Side by side : Bimber Single Cask Releases

On the 20th February Bimber released its first distillery exclusive bottlings, available for visitors to purchase from the distillery.

"The team has selected three exceptional single casks which reflect our naturally fruit-forward style whilst also demonstrating the remarkable versatility of our single malt whisky. We look forward to welcoming you to the distillery over the coming weeks. Limited edition bottlings, one (of each type) per person."

Unfortunately they sold out very quickly but I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of each to review.

Photo: Bimber by @TheWhiskyImage

I love the bottle labels, created by Ewelina, the distillery's founder, they show traditional whisky scenes which mirrors the ethos of the distillery.

It may only be four years old but the distillery's owners have generations of distilling experience - Darius' grandfather used to distil moonshine back in Poland! They follow traditional processes - using local English grown barley, floor malted for five days, kiln dried, and fermented for seven days. The wash is then double distilled in direct fire copper pot stills giving a light and fruity new make coming out at around 72% ABV. This is reduced to 62.5% ABV and matured in a variety of casks, (maintained at their on-site cooperage) in their own warehouses with the resulting whisky then bottled on-site! Think Springbank but on a smaller scale!

The spirit is matured in a variety of casks - ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and ex-wine. The peated finish is ex-bourbon matured before finishing for 8 months in ex-Islay Quarter Casks.

Dram	Virgin Cask	Sherry Cask	Peated Finish
Characteristics	53.1% ABV Non-coloured, NCF D: '16, Cask #28, B: '20 70 Bottles	53.9% ABV Non-coloured, NCF D: '16, Cask #34, B: '20 65 Bottles	54.2% ABV Non-coloured, NCF D: '16, Cask #PF64, B: '20 100 Bottles
Distillery notes	Nose: Freshly picked apples and pear drops are joined by crisp cereals. Rich toffee is spiced with nutmeg, whilst tanned leather sits with freshly planed oak Taste: Split vanilla pods and thick, creamy custard sit with burnt toffee and maple syrup. Running throughout – juicy red berry fruits and gentle toasted cereals Finish: Gentle cask char and fading pepperiness	Nose: Decadent chocolate and Dulce de leche sauces sit with well-worn leather and dusty bound books. Redcurrants, snowberries and orange peels are joined by golden syrup and perky cinnamon spicing  Taste: Rich, full-bodied and weighty – Cinnamon buns, chocolate gateaux and dried berry-packed cake are joined by cracked leather, burnt honeycomb and reduced orange liqueurs  Finish: Lingering berries sit with cinnamon spicing and fading tobacco notes	Nose: Crisp and clean with aromas of fresh peach, toffee and vanilla cream alongside floral notes of juniper, wispy smoke and tobacco leaves Taste: A bolder palate with a rich, oily and full mouthfeel. Stone fruits and lime zest are joined by crumbled biscuits whilst charcoal and medicinal peat smoke run throughout Finish: Lingering smokiness punctuated by a fizz of white pepper
My thoughts:
Appearance
	Dark gold almost bronze in the glass, swirls cling as a hairline crack eventually beading up and falling as slow thick legs.	This is the darkest of the three, almost brown. Swirls clink forming an invested crown of beads before they fall as slow thin legs.	Again dark gold almost bronze in the glass, swirls cling before falling as thick slow legs.
Nose	First up loads of toffee, there's the Bimber orchard fruit notes and a big hit of spice. It is very bourbon-like - even rye-like in it's spiciness - ginger and pepper. The vanilla you'd expect from a virgin cask is there with a faint smoke note. A little time in the glass offers some tropical notes - pineapple and coconut.	Burnt toffee hits you as soon as you put your nose near the glass, there's loads of dark chocolate and a real note of smoke. Typical sherry fruit : strawberries and dried fruit, but it's not your typical sherry-bomb - not exactly dunnage warehouse more old leather jacket. The Bimber orchard fruits are there but only just - I think the cask has really taken its toll on the spirit - amazing for only a 4 year old whisky.	Light smoke with a floral edge, very fresh smelling. Again the Bimber distillery characteristic orchard fruit notes are there - apples, pears, apricots and a trace of menthol.
Palate	Thick slightly oily arrival - again typical Bimber in my book. Mouthfeel is again bourbon or rye-like with lots of spice and toffee but with the Bimber orchard fruit notes. There is a little hint of chocolate like the sherry cask but its smooth and rich not bitter. Very warming - the ABV hitting a perfect sweet spot for me - ginger and sour grapefruit on the tongue as the liquid disappears.	Huge sherry notes straight away - strawberry jam, dried fruit, figs, dates etc but again with a big chocolate note - it's like hot chocolate sponge with chocolate or butterscotch sauce. Very sweet but balanced with a slightly bitter oaky dryness.	Thick slightly oily, mouth coating arrival, a nice spice bite and a toffee note.There's the Bimber orchard/tropical fruit notes and then the peat smoke arrives. It's not overly strong - 8 months is a QC (probably Laphroaig?) - but it gives a nice edge to the dram and a slight drying effect.
Finish	Long lingering spice - again very rye-like. Hints of orchard fruit and very drying. I am loving this! YUMMY!	Not as long a finish as the Virgin Oak, a gentler spice and more sherry fruit notes - a bitter drying effect.	The smoke leads here - long and lingering with a spice citrus note - Nice!
Overall	These are all single cask drams, slightly diluted to what the distillery say is the ideal ABV for each - and I tend to agree! Although all show what I think of as Bimber distillery characteristics - orchard fruit, toffee and drying spice - each has its own take on them. The Peated Finish adds a gentle layer of smoke. The Sherry Finish huge strawberry and chocolate notes - I'm not sure what kind of cask was used but it had a huge impact on the spirit. Finally, or first in the tasking order, The Virgin Oak - for me easily the best of the three - huge rye-like nose and palate notes with a slightly oily arrival - YUMMY! As I said in my intro these sold out very quickly... Bimber is a distillery that's just starting to put it's head above the parapet so to speak - soon everyone will know about them. I'm sure there will be many more future releases of single cask bottlings I'd suggest you get yourself down to the distillery and buy some as soon as you hear about them.

Many thanks to @BimberLondon for the samples!

Photo Bimber by @TheWhiskyImage