“Baby What a Big Surprise”
Whisky Review # 1078
Country: England 🏴
Region: London
Brand: Bimber Santa's Edition 2023
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - 570 Bottles - Bottled: December 2023
Age: NAS (3-4 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 52.1%
Maturation: Ex-Cognac Cask
Maturation: Ex-Cognac Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Sample provided by: Ewelina from England. Many Thanks!
Price Average: US$ 220 (January 2026) - Difficult to find!
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive right now. Better buy recent expressions.
Buying Advice: 😀 Nice young Single Malt if money is not the problem
Colour:
Golden Amber with shades of Orange (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Although the Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated considering the young age of the spirit, I still advise you not to nose in the middle of your glass. The nose of this Bimber is not bad but dominated by Toffee, Malt and (Dried) Fruit. Still I've nosed far worse Single Malts at this age. The Cognac cask did a fine job and also provided good colour and Sweetness.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Toffee, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Figs, Red Apples, Plums, Apricots and Raisins, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Dusty Oak, Nutmeg, Licorice and Ginger.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Vanilla, Demerara Sugar, Marshmallow, Slightly Sour Red Berries, Grapes, Orange, Grapefruit, Roasted Pineapple, Brandy, Cinnamon and Pepper. Perhaps a hint of Varnish.
Colour:
Golden Amber with shades of Orange (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Although the Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated considering the young age of the spirit, I still advise you not to nose in the middle of your glass. The nose of this Bimber is not bad but dominated by Toffee, Malt and (Dried) Fruit. Still I've nosed far worse Single Malts at this age. The Cognac cask did a fine job and also provided good colour and Sweetness.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Toffee, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Figs, Red Apples, Plums, Apricots and Raisins, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Dusty Oak, Nutmeg, Licorice and Ginger.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Vanilla, Demerara Sugar, Marshmallow, Slightly Sour Red Berries, Grapes, Orange, Grapefruit, Roasted Pineapple, Brandy, Cinnamon and Pepper. Perhaps a hint of Varnish.
Juicy and Thick, quite surprising at this age. The Alcohol is noticeable of course. The Palate follows the Nose. Mostly Sweet but with Sour & Bitter notes for balance. Well-Balanced for a young Single Malt.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Butter Biscuits, Toffee, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Apples, Raisins and Plums, Red Berries, Lemon Cake, Grapes, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger & Nutmeg.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Molasses, Sugar, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Orange, Grapefruit, Espresso, Cinnamon and Licorice.
Finish:
Middle-Long and slightly Hot on account of the high ABV. Mainly Sweet but with a few Sour and mildly Bitter notes towards the rather Dry end. Quite Fruity. I find Sweet and Toasted Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Cacao, Buttered Cake, Dried Fruit like Apples, Plums & Raisins, Sugar, Grapes, Dusty Oak, Red Berries, Juicy Lemon and Spices like Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and Nutmeg. A little Licorice as well.
Honey, Molasses, Sugar, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Orange, Grapefruit, Espresso, Cinnamon and Licorice.
Middle-Long and slightly Hot on account of the high ABV. Mainly Sweet but with a few Sour and mildly Bitter notes towards the rather Dry end. Quite Fruity. I find Sweet and Toasted Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Cacao, Buttered Cake, Dried Fruit like Apples, Plums & Raisins, Sugar, Grapes, Dusty Oak, Red Berries, Juicy Lemon and Spices like Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and Nutmeg. A little Licorice as well.
Drinking Advice:
Added Water provides you with a very smooth drinking experience although the Finish becomes quite Peppery. You should certainly try it out both ways.
Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)
Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is around 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
Good
Conclusion:
Distillation at Bimber started in May 2016. The distillery grows the Barley on a Single Farm and operates its own traditional floor malting. The spirit is distilled in Copper Pot Stills using direct fire. Bimber also runs an on site cooperage and a bottling facility. The first Whisky was released in 2019. The Single Malt I'm tasting today is a special annual Christmas edition that was released for the first time in 2023. Bimber is located in London. In 2023 the owners opened a second distillery called Dunphail that is located near Forbes. Bimber was named after the Polish word for Moonshine. The founder of the distillery is in trouble with the law and was forced to step down. The two distilleries are now led by a joint Polish-English management team.
This English Bimber manages to surprise me in a positive way. It's very Young but somehow it does not feel that way. A slightly Lower ABV of say 46-48% could have made it even better. But this distillery seems to do a good job. First of all they maintain the natural colour using a good cask to achieve a maximum result in this respect. No Chill-Filtration as well. And also a good cut in the Spirit safe. I can only wish Bimber all the best for the future despite the recent turmoil and look forward to taste other impressions of this young distillery. The only criticism I have concerns the current internet price. Way too high for such a young whisky. I think it was about US$ 90 at the time of release and that seems to be more appropriate.
Cheers! 🥃
Jan van den Ende January 1, 2026
