“Hello, and welcome,” a soft Irish brogue greets me, “Congratulations on being in possession of a rare Bushmills single malt…” Charmed, I’m sure, I reply. “You’ve had a busy day,” You have no idea. “Let the Bushmills Causeway Collection take it from here…”
This is not the sales patter of a shop assistant, nor am I conversing with a TV advert. It’s a Friday evening, the little nest of vipers is tucked up in bed, Mrs L is engrossed in an episode of Slow Horses in the lounge, and I’ve just poured myself a single malt after clearing up dinner. The voice is that of Colin Morgan. Yes, the actor Colin Morgan (star of Branagh’s Belfast and BBC’s Merlin). He’s not with me per se, but I’ve just set his mellifluous tones running via an app while sip my dram.
“You’re in good hands, with the masters of relaxation…” he continues. Colin’s dulcet tones accompany me on a ‘Whiskey Wind Down’, an immersive experience from Bushmills Irish whiskey designed to enhance the enjoyment of their new Causeway Collection.
Inspired by Northern Ireland’s rugged coastline, fusing the sounds of the dramatic landscape of The Giants Causeway with those of the ancient distillery itself, it spans a full twelve minutes – considered by Bushmills’ experts to be the ideal length of time to savour the complexity of these rare single malts. The idea behind this ‘Whiskey Wind Down’ is to take the whiskey lover on a journey to fully appreciate the range and depth of flavours in the glass in hand.
Colin encourages me to pour a dram, find a comfortable spot, and relax. A fire crackles in the background (on the soundtrack, that is). I swirl the liquid in the glass, and take in the aroma; notes of ripe summer fruits and black coffee waft over me. He encourages me take a deep breath, and transports me to Northern Ireland’s coastline. Waves tumble and hiss, an oyster catcher knocks a shell against a rock, housemartins dart across the sky. I take a sip. Colin asks me what I notice. Sweet peach and orange peel, a little vanilla, and gentle spice. This is really rather enjoyable.
Of course, you can’t just play this with any whiskey, it’s designed specifically for the Causeway Collection, Bushmills’ elusive and exclusive range of limited-edition, extremely rare triple-distilled cask-finished Irish single malts. Colin and I continue…
From the causeway, we open the doors to the Bushmills’ distillery where, among the barrels, themselves ‘breathing’ almost as slowly as I now am, Colin gives me a history lesson on the world’s oldest distillery. They began distilling whiskey here in 1608 – the number embossed on the bottle, incidentally. To put that in context, they were making whiskey before the Mayflower sailed. The Ming dynasty still ruled in China. In Moghul India, a single brick had yet to be laid in the Taj Mahal. It’s an absorbing experience, I’m so taken by what I’m hearing I’m almost forgetting to savour the whiskey.
“Now,” says Colin, “let the weight of this discovery help you shed the last cares of the day…and let the drink in your hand, that golden time capsule, infuse your senses…You deserve the same exceptional finish as the magical time-defined whiskey in your hand…”
I couldn’t have put it better myself, thanks Colin.
For more information Bushmills’ Causeway Collection, please visit www.bushmills.com. The track can be accessed at www.thecausewaycollection.com.
