Bimber Apogee XII 12 Year Old Pure Malt English Whisky (700ml)

Bimber's foray into sourced whiskies sees twelve year old Highland and Speyside malts matured and blended in spice-forward Bimber x-Bourbon casks. Tasted from a 15ml sample, as you'd find in many a Speysider, the opening sniffs include fresh cut oak, before moving into malty gear with gorgeous, ripe aromas of poached pears, apple tart, tea biscuits and vanilla wafer. It sounds a bit pedestrian in terms of flavour descriptors, but compensates in a superbly textural delivery with an almost fresh orchard fruit crunch and crispness, backed up by sweet wood notes and furry tannins. The fruit / malt / spice interplay is skilfully harmonised, but it's that special something to the mouthfeel that makes this more than an everyday drinker and more of a quiet treasure. Bottled without chill-filtration in a striking, custom bottle which features a tactile glass fashioned to imitate the surfaces of Bimber’s small copper pot stills. 46.3% Alc./Vol.

Notes from the bottlers... Nose: Spiced pears and oven-baked apricot flans are sweetened by candy necklaces and scented with rosewater, nutmeg and powdered ginger. Palate: Syrupy orchard and stone fruits provide a bright and fresh mouthfeel supported by lightly charred oak, gentle white pepper and cooling mint. Finish: Lingering ripe and sweet fruits alongside sympathetic, aromatic oak.