Bimber Air: The Four Elements Single Malt English Whisky
Limited release | London | Single malt | 58.9% Alc. | 70cl
Key Information
Distillery: Bimber
Region: Greater London
Type: Single malt
Cask: Single ex-bourbon cask (#275)
Alc.: 58.9%
Volume: 70cl
Bottled: March 2023
Release size: 257 bottles
Tasting Notes
Air is drawn from a single ex-bourbon cask, unpeated, so the profile should lean on the vanilla, light oak and orchard fruit that ex-bourbon wood tends to bring to Bimber's house style, rather than any smoke.
What Makes Air Distinctive
- The lightest and, going by Bimber's own framing, most delicate release in the Four Elements series.
- Drawn from a single cask rather than a small batch blend of several, so it carries the character of one specific cask rather than an average.
- Bottled from only 257 bottles, making it one of the smaller releases in Bimber's single cask output.
Perfect For
Drinker typeWhisky drinkers who prefer an unpeated style and want to see what a London distillery does with a straightforward ex-bourbon cask.
OccasionA good starting point if you want to try Bimber before moving on to the peated releases in the same series, or for a single cask collection.
About Bimber
Bimber is a whisky distillery in London, founded by a family who emigrated from Poland in 2003; "Bimber" means moonshine in Polish. The first casks were filled in May 2016, and the distillery has bottled in small batches and single casks since 2019, using mainly ex-bourbon and sherry wood alongside some fresh virgin oak.
Understanding English Whisky
London last had a working whisky distillery more than a century before Bimber's first casks were filled in 2016, which makes the current wave of London distilling, Bimber included, genuinely recent. Single cask releases like this one are typical of the category: most English distilleries are still working through their first and second generations of casks rather than large, established reserves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does "Four Elements" mean for this release?
A: It's the name Bimber gave to a series of four single cask releases, each built around a different elemental theme. Air is the unpeated, lighter release in that set.
Q: Is Air peated like some of Bimber's other releases?
A: No. Air is unpeated, drawn from a straightforward ex-bourbon cask, which makes it a gentler introduction to Bimber's house style than the peated Earth release.
Q: How does Bimber compare to Scotch whisky?
A: Bimber is an English single malt made in London, maturing in a warmer, more humid climate than most Scotch distilleries, which tends to speed up the whisky's interaction with the cask.
Q: How should I serve it?
A: Neat, or with a splash of water to soften the cask strength, is our preference for a single cask release like this.
