Everything you need to know about Bimber Distillery

A brief History

Bimber, England. Founded in 2015

London’s Modern Malt Maker

If you're surprised to hear of a whisky distillery in the heart of London, meet Bimber. Founded in 2015, it’s one of the few modern distilleries in England making true single malt whisky—from grain to glass—in the city. Bimber combines craftsmanship, tradition, and local sourcing to produce boutique whiskies that surprise people used to Scotch. Their ethos: small batches, traditional methods, and bold flavour in a modern context.

The founders named it “Bimber,” which means “moonshine” in Polish, reflecting the founder’s heritage and nodding to distilling roots beyond borders. Starting from scratch—with their first casks filled in May 2016—they launched their first whisky, The First, in 2019. Since then, they’ve expanded their range, experimenting with virgin oak, sherry, peated barley, and London character.

Explore All English Whisky

Flavour Profile:


Fruity	Sweet	Oaky / Woody

Bimber’s single malts are generally light, fruity, and approachable, with a strong oak influence in their maturation phases. Key tasting notes often include:
• Orchard fruit—apple, pear, light citrus zest
• Honeyed sweetness, caramel or toffee notes
• Vanilla and wood spice from barrel contact
• In some expressions, a gentle peat smoke (e.g. their The 1st Peated), adding depth without dominance

Their “core” releases often lean into ex-bourbon or sherry casks, while special or experimental batches play with virgin oak, oloroso, or stronger styles.

Top 4 Flavour Profile Ingredients

	Caramel / Toffee
	Apple / Pear
	Vanilla
	Oak / Wood Spice

Notable Releases & Ranges

The First – Bimber’s inaugural release, non-peated, showing the house style
Batch Releases (e.g. Ex‑Bourbon Batch #3) – Small batches matured in bourbon casks, each batch with a different strength and character
The 1st Peated – Their early foray into peated whisky, using peated barley and maturing in traditional casks
Virgin Oak / Experimental Casks – Bottlings matured in new oak or unorthodox wood selections, delivering extra oak influence
Single Cask & Distillery Exclusives – Unique, limited editions released in very small numbers

Bimber Southport Whisky Club Winter Festival 2020

The Distillery

The Distiller: Bimber
Address: 56 Sunbeam Rd, London NW10 6JQ

Open in maps

https://www.bimberdistillery.co.uk

+44 (0) 20 3602 9980

Visitor Experience & Tours

Yes, Bimber offers distillery tours and tastings:

Their Whisky Connoisseur Experience usually lasts around 120 minutes.
The tour includes a welcome whisky cocktail, behind-the-scenes access to mashing, fermentation, distillation, maturation, and a tasting of several cask expressions.
Tours are offered on Thursdays and Fridays at 6:00 pm, and Saturdays at 12:00 and 2:30 pm.
The facility is designed to be accessible: flat access, minimal steps required.

Ownership & History

The idea for Bimber came from founder Dariusz Plazewski, whose background includes distilling practices from Poland.
The name “Bimber” connects to that heritage—Polish for “moonshine.”
Their first official whisky, The First, was released in 2019, three years after their first casks were laid.
Over time, they expanded from non-peated styles to peated batches, experimental casks, and new bottle lines.
As of recent years, Bimber has also explored establishing a second site in Speyside (Dunphail) to expand capacity and style range.

Distillery Facts

Overview & Background

Location: Based in London, England — one of the first new London whisky distilleries in over a century.
Founded in 2015 by whisky enthusiast Dariusz Plazewski.
"Bimber" means moonshine in Polish — reflecting the founder’s heritage and hands-on distilling style.

Production Philosophy

Focuses on traditional, small-batch production methods.
Uses floor-malted barley (Maris Otter), long fermentation (7 days), and direct-fired copper stills for rich flavour.
Maturation in a variety of high-quality casks, including ex-bourbon, sherry, virgin oak, and wine casks.
All bottlings are non-chill filtered and bottled at natural colour.

Key Releases

Bimber Single Malt (Ex-Bourbon): Their core expression, matured in ex-bourbon casks — fruity, spicy, and creamy.
Bimber Re-Charred Oak: A popular release matured in heavily toasted oak casks, giving intense vanilla and spice.
Apogee 12 Year Old: A blended malt created by Bimber using their own spirit and older Scottish malts.
Special Editions: Includes wine cask finishes, peated expressions, and small-scale collaborations.

Flavour Profile

Generally rich, oily, and fruit-driven.
Core notes include orchard fruit, honey, vanilla, gentle spice, and toasted oak.
Younger but impressively developed due to active cask use and long fermentation.

Recognition & Appeal

Bimber has gained a strong following among collectors and enthusiasts for its craftsmanship and unique style.
Limited batches often sell out quickly due to high demand and small output.
Seen as a leading example of the English whisky revival.