The London distillery Bimber has principally impressed us with bourbon casks thus far (test our Bimber evaluations thus far). It matches the innate fruitiness of the spirit and infrequently ends in a vivid, vibrant whisky. At present we’re making an attempt another cask varieties.
First up is a Bimber Oloroso bottled by Abbey Whisky. Then now we have a model completed in an Imperial Stout cask within the Whisky Sponge collection. The final one is an official sherry cask unique to the Italian market and their importer Beija-Flor.
Bimber Oloroso (57,9%, OB for Abbey Whisky 2022, cask #125.1/9A, 178 btl.)
Nostril: a really jammy model of sherry with a contemporary oak affect. Meaning a variety of vanilla and toffee, in addition to milk chocolate. Additionally apricot jam, raisins and cherry sweet. There’s some mild pepper and almonds. A slightly dessert-like model.
Mouth: once more a bit wood-forward, with loads of peppery notes, mint and ginger. Beneath are muscovado sugar, raisins and hints of dates. Nonetheless a bit apricot and fruit stew, though a variety of the fruitiness is overshadowed by the cask now. Later darker hints of chocolate sauce, liquorice and all-spice seem, with some assertive oak char in the long run.
End: fairly lengthy, nonetheless candy and spicy. It will get drier within the very finish, with hints of walnuts and peppercorns.
This can be a barely enigmatic Bimber, having no distillation yr or age on the label and a low outturn – perhaps 1 / 4 cask? It actually feels a bit younger and pressure-cooked nevertheless it additionally exhibits a pleasant richness and fruity core. Particulars will be discovered on the Abbey Whisky web site however the bottles had been gone rapidly.
Bimber 4 yo 2017 (57,3%, Whisky Sponge 2021, first fill barrel + Imperial Stout end, cask #184, 257 btl.)
Nostril: extra of the basic fruity affect right here. Lemons and tangerines with hints of honey and vanilla. Whiffs of bubblegum. Additionally hay and dusty barley notes. Additionally a darker musty aspect with chocolate, that should be the Stout cask? Lemonade with chocolate, it really works.
Mouth: extra unusual now. There’s some banana break up, liquorice, grapefruits and lemon peels. Then grassy notes and hints of grass. Inexperienced natural touches. Minty notes. A light-weight woody astringency is noticeable, however for such a unusual end it’s correctly weighted.
End: fairly lengthy, with extra of this natural bitterness and inexperienced edge. Tea leaves and a imprecise sweetness.
Once more not my favorite model of Bimber spirit, however for a Stout end it’s a lot better than I anticipated. Rating: 85/100
Bimber Sherry Cask ‘Italy Version’ (51,9%, OB for Beija-Flor 2020, cask #133, 59 btl.)
Nostril: a richer, extra intense model of sherry than the Abbey Whisky bottling. I’m getting plum jam and blackberries, in addition to baked apples and cinnamon. Rum & raisins. The fashionable oak affect is beneath management right here. Hints of leather-based and chocolate. Some ginger however total much less invasive spices.
Mouth: fairly indulgent, with brown sugar and crimson berries, raisins and damson chutney. Hints of walnuts, treacle and leather-based. Very dense. Mint and pepper after some time, in addition to a natural and coppery word that I discover rather less spectacular. Barely tannic even.
End: lengthy, on dried fruits and herbs, with a bit oak char.
One other one with out an age assertion. That is comes near sure Kavalan expressions by way of sherry and wooden affect. Younger stuff once more however the richest, most advanced whisky on this session. Rating: 87/100
