Old Bushmills Distillery, Whiskey distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Old Bushmills Distillery is a whiskey producer located in Bushmills, a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The facility consists of copper pot stills, fermentation tanks, and several bonded warehouses where the spirit matures in oak barrels.
The site received its official license to distill whiskey in 1608 from King James I of England. Most of the current buildings date from the 19th century, when the facility was reconstructed following a fire.
The company takes its name from the River Bush, which once powered the water mills that gave the village its identity. Visitors walk through warehouses where oak casks line the walls, and the air carries the rich scent of aging spirit.
Tours through the production areas last around one hour and include a walk past the copper stills with a tasting session at the end. Wheelchair access remains limited in certain sections due to staircases connecting different levels.
The water used in production comes from Saint Columb's Rill, a small stream that flows through volcanic rock and gives the whiskey its particular character. A steamship bearing the name of the operation sailed across the Atlantic in the late 19th century, carrying Irish whiskey to America.
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