Bimber (or Timber?) for the Belgian market

Bimber is one of those “whisky du jour” that creates a lot of chatter among enthusiasts. First of all, it is not a Scottish distillery but located in London, somewhat northeast from Notting Hill and south of Wembley. Secondly, The whisky is supposed to be ‘fruit forward’. We will put that to the test by tasting one expression that was already released a few years ago, in 2021. The distillery claims to bring back some old traditional ways of making whisky, which we can only applaud! Still, a tie was desired to the Scottish whisky industry, and came to fruition when Dunphail Distillery was opened in Speyside. The looks of the operation breathe an old-fashioned distillery, and it is not only looks; the distillery also has a floor malting. Looking forward to those products!

Bimber Belgian Edition, bottled at 58,4 % abv

Makeup: Ex-bourbon cask #194 carried this Bimber single malt London whisky since 2016 before being in put in 257 bottles in 2021. The expression was produced for Top Malts in Belgium.

General impressions: Some hints of new wood and pine forest, but not the vanilla kick to the head that I expected. It really is reminiscent of the crafts workshop at my high school on a sunny afternoon, when the sawdust flew around and the glued items were left to dry. There is certainly some resin there. Sticky fingers after raising this glass! The taste offers vanilla sweetness though, before moving on to a more woody character. Some alcohol hotness, but not disturbing in any way. Easy to drink undiluted. Still, we added some water, to dig a little deeper. Glad we did, the Bimber leaves the timber behind and reveals more complexity. Saint Nicolas candy, pear juice and fresh flowers from the market. 

The taste is less woody now and more fruity with some peaches and even a little smoky edge. Yes, the whisky is young, but not immature. The finish keeps the fruity notes to the front, and that is a good thing.

Conclusion: Lovely dram, with some more depth than a regular straightforward bourbon matured single malt. I had to resist dipping a biscuit in there! For a “whisky du jour” it delivers in spades.

Score: 85 points

Got a question about this whisky? Or do you just want to say something about it? There is a contactform on the bottom of this page!  

Share this on your social media! - and check mine while you're at it :)