Bushmills Unveils New Bottle and Packaging for Its Iconic Single Malts

Bushmills Irish Whiskey has recently released a new bottle and revamped packaging for its 10, 12, 16, and 21-year-old expressions. Currently available in Ireland, the new design is expected to hit all key global markets by early 2022.

This makeover is a momentous day for Bushmills enthusiasts, given that the whiskey brand is moving away from the iconic heritage bottle that has become synonymous with the spirit.

bushmills barrels

Credit: Nataliya Hora / Shutterstock.com

A Refresh for Bushmills

Interestingly, Bushmill’s design overhaul comes a month after the brand announced the appointment of Alex Thomas as the new master blender. Having joined the team in 2004 and been born in Ballymoney, just 15 minutes from the distillery, Thomas is intimately connected to Bushmills whiskey. She has now been tasked with “developing new whiskeys and experimenting with different casks and flavours, while still maintaining the iconic Bushmills taste and quality”.

Thomas herself commented: “The craftsmanship and passion that goes into Bushmills is something that has truly captured my imagination. Whiskey fans know Bushmills Irish Whiskey for the brand’s 400 years of quality and taste, so part of my job will be ensuring that we continue to meet that high standard.” 

The New Design

The new bottle and packaging have both been designed by Stranger & Stranger, a New-York based design agency. The agency drew inspiration from the Giant’s Causeway when designing the bottle, just as Bushmills have done for many years. Both based in County Antrim, the distillery is just up the road from the iconic landmark. Accordingly, the broad-shouldered and angular bottle imitates the basalt columns of the Causeway, whilst other subtle features, such as a hexagonal punt mirroring its stones, have also been incorporated.

New vibrant colours have been introduced across the range to contemporise the packaging, alongside quality parchment labels and varnished wooden cork closures for the 10, 12, and 16-year-old whiskey expressions. Meanwhile, a matte black cap will feature on the 21-year-old single malt. 

Speaking about the new design, Bushmills’ Master Distiller Colum Egan said: “I am proud to put my signature to our new single malt bottles. The result of thorough reflection and considerable work by our marketing and Old Bushmills Distillery innovation teams, the new packaging certainly provides a stage for our single malts befitting of Bushmills’ status as the pioneer of Irish single malts and worthy of our generations of master whiskey makers. These designs underpin our Bushmills character and quality while delivering a strong and confident appeal to the new generations of single malt explorers worldwide.” 

He added, “Although our bottles have changed, our whiskey has not. We are still making whiskey the old way; the way our great-grandparents and their great-grandparents made it at the Old Bushmills Distillery – the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. Our respect for tradition ensures we’re just as uncompromising about quality as those who came before us. We will continue to maintain our iconic taste and quality of our signature smooth Bushmills Irish Whiskey single malts.”


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