Bimber is London's first whisky distillery in over a century, and Apogee XII is arguably the most ambitious thing it has produced — though, paradoxically, it contains no Bimber spirit at all. Instead, it is a 12-year-old blend of Highland and Speyside single malts, rested in ex-Bimber bourbon casks. The idea is to showcase how Bimber's wood management programme shapes flavour, even when the liquid inside was distilled elsewhere.
The concept is unusual, but the execution is convincing. The casks — previously used to mature Bimber's own single malt — lend a distinctive honeyed, biscuity character that acts as a signature across the blend. Bottled at 46.3% without chill filtration or colouring, and presented in Bimber's distinctive hammered-glass bottle that mimics the texture of their small copper pot stills.
The nose is rich and toasty: honeycomb, sweet biscuits, orange blossom honey, green apple, ripe pear, and toffee, with a touch of dried ginger and dry vanilla beneath. The palate is viscous and sweet — stewed apple, pear cake, gentle baking spice — before charred American oak asserts itself with caramel, nutty fudge, and gathering spice. It drinks older than its years.
The finish brings white pepper and barrel char as a counterpoint to the sugary fruit, resolving into a lingering note of mint and peach candy. At around sixty pounds, it sits in competitive territory, but the packaging and the story carry it. A London distillery that can make other people's whisky taste this good has earned the right to be taken seriously.
