Whisky Focus - Bimber Spirit Of The Underground Collection Release No.6

London’s Bimber Distillery has unveiled the fifth instalment of their 'The Spirit of the Underground Collection' which they have produced in conjunction with Transport for London.

Release No. 6 embarks on a journey to four new stations, each tied to a renowned sporting venue. The four single cask releases – Oval, Stratford, Wembley Park, and Wimbledon – capture the essence of these iconic London locations, both past and present. This edition features eye-catching labels and packaging that celebrate the sporting achievements that have captivated audiences worldwide for generations.

Drawn from Bimber’s finest casks, this release marks the distillery’s inaugural selection of ‘double maturations’. Each expression has been aged in a combination of American and European oak, spending over three years in the second cask to expertly blend the characteristics of both woods. These double cask expressions have been crafted to reveal new aromas and flavours through the twin-cask approach. Carefully chosen, monitored, and bottled at the perfect moment, these new Spirit of the Underground releases offer an incredible depth of flavour and a harmonious balance between the two casks and Bimber’s naturally fruit-forward spirit style. Each of the four new releases showcases a unique double maturation, bottled at natural cask strength and without filtration. The releases are:

• Oval – moscatel sherry cask double maturation 57.6% ABV, 307 bottles
   
• Stratford – fino sherry cask double maturation, 58.5% ABV, 325 bottles
   
• Wembley Park – marsala cask double maturation, 58.3% ABV, 305 bottles
   
• Wimbledon – Vino de Naranja cask double maturation, 56.6% 298 bottles

The Collection, set to include 44 individual releases, features an array of iconic single malt whiskies celebrating the heritage and diversity of the distillery’s home city. Each bottle, adorned with strikingly unique designs, showcases a different Tube station on the London Underground network, the world's oldest underground passenger railway service.

Release No. 6 of The Spirit of the Underground Collection will be available directly from Bimber’s Spirit of the Underground website from tomorrow, Wednesday, May 5th, until Sunday, May 9th, via a ballot system, with a recommended retail price of £135 per bottle.


Speaking of the launch of the sixth release, Bimber’s Matt McKay said: "We have been excited about releasing these four new stations since we first launched the Collection back in May 2021. Every great sporting moment is accompanied by a memorable story, whether that’s about perseverance, friendship, victory or loss. The sixth release of The Spirit of The Underground celebrates not only the history of four iconic locations but also the shared ability of both sport and whisky to bring people together. For this very special release we are delighted to unveil our first ‘double maturation’ casks. We have been internally trialling this new, longer approach to the maturation of our European oak casks and are thrilled to now offer these new Bimber flavour journeys to customers. Each tells its own double maturation story, and we’re tremendously excited to see how our double cask programme develops over the coming years."

Ellen Sankey, Brand Licensing Manager at TfL, said: "The continuation of our partnership with Bimber Distillery sees the release of four new bottles, all with an association with key sporting locations across our network. We are proud to be collaborating with a London based independent brand, highlighting again that the city houses products of great quality. The creative and original use of our branding to help portray unique elements of our city's association with sporting history shows the benefit that an innovative, long-term collaborations like this can have."

This collection is the latest addition to a robust licensing programme, developed by TfL and its international licensing representative IMG, that brings the London Underground’s rich legacy and iconic brand identity to global audiences in unique and authentic ways.

You will also find the current Bimber whisky range available from specialist online whisky retailers such as The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt
 

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops

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