Bimber Apogee XII Pure Malt Whisky

Nose: Conference pear and floral notes with spikes of spicy ginger root. Vanilla bean on the retro. Palate: Spicy pepper and ginger with some fruity sweetness thst I cant pin down. Finish: Lightly caramelised pear which turns sweeter on the aftertaste.

A somewhat disappointing run with Londons Bimber Distillery has come to an end with todays pour of Apogee XII. This release, is a blend of single malts from Speyside and the Highlands, aged for at least 12 years. After blending, the whisky was given an extra rest in the spice forward ex-bourbon casks that had also previously been used to mature Bimber's single malt whisky. Apparently the tactile bottle it comes in was designed to resemble the surfaces of Bimbers small copper pot stills. I don’t have a bottle, only this sample, so let’s finish this series off… N: opening on new oak and a hefty dose of honied pear there are undertones of warmth from dry ginger, malty biscuit, and perhaps even the lightest balsamic perfume. The longer I smell this the more the honey transforms towards heftier brown sugar. P: Light syrupy mouthfeel with a bright pear and apricot body. Lovely vibrancy of pepper, menthol and perfumed sandalwood/cedar wood. A little caramel silky richness brings a roundness and focusing on those silky notes reveals some mint with the cooling menthol. F: Medium-short. A little lacklustre but generic orchard fruit and oaky spice. Pepper on the exit. I was a bit surprised here. I was expecting a generic sipping whisky, but rather an interesting development of fruit, aromatics, wood, and sugars unfold on the nose and palate. The finish is somewhat lacklustre and the flavours are not really all that remarkable on their own. But, the development, the textures and the enjoyment are all delivered wonderfully. Everything here works well together. Not a bad finish to a majority lacklustre run from Londons Bimber. [Pictured here without a rock again. Instead, just some more Western Australian bush, and the setting sun in an out of focus background] Distiller whisky taste #156 Bimber running scores: ex-Bourbon (batch 2, cask strength): 2.5 re-charred American oak: 2.75 Virgin American oak single cask: 3 Aus Excl. ex-bourbon cask #191: 2.5 Bimber Port cask 39 cask strength: 4.5 Apogee Pure Malt XII: 3.75