Taste Review #127 – Bimber Oloroso Batch 4
Once again it is time for a speed review of some whisky that I don’t have time to properly do a full article for. I’m going to stick solely to the facts.
Bimber is a relatively new distillery based in London. It was founded by Dariusz Plazewski in 2005 and takes its name from the Polish word for moonshine. As I have Polish family, I’ve tasted plenty of home made liqueurs, most of them will blow your socks off, and none have had the abv tested. While they don’t make the base spirit, they purchase a neutral spirit at 94.5% and work from there. I only found out the potential strength of some of the hooch I’d been given when during my last stay with my mother-in-law I found an empty bottle of said spirit. That will explain why one of my wedding guests pretty much knocked himself out drinking the liqueur that was put in decanters on each table!
It is one of those sayings that when you drink tap water in London, it’s already been through 5 people before you. I am not so sure how true this is, but Bimber is made with water from public supply. While it will not have the minerals of a gushing mountain stream from the Highlands where many distilleries only have to filter their water for particulates and UV treat it, the Bimber water must be of a good enough quality. And when you think that in the process, the water gets boiled pretty much more than once, I doubt you will have to worry if the male population of London suddenly take a massive passion for eating asparagus.
I don’t have much time to write much more so I’m going to crack on with tasting this dram.
Bimber Oloroso cask Batch 4
Region – English Age – NAS Strength – 51.2% abv Colour – Amontillado Sherry (0.9) Cask Type – Bourbon / Oloroso Butt Colouring – No Chill Filtered – No Nose – Malty, dusty hay barn, raisins, creamy vanilla, red apple, lemon, hint of ginger nuts. Palate – spirit burn on arrival, creamy milk chocolate, blackberry preserve, dried fruit, sweet, medium body. Adding water releases more nutty note, a waxy walnut. Finish – Short – medium length of finish. Velvety warming spices, cinnamon, ginger, sweet sherry departure. Water calms down the spices on the finish and adds an almond nougat. The last sip gave me chocolate caramel
Conclusions
This was wonderful. I have to say it was an instant like and no wonder Bimber is hard to get. This was my first experience of Bimber Whisky, and I have to give this a massive thumbs up. Who cares about where their water comes from? They source all their barley from one farm, so were a Single Farm distillery long before many others who now claim the same thing.
Only 975 bottles of this were released, and seeing as Bimber is often harder to obtain than unicorn farts, if you see one, grab it. Just don’t over pay at auction.
English whisky may have some way to go to catch up to Scotch, but this one is definitely a contender.
Yours In Spirits
Scotty
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Scotty’s Drams 
Polish moonshine rulezzz!
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