills single malt. Master Blender Alex Thomas calls 12 years "a sweet spot for whiskey," and the cask recipe shows why: after its time in bourbon barrels and sherry butts, the whiskey finishes 6–9 months in Marsala wine casks from Sicily, adding a dried-fruit richness you won't find in the rest of the core range. Explore our Irish whiskey shelf, browse the Bushmills range, or compare other single malts.
Tasting Notes
Dried fruit, honey, vanilla, toasted nuts, and gentle oak on the nose. The palate brings apricot, raisin, caramel, brown sugar, and nutty malt with soft spice — the Marsala finish showing in the dried-fruit depth. The finish is warm and medium-long, slightly sweet, with lingering fruit and toasted oak.
How to Enjoy
Neat or over a large ice cube — it's positioned as both a sipper and an introductory single malt, and it handles either role.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bushmills 12 triple distilled?
Yes — all Bushmills whiskey is triple distilled.
What casks is it aged in?
Ex-bourbon barrels and oloroso sherry casks, finished in Sicilian Marsala wine casks.
What's the difference between Bushmills 12 and 10?
The 12 is the newer, richer core-range entry — launched in 2022 and it replaced the 10 Year Old in the UK in 2025.
Is Bushmills 12 a bourbon?
No — it's a single malt Irish whiskey made from 100% malted barley.
Aged twelve years and finished in Marsala — order Bushmills 12 Year Old online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.