What you need to know:

• As Peaky Blinders returns with its final season on June 10 (you're welcome, fans!), there's actually going to be a whiskey bottled By Order of the Peaky fookin' Blinders to sip along with the series.
• Bushmills whiskey appears in several episodes of the series. This bottle – the Bushmills Prohibition Recipe Irish Whiskey is a replica of the vintage Bushmills bottles used as a prop in the series.
• Several features borrow design elements from the 1920s era such as visible cork lids and a blue-tinted glass. There's an iconic Thomas Shelby quote on the back label of the bottle. 
• The juice is a blend of 3 years, 4 years and 5 years in ex-bourbon casks, and comes in a punchier 92 proof or 46% ABV and is non-chill filtered, giving it a palate that "bursts with flavors of rye bread, orange marmalade, almonds, and cinnamon" before "finishing long and full with tangy citrus oils and vanilla bean."
• Now available in the US via e-retailer site ReserveBar, and in US retail stores with a recommended retail price of US$29.99.
• We note that this is a 3-year-old whiskey. It's mostly marketing, with a bit of oomph on the palate. But let's not be cynics for the sake of being cynics. Consider the higher strength– something rare for Bushmills– the design efforts, the Peaky Blinders' branding the vintage bottle. We say this is a Cop.
• Cop or Drop Verdict: Cop!

It is Peaky Blinders canon that Thomas Shelby's favourite style of malt spirit is Irish whiskey. Now, there's actually going to be a whiskey bottled By Order of the Peaky fookin' Blinders. 

All images courtesy of Bushmills

After decades of illegal betting, smuggling and extortion, it seems that Thomas Shelby has finally decided to move into a legitimate whiskey distillation business as an upstanding citizen.  

As Peaky Blinders returns with its highly-anticipated final season on June 10 (you're welcome, fans!), Bushmills has collaborated with Peaky Blinders' showowners to bring to market the Bushmills Prohibition Recipe Irish Whiskey. The bottles are additionally labelled "By Order of the Shelby Company Ltd" along with the Shelbys' family emblem. 

Design-wise, the bottles are also replicas of the vintage Bushmills bottles used as a prop within several episodes of Peaky Blinders. Several features borrow design elements from the 1920s era such as visible cork lids and a blue-tinted glass. The description on the back of the bottle includes a clever-sounding Thomas Shelby quote from a scene: 

"Whiskey is good proofing water. It tells you who's real and who isn't."

Not only does this bottle mark the hit series' return our screens, there is a small hint of truth on the label – Bushmills is one of the small handful of whisk(e)y distilleries to survive the economic hardship wrought by the American Prohibition decade. Bushmills' Master Distiller, Colum Egan, had this to say:

“As the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery and one of only a handful of distilleries to survive the 13 long years that preceded repeal day, this whiskey represents uncompromised quality and perseverance in the face of adversity – a story that is shared by both Bushmills and the Peaky Blinders.”

What about the spirit within the bottle? This one comes in at a slightly higher 92 proof – or 46% ABV compared to the standard 40% ABV bottles. Master Distiller Egan crafted the whiskey by blending three batches of whiskey– aged for 3 years, 4 years and 5 years in ex-bourbon casks. The higher proof and ex-bourbon oak results in more robust and punchy Prohibition Blend that on the palate "bursts with flavors of rye bread, orange marmalade, almonds, and cinnamon" before "finishing long and full with tangy citrus oils and vanilla bean."

According to Egan, this release thus celebrates Bushmills’ long history and the continued ageing of whiskey during the 13 years of Prohibition. 

This bottle is already available in the United States via e-retailer site ReserveBar, and in US retail stores with a recommended retail price of US$29.99.  

Our Take

Even if you're not a fanatic of the series, you have to admit their marketing photos are quite thrilling. Who else could make selling a stereotypical "old man's drink" cool again? It'd be these guys. 

This is technically a 3-year-old whiskey (containing some 4 and 5 year old) being sold for the price of a Bushmills 10-year-old, and is also more expensive than the highly popular, rich-tasting Black Bush core bottling. That said, two things stand out: almost all Bushmills are bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV) and chill-filtered. This bottle is one of the highest proof Bushmills (at 92 proof, 46% ABV) and is also non-chill filtered in the spirit of making this an "ole style" Prohibition era blend. The Shelby family emblem and vintage blue-tinted glass also adds a very nice touch, making this pretty good conversation piece for the price of US$29.99. 

It's mostly marketing, with a bit of oomph on the palate. But let's not be cynics for the sake of being cynics. Consider the effort, the Peaky Blinders' branding the bottle design, we say this is a Cop.

Cop Or Drop Verdict: Cop

@CharsiuCharlie

For more on Irish whiskey and the Peaky Blinders, take a look at these stories:

1. What is Irish Whiskey? – Explained in 3 Mins

2. Millennials love Irish whiskey more than Scotch. Why?

3. Irish Single Malt Whiskey, 18 Years Old, 2002, 48.6% ABV, The Swan Song – Review

Craving for some Irish whiskey? Check these out on our Shop.

Dram Set: Irish Cream Available in our Shop

Browse Product

Cooley Irish Single Malt Whiskey 2002, 18 Years, 48.6% Available in our Bottle Shop

Browse Product