peated whisky - BourbonSphere

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 barrel…

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.

Review / Cù Bòcan 12 years old

This whisky is the latest addition to the core range of innovative peated Highland single malt Cù Bòcan (pronounced koo-bock-an). The Cù Bòcan 12 years old features spirit that is matured for a short period each winter at the Tomatin distillery near I…

This whisky is the latest addition to the core range of innovative peated Highland single malt Cù Bòcan (pronounced koo-bock-an). The Cù Bòcan 12 years old features spirit that is matured for a short period each winter at the Tomatin distillery near Inverness. The new bottling features part-maturation in ex-rum casks sourced from the Caribbean. These have come from Barbados and Guyana in particular. Prior to that, maturation was in ex-bourbon barrels. The whisky is released at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour, It will be produced in small batches annually. The Cù Bòcan 12 years old will be available in selected specialist whisky retailers worldwide and will cost £65/ $US80.

Tomatin is located in the Scottish Highlands, about half way between Aviemore and Inverness. It was founded in 1897 by a group of Inverness businessmen and was originally named Tomatin Spey. It then became Tomatin, the name of the local village, in 1907. Tomatin is currently owned by the Takara Shuzo Corporation, who purchased the distillery in 1986 after the previous ownership had been liquidated. It has a current annual capacity of five million litres.

Our tasting notes

The colour is pale lemon yellow and the nose is highly fragrant, sweet and confected. Aromas of brown sugar, white chocolate and soft nougat rise from the glass and are supported by delightful hints of caramelised tropical fruit - think of pineapple and peach especially. Underneath are further hints of gingerbread, vanilla fudge and a gentle whiff of sweet peat smoke.

On the palate this whisky is immediate more smoky than the nose suggests. This has a leafy and ash-like edge, which creates a drying quality. The peat is sweet but on the vegetal side - think of damp moss and dried heather in particular. The level is good as it does not dominate, but sits well amongst the other characteristics.

The distinct confected sweetness remains in evidence. White chocolate and nougat are again to the fore, as are notes of toasted marshmallow and tarte tatin. Vanilla, sweet gingerbread and a hint of honey add to this. Ripe and caramelised tropical fruits are also never far away - imagine barbequed pineapple, plus juicy mango and peach. The mix is lovely.

The finish is of decent length, which is increased by the smoky aspect of the whisky. The confected notes begin to fade, as do the the tropical fruit elements. This leaves the drying smoke and a pinch of peppery spice to dry things out and drag out the finish. A little heat comes through right at the end.

What's the verdict?

This latest expression of Cù Bòcan is another lovely addition to the ever-expanding range of the Highland peated malt. It has become known for its experimentation in its numerous limited editions and it is good to see this spreading to the core range. The use of ex-rum casks from the Caribbean here has lifted the whisky and provided it with plenty of sweetness and vibrancy. This 12 years old is delicious, reasonably priced and easy to recommend.

Review / Bladnoch Alinta

The Alinta is the latest addition to the core range of the Lowland distillery of Bladnoch. It is the first known smoky expression in the distillery’s history. The spirit was distilled from peated malt that is produced for just a short period each year …

The Alinta is the latest addition to the core range of the Lowland distillery of Bladnoch. It is the first known smoky expression in the distillery's history. The spirit was distilled from peated malt that is produced for just a short period each year and accounts for under 10% of all spirit made there. Alinta has been matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and first-fill ex-Pedro Ximenez casks. The casks were hand selected and married together by Dr. Nick Savage, the Master Distiller at Bladnoch. The word 'alinta' translates as 'fire' or 'smoke' from indigenous languages found in southeast Australia and references the heritage of David Prior, Bladnoch's Australian owner.

Bladnoch is located in a remote spot of Dumfries & Galloway, close to the village of Wigtown, in southern Scotland. It was founded in 1817 by brothers John and Thomas McClelland. The name is derived from the ancient Gaelic name Blaidzenoch and the nearby River Bladnoch supplies the water for the whisky production. The distillery has had a chequered history with numerous closures in its two centuries due to operational, financial and location reasons.

The most recent closure came in 2014 when the previous ownership went into liquidation. David Prior took over a year later and completed a major refurbishment of the distillery. Production restarted in the Summer of 2017 with a new visitor centre later opened by HRH Prince Charles in September 2019. Production capacity is now 1.5 million litres per year.

Bladnoch Alinta is bottled at 47% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is initially available at the distillery shop or via www.bladnoch.com. Distribution to selected world markets will follow later in 2022. A bottle will cost £80/ $105 US.

Our tasting notes

The colour is pale gold and the nose is full of youthful peat smoke. This has an ashy, woody and slightly mineralic quality. Underneath are aromas of vanilla, green apple and white chocolate along with a distinct whiff of malted cereals and biscuits. There are also suggestions of raisin and lemon zest.

On the palate this whisky has a pronounced freshness and vibrancy to it. The expressive and youthful peat smoke dominates and has a slightly acrid edge to it - think of bonfire ash and embers, charcoal and hints of dried seaweed, iodine and bitumen. The malted cereals and biscuit notes from the nose are also strong. These add to the earthy feel and give a pleasant bittersweet note.

It takes a little time for other elements to battle through. First to appear is green fruit (think of apple and pear especially), creamy vanilla and a hint of dessicated coconut. Then a blob of honey, some white chocolate, raisins and sultana with a late twist of lemon zest.

The finish is long, warm and drying. Having battled their way through the smoke, the fruity and sweet notes fade rapidly. This leaves the earthy cereals and gripping peat smoke to dominate again. A late pinch of cinnamon, cocoa and powdered ginger warm things further.

What's the verdict?

It is always interesting to sample new things from a distillery, especially when it is in a style that they are not necessarily known for. The Bladnoch Alinta is good and joins a couple of other Lowland peated single malts that have been released in recent years.

It is clearly youthful so it will be intriguing to see how the smokiness settles with more time. As it stands now the whisky is expressive, bold and a little brash. If you are a fan of smoky whiskies and want to try something different, then definitely search the Alinta out.