Bimber Single Cask Port Cask #39 Cask Strength

The Bimber I have most been looking forward to. Seems like Dariuz has done an excellent job of introducing this one, so I’ll pass over to him: “Back when we were laying down our first casks in 2016 we already knew that we wanted port maturation to become a fourth pillar of our wood policy alongside a mainstay of ex-bourbon, virgin casks and an expanding selection of diverse sherried styles. Our ruby port casks were sourced from the Duoro Valley in Portugal  – the birthplace of port, where wine has been made for over two thousand years. And they’ve become amongst our oldest, having been left to mature for an extended time – now being released at nearly five years of age." N: thick, rich, decadent. Lashings of dark jammy fruit, cranberry, dark toffee and light buttery pastries. Leathery opulence, cinnamon and hints of mellow wood spice. A dangerously good nose. P: Thick, gently warming, sticky and syrupy. Blackcurrant, cranberry, green mango, intense mocha chocolatey bitterness, creme brûlée with a particularly hefty sugar crust, leathery tannic wood with a balanced hit of pepper. The palate delivered what the nose promised. That’s a happy outcome. F: Long. Well balanced mocha richness and bitterness, berry sweetness, tannic spice and a juicy presence. Wow, I’m honestly surprised and pleasantly impressed. I have been very judgemental and unimpressed by Bimber (potentially against consensus) until now. Here though, the port cask delivers. Care has clearly been taken in cask selection and the spirit has married wonderfully with the Duoro Valley Port Casks. Excellent work Bimber. I do have one problem though. This is AUD$220. The ever so wonderful Arran Port Finish is AUD$99. That said, the Bimber has some lovely berry flavours and a pastry element that are excellent. Are they an extra $130 excellent though? A tough call. In any case, Bimber knocked this one out of the park. I have said that I feel Bimber has felt too young so far with the American oak varieties. But here, excellence achieved with an open declaration from the distillery that this juice is around five years old. [Pictured here without a rock today. Instead, a tent, a doggo, and some Western Australian bush] Distiller whisky taste #155 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