Bimber Distillery reveals The Spirit of the Underground Release No.4

London’s Bimber Distillery today announced the launch of the fourth release of its well-regarded The Spirit of the Underground Collection, produced in conjunction with Transport for London (TfL).

Release No.4 showcases four new stations: Covent Garden, Green Park, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus – each featuring stunning iconography presenting unique pieces of London’s history, and adorned with striking labels and packaging design that observes the significance of each station’s location. The collection also complements TfL’s celebrations of the 160^th anniversary of the opening of the Tube this month.

In contrast to the fortified wine finishes of Release No.3, the latest editions all focus on full-term maturations. Drawing from the distillery’s finest casks, they present the distinctiveness of Bimber’s spirit alongside an intensity that has been derived from impactfully active maturations within each cask. Each is bottled at natural cask strength and without filtration:

Covent Garden – fully matured in oloroso sherry, 59.2% abv, 321 bottles

Green Park – fully matured in moscatel sherry, 59.4% abv, 285 bottles

Leicester Square – fully matured in virgin American oak, 60.3% abv, 271 bottles

Piccadilly Circus – fully matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry, 62.1%, 314 bottles

The Collection, which will total 44 individual releases, features a selection of iconic single malt whiskies that celebrate the heritage and diversity of the distillery’s home city. With stunning individual designs, each bottle presents a different Tube station on the London Underground network – the oldest underground passenger railway service in the world. The Tube opened on 10 January 1863, with services running on the then named Metropolitan Railway from Baker Street to Paddington.

Release No.4 of The Spirit of the Underground Collection will be available directly from Bimber’s Spirit of the Underground website from Monday 23^rd January till Friday 27^th January via a ballot, and with an RRP of £125 per bottle.

Speaking of the launch of  the fourth release of the Collection, Matt McKay Bimber’s Director of Marketing and Communications said: “We’re delighted to unveil the next release in The Spirit of the Underground Collection. For Release no.4, we’ve aligned the four single cask whiskies with four iconic Underground stations which all sit alongside each other on London’s Piccadilly line – the adjacency reflecting the full-term maturation and shared intensities that these exceptional casks all showcase. ”

Ellen Sankey, Brand Licensing Manager at TfL, said: “We are delighted to once again see Bimber Distillery use our unique brand and heritage in such a creative way, especially as we celebrate the 160th anniversary of London’s first Tube service this January. Collaborations like this show just how innovatively our designs can be used to bring new ideas and our history together for customers across the world.”

All the expressions in The Spirit of the Underground Collection were crafted to Bimber’s exacting standards. The spirit was produced from the distillery’s single farm barley and malted on a dedicated floor at Warminster Maltings before being fermented for seven days in bespoke, on-site constructed American oak washbacks. Distillation took place in Bimber’s customised stills which possess an increased copper surface area, which results in a rich fruit-forward, layered spirit.

The Spirit of the Underground Collection – Release No.4

The Spirit of the Underground – Covent Garden

Ex-oloroso sherry cask – Ref 441 

Nose: Warmed fudge cake served alongside a bowl of freshly picked raspberries joins mirabelle plums, sponge cake and stem ginger

Palate: A syrupy arrival packed full of sticky toffee pudding, red berry compote and chocolate sauce. Spice tingle through the development – ginger, cinnamon and chilli pepper

Finish: Lingering berry fruit sugars together with piquant spices

321 bottles

70cl

59.2% abv

The Spirit of the Underground – Green Park

Ex-moscatel sherry cask – Ref 443

Nose: Baked apples and peach melba join tonka and coffee beans whilst macadamia nuts are scattered atop of gingerbread

Palate: An elegant combination of orchard and stone fruits that develops into orange jelly, pineapple chunks and chocolate and vanilla choux buns

Finish: Sustained brown sugars together with mentholated oakiness 

285 bottles

70cl

58.4% ABV

The Spirit of the Underground – Leicester Square

Virgin American oak – Ref 331

Nose: Smooth toffee and desiccated coconut sit with pineapple juice and apricot flans whilst brown sugars and nougat are joined by freshly planed oak

Palate: An intense arrival of stone and tropical fruits supported by burnt toffee, cask char, chilli and mustard seeds

Finish: Long with residual fruits joined by tingly pepper and root ginger

271 bottles

70cl

60.3% ABV

The Spirit of the Underground – Piccadilly Circus

Ex-Pedro Ximenez Sherry – Ref 436

Nose: Sticky toffee pudding and Black Forest gateau are joined by leafy sherry – fresh red and black berries, moist tobacco leaves and new chamois leather

Palate: Rich and fulsome with fruit-packed Christmas cake, gooey toffee, coffee grounds and dark chocolate. Fruit loaf follows with cherries, ginger, clove and a drizzle of balsamic

Finish: Prolonged with fresh sherry sweetness, green leafiness and fading chocolate

314 bottles

70cl

62.1% ABV

About Bimber 

Bimber Distillery produces world-class single malt whisky, handcrafted with passion in West London. As a leading distiller of English whisky, we combine generations of rich distilling heritage with the finest quality ingredients to create the ultimate craft whisky experience.

About Transport for London 

Transport for London (TfL) is the integrated transport authority responsible for delivering Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s strategy and commitments on transport. It runs the day-to-day operation of the Capital’s public transport network, including London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, London Buses and Elizabeth line services, as well as managing London’s main roads. TfL does all it can to support the millions of journeys that are made every day and keep the city moving, working and growing. TfL reinvests all income generated through fares and commercial revenue to run and improve services and is committed to reducing costs. The licensing deal for this product was delivered through TSBA Group, TfL’s brand licensing partner.