Bimber The First Single Malt

Amazing... for a 3-year-old newcomer, this producer has really excelled. This is a new distillery from England, and unlike their counterparts north of the border, they aren't controlled by huge corporations with vast marketing and accounting departments. These producers, along with others like Cotswold and Lakes, are smaller operations without elaborate backstories or past achievements to rely on. This means the spirit must stand on its own. Excellence is paramount. For example: Bimber doesn't mill their grain; they crush it, preserving the husks. It's more difficult but yields more flavor. The grain comes from a single farm. Fermentation lasts a long time... 7 days. I could continue... but you grasp the idea. I've recently made it a goal to go through my collection of samples before opening new bottles... and that leads me to this sample I acquired from TWE. So, let's get to the tasting: Normally, I don't comment on appearance. But considering this has no added coloring and is only 3 years old, it displays a remarkable mahogany hue. Similar to a bourbon. The aroma doesn't present as a heavy sherry influence as I anticipated. It's lighter. Notes of apricot and peaches. Taste: This is where it truly shines. Thick and oily. Flavors of coffee, espresso, and hazelnuts. The PX sherry contributes a sweetness. If you were fortunate enough to purchase one of the 1000 bottles at the retail price of $120... consider yourselves lucky. Open it and share it. If you missed out and are ordering from TWE, they still offer 3cl samples. Trying a new approach this year---- So: this concludes one month. For January, I've sampled: Bimber First Release Barrell Batch 19 That Boutique-y Bourbon 24yr old Barrell Private Selection Rum J553 Lusty Claw Bourbon Virginia Distillery Rum Cask Finish Lagavulin Offerman 11yr old Port Dundas 28 yr old JW Ghost and Rare Brora Benriach Albariza 20yr Heaven Hill Midwinter 7 Best of the month: Johnnie Walker Rare / Ghost Brora Worst: Lusty Claw Bourbon Best Value for Money: Lagavulin Offerman (at $60 here in New Jersey)

The spirit in my glass is from a collection of six samples available from Bimber in London. While not definitively the exact whisky in this bottle, it shares the same PX-cask origin and is bottled at the same 54.2% strength. The only indication it might differ is the "Test Batch" text on the label, but let's assume it's close enough for a review here. Regardless, it's exceptional, consistent from aroma to finish, with a pronounced milk chocolate character and none of the harshness often found in young spirits heavily influenced by sherry casks. Beyond creamy chocolate, the aroma includes milky toffee, butterscotch, salted caramel ice cream, and nutmeg. These flavors carry through to the palate, joined by cinnamon, chocolate Bourbon biscuits, and coffee. The finish is like licking a bowl of that ice cream – delightful! For a three-year-old spirit, this is a remarkable accomplishment. Even if the flavor profile is ultimately somewhat limited, it's less so than many much older sherry cask spirits from more established distilleries. A debut that carries the swagger of a confident street vendor.

Nose: Raisins, Apricots, Pineapple, Cherries, Date Syrup, Milk Chocolate, Green Apple, Sourdough, Toffee, Mango, Citrus, Plums, Flowers, Honey, Vanilla, Watermelon Jolly Ranchers Palate: Plums, Toffee, Milk Chocolate, Cinnamon, Red Apple, Pepper, Ginger, Orange, Cherries, Sourdough Rye Bread, Christmas Cake Finish: Chocolate, Dates, Raisins, Dried Fruit, Cherries, Maple, Cloves, Baking Spices, Oranges, Christmas Cake Bimber and Sherry complement each other very well.