Review / Bimber - The 1st Peated

This whisky is the inaugural bottling of peated single malt from the London-based distillery of Bimber. The 1st Peated is entirely composed of spirit from the distillery's first ever peated run, which took place in May 2019. Just four ex-bourbon barrels have been selected for The 1st Peated by founder and Master Distiller Dariusz Plazewski. The whisky has been recorded as having an 'in bottle' reading of 14.4PPM (Phenol Parts per Million). It has been released at 54.1% ABV and was available via ballot only on the Bimber website in November 2022. There were just 1,140 bottles with each costing £130. They are going for at least double this amount on current whisky auction sites.

The Bimber distillery was founded in 2015 and is located in west London. The name comes from founder Dariusz Plazewski's native language - bimber translates as 'moonshine' in Polish - and pays homage to his family's distilling heritage. The first cask of whisky was laid down to mature in May 2016. Since their first bottling in September 2019, the brand has gone on to gain significant critical acclaim and become one of the most sought after whiskies by collectors. The annual production capacity is just 50,000 litres.

 

"This release represents a major milestone on the continued journey of Bimber. Not only is it the culmination of several years of investigation and passion, but being entirely produced by-hand, in-house – it also truly embodies our continued dedication to traditional production methods." 

Dariusz Plazewski. 

Our tasting notes

The colour is coppery gold and the nose is sweet and spicy. Delicious aromas of vanilla sugar and honey leap from the glass and are quickly joined by caramelised pineapple and expressive tropical fruits. There are also hints of candied lemon and lime. The peat smoke has a distinct ashy ember-like quality and this adds dryness. There is also a background herbal quality.

On the palate this whisky seems smokier than the nose suggested. This is balanced with a delicious sweetness and fruitiness. Crisp green apple combine well with caramelised pear and ripe, juicy tropical fruits - think of pineapple, papaya and a hint of apricot. There is also plenty of vanilla on show, plus hints of milk chocolate and sugared peppermint.

The peat smoke is soft and well balanced, but has the same ashy quality as demonstrated on the nose. This is reminiscent of dying embers but also has gentle notes of dried heather and lavender. With time a youthful peppery warmth develops and this seems to turn the smokiness up a notch. The peat is similar to Highland or Speyside style, rather than Islay peat.

The finish is of decent length and becomes drier, more ashy and peppery with time. The sweeter elements fade first, followed by the distinct fruity characters. This leaves the peat smoke and woody, earthy spices to drag the finish out and give a mouthwatering heat. A hint of peppermint comes through right at the end.

What's the verdict?

This is a lovely offering from Bimber and one that shows incredible promise. The whisky shows its youthfulness at times but has plenty of depth and character. The layer of smoke adds complexity and it will be interesting to see how this evolves with extra time in the cask. Bimber, and this peated expression, are definitely ones to keep an eye on and the hope is that they become more available with time.