BIMBER SMALL BATCH 001, OLOROSO SHERRY CASK

WOW. What is this? Where does this dram come from? It is a very good whisky! In recent months, I've seen photos of Bimber whisky in some social media groups, but I never really paid it any attention. I didn't even know where it originated. However, a couple of weeks ago, a friend gave me a sample of this, and I had no expectations. I didn't even read anything about it until tonight, after tasting it (I usually do this to avoid being influenced by any prior information about a whisky before evaluating it). So, this actually comes from England. It's a relatively new distillery (2015) run by a Polish family. The word "Bimber" means "Moonshine" in the Polish language. Bottled at 51.4% ABV, it was initially matured in ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Spanish Oloroso Sherry Casks. It has the most lovely orange, copper color. On the nose, it is perfect. The moment I took my first sniff, I was amazed. An incredibly rich orange caramel note is the first to appear, followed by dehydrated oranges and coffee. Very fruity, in a dehydrated form. Incredibly appealing on the nose, with stewed apples and cinnamon spice. A great lemon note surrounds everything. It becomes more citric with time, like green apples. After the first sip, it reveals a more peppery note with various spices. Rich caramel. Cinnamon. Apples. Caramel. Toffee. On the palate, it starts incredibly sweet before becoming powerfully spicy. Very rich, like red apples; then it turns very spicy with pepper notes and a strong salty flavor. The second sip is all about rich caramel; lovely, very sweet until the mineral spices emerge. It is actually very salty. The third sip brought classic vanilla and more minerals. Aftertaste has a lot of character. Very bitter tobacco, burnt grass, smoky. Very dry mouthfeel. It's exactly like eating a very bitter 100% cocoa dark chocolate. Milk powder. Very dry. Overall, this is a beautiful rollercoaster. It has many powerful flavors and aromas. It's not an everyday dram precisely because of that; it's just too much. A very good experience and a surprising moment for me. There are only 950 bottles worldwide. My score for it is a solid 94 out of 100. Cheers!

Quite enjoyable! Not sweet, nor peated, and definitely not spicy. It's well-balanced with no lingering aftertaste. You should try Bimber!