Aged in oloroso sherry and bourbon barrels, then finished in marsala casks, this 12-year-old offers rich butterscotch tones plus a hint of milk chocolate studded with almonds and toasted coconut. Still, it lands lightly, cut with grapefruit peel astringency.

Layering a marsala wine-cask finish over Irish single malts matured in bourbon and oloroso sherry casks unleashes a visceral, full-bodied Bushmills into its core range, a dynamic juxtaposition from the easy drinking of the honey-sweet 10 year old. Master blender Alex Thomas serves up a magnificently sturdy dram, primed with dark sweet delights and peppered with mixed peel, sultana, and walnut oil, offering tantalizing twists and turns of intensity through its honey, sweet fig, and black tea flavors.