Bimber Peated Barley

@BimberLondon has been around since 2015, they've released a number of styles of whisky as they work towards a core range including ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, ex-peated cask etc

I recently got to try their first peated barley bottling!

At the Southport Winter Whisky Festival in February '22 Bimber held a Masterclass where their Director of Marketing & Communications Matt McKay led us through four bottles including the new Fortnum & Mason release, a SWC festival exclusive and two intriguing Peated releases : a virgin oak and ex-sherry.

Bimber Masterclass Bottles

Bimber have released some peated whisky before but these have been from unpeated barley matured in ex-Islay and / or ex-Ardmore casks. These bottlings were from barley malted in Darius' basement and then dried in a home-made smoker using Highland peat to around 42ppm.

A Masterclass isn't the place to do a whisky review but I was fortunate to be able to obtain a sample of the Virgin Oak bottling to review later - here we go!

Distillery notes: Peated barley, Virgin Oak matured, 59.1% ABV

My thoughts:

Appearance: Dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a hairline crack in the glass, bead up slowly and fall as slow thin legs.

 

Nose: peat smoke dominates a cross between Islay and Skye - some medicinal hints, a little minerality and some burnt rubber. There's a toffee sweetness, juicy citrus and huge spice notes jumping out of the glass. Juicy smoke!

Palate: thick sweet arrival, chewy: fruit - both orchard & tropical; chewing toffee; a little citrus  and then a bite of ginger spice. There's some wet dog, rubber tyres and a little salinity. A blanket of smoke covers everything as the liquid disappears. Another sip and the adventure repeats! 

Finish: Lingering smoke, sweetness and spice.

Thoughts: The peated pair were 2 years and 11 months old - so not quite whisky, but by the time you read this the casks will now be 3yo! I for one can't wait for these to be bottled and released!