Side by side: Bimber's Shoulders of Giants Series Pt 3

@BimberLondon have recently released a set of 6 Shoulders of Giants bottlings.

This is the 3rd release in the series, Bimber sent me some samples to review - let's see what they are like!

"Since the launch of our now-renowned Shoulders of Giants collection in April 2024, we’ve taken immense pride in each release in the series, which pays tribute to the diverse tapestry of thinkers, innovators, and visionaries who have shaped our world.

Behind every icon-inspired label and inside every story telling tube lies a bottle of single cask, single malt London whisky, passionately crafted using time-honoured techniques and matured in a selection of the finest hand-selected casks.

They say it’s what’s inside the bottle that truly counts - and with our award-winning, fruit-forward whisky, we couldn’t agree more. But from the very first release to the latest, we've poured just as much passion and dedication into our packaging, using it as a canvas to bring the stories of our remarkable icons to life."

Three are UK exclusive

Dram	Vincent – The Dreamer	Leonardo – The Visionary	Claude – The Impressionist
Characteristics	Cask #528/42 Fino sherry finish 56.8% ABV 335 bottles	Cask #547/50 Palo Cortado sherry finish 57.3% ABV 340 bottles	Cask #396 American oak ex-bourbon 57% ABV 279 bottles
Distillery notes	This meticulously crafted single cask release draws inspiration from the visionary spirit and enduring legacy of Vincent van Gogh - one of history’s greatest artists - whose profound influence continues to shape the world of art. Additionally matured in a Fino sherry cask, this exceptional single malt whisky offers a warm and sophisticated welcome to the senses, delivering notes of  creamy toffee, vanilla, pineapple, orange zest and sweet oak.	In celebration of Leonardo da Vinci’s unparalleled genius, this exclusive single cask release has been meticulously crafted to embody his enduring spirit of exploration, creativity, and innovation - capturing the very essence of his visionary mind. Additionally matured in a Palo Cortado cask, this single malt whisky offers notes of sherry-soaked dried fruits, dark chocolate, maraschino cherries, ground black pepper and wood spice.	In celebration of one of history’s greatest artists, this exceptional single cask release has been crafted to honour the masterful touch of Claude Monet - whose ground breaking techniques and visionary artistry continue to inspire generations of art lovers worldwide. Drawn from a single ex-bourbon cask, this exquisite single malt whisky offers a wonderfully complex notes of lemon drizzle cake, heather, rich sultanas and spiced baked apples.
My thoughts:
Appearance
	Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thin legs.	Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin oily legs.	Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin oily legs.
Nose	Furniture polish to start, dried fruit, caramel, apple and orange peel. There's a little honey and some berry hints.	Plum pudding, sherry soaked dried fruits, cherries and a lovely fresh orange juice note. There's dark chocolate curls and a hint of oak spice.	Sultana stuffed baked apples, vanilla custard and a hint of smoke. There's some lemon zest, honey and a hint of spice to come.
Palate	Thick oily arrival, some honey sweetness, dried fruit, orange peel and some icing sugar dryness. Some herbal notes, a little  caramel sweetness and hints of dried pineapple.	Thick, sweet arrival: Black Forest Gateaux, orange segments and some toffee. It's immediately drying begging for another sip which offers liquorice, pear and peppery spice.	Thick, sweet arrival, a little spice and a little icing sugar dryness. There's the honey and baked apple from the nose alongside brown sugar, lime zest and  a lovely peppery spice. A few more sips offer treacle toffee and dry oak spice.
Finish	Lingering herbal notes, spice and dried fruit.	Lingering dryness, peppery spice and a little cherry.	Short and dry, a little sweetness and lots of spice.
Overall	Vincent took a little time to open up, a little water giving sweetness and drying oak spice. The finishing time isn't mentioned but it's added a lovely complexity to the initial bourbon maturation. Leonardo was my pick of the three, the Palo Cortado finish dominating the flavours and adding lovely dry sherry notes. Claude is unlike most ex-bourbon Bimber's I've tried, definitely a more active cask with hint's of rye?

Three are German exclusives

Dram	Rudolf – The Engineer	Nicolaus – The Inventor	Karl – The Inventor
Characteristics	Cask #540/39 Fino sherry 57.6% ABV 293 bottles	Cask #446 Oloroso sherry 57.9% ABV 297 bottles	Cask #462 American oak ex-bourbon 58% ABV 258 bottles
Distillery notes	This exclusive single cask release was crafted in honour of - and embodies the pioneering spirit of - Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer and inventor renowned for developing the diesel engine that transformed transportation and industry. Additionally matured in a Fino sherry cask, this single malt whisky reveals captivating notes of sherry-soaked fruits, luscious dark chocolate and creamy vanilla.	This exceptional single cask release is inspired by and pays tribute to Nicolaus Otto, the German inventor renowned for developing the first practical four-stroke internal combustion engine in the late 19th century. Drawn from a single Oloroso sherry cask, this single malt whisky delights the senses with notes of dried fruits, rich caramel, honeycomb and golden syrup.	This precision-crafted, passion-fuelled single cask release pays tribute to Karl Benz, the visionary German inventor whose ground breaking creation of the automobile forever changed the face of global mobility. Drawn from a single American oak ex-bourbon cask, this single malt whisky reveals enticing notes of butterscotch, orange peel and rich fudge.
My thoughts:
Appearance
	Dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, form small beads and fall as slow thin legs.	Dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin oily legs.	Dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin oily legs.
Nose	Toffee pennies, dried fruit, liquorice and some marzipan. Some dark chocolate hints and notes of orange zest.	Sherry soaked dried fruit, plums, dates and figs. Some Christmas Cake hints and strawberries drizzled in balsamic vinegar.	Slightly musty to start, caramel sauce and orange peel soon show through. There's some vanilla, rum and raisin ice cream and a little coffee note.
Palate	Thick oily arrival, toffee and honey sweetness, dried fruit, orange zest and some icing sugar dryness. Salted apple and marzipan. Ginger spice hits as the liquid disappears.	Thick fruity arrival: sherry soaked dried fruit, figs, dates and some prunes. A big bite of chilli spice, some salinity and a little citrus. Some chocolate and brown sugar.	Thick spicy arrival, some sweetness and a little citrus. Ginger spice dominates, some toffee, honey, dried fruit and dates. A little orange flesh left on the tongue as the liquid disappears.
Finish	Lingering sweetness, spice and a little salinity.	Long sweet and spicy, warming.	Short, spicy and dry.
Overall	Rudolf was my favourite of these six, beautifully balanced with some lovely dry spice. Nicolaus was a lovely young sherry bomb, you can imaging that if this cask was eft another 5 years the liquid would have been black! Karl was more of a typical young Bimber ex-bourbon - yummy!

Like most Bimber releases I don't think you'll be able to buy bottles of these anymore but I'm sure they will soon be available on auction sites. I'd go for the Rudolf and Nicolas if you can get them?

Thanks very much to Steve Rush and the team at Bimber for the chance to try them!