Bimber 2020 Virgin Single Cask #91

Nose

Thick toffee, creamy vanilla and apple are followed by ginger, malt biscuits and gentle baking spices. Cinnamon, toasted oak and a lightly charred note gradually emerge.

Palate

Full and creamy with toffee, vanilla and rich mocha chocolate. Coffee, pepper, cinnamon and cloves provide firm spice, while juicy fruit and sweet malt bring balance.

Finish

Medium in length and warming with vanilla, toffee and peppery oak. Cinnamon, coffee and a lightly drying wood note linger pleasantly.

Bimber Distillery was founded in West London in 2015 by Dariusz Plazewski and Ewelina Chruszczyk. Its name refers to the Polish word for homemade spirit, acknowledging the distilling traditions with which the founders grew up. The first casks were filled on 26 May 2016. Three years later, The First appeared as a limited release of 1,000 bottles and sold out within a matter of hours.

Bimber deliberately follows a small-scale and distinctly traditional approach. Its English barley comes from a single farm and is floor malted using traditional methods. This is followed by hand mashing, seven-day fermentation in open wooden washbacks and slow distillation in small, directly fired copper pot stills. The distillery also operates its own cooperage and bottles the whisky on site.

Long fermentation and this hands-on production method create a rich, fruit-forward spirit with considerable texture. Apple, tropical fruit, malt, honey and spice regularly appear, while bourbon, sherry, wine and re-charred oak casks provide a wide variety of accents. In a relatively short time, Bimber has established a distinctive position within the growing world of English single malt whisky.