I’m sure you’ve seen the Shoulders of Giants series from Bimber distillery. It pays tribute to the diverse tapestry of thinkers, innovators, and visionaries who have shaped our world. First launched in April 2024, it will continue for some time, with some of them being exclusive to certain countries. The full list can be found on the Bimber website.
Bimber ‘Dickens – The Novelist’ (58,3%, OB ‘Shoulders of Giants’ 2023, ex-bourbon cask #398, 259 btl.)
Nose: clean and rather sweet. A nice fruit mix of pineapple, kiwi and banana, along with vanilla and honey. Pears on syrup. Then hints of marzipan and orange cake, as well as some honeysuckle. A little waffle dough too.
Mouth: still fruity and bourbonny. More pears and pineapples, along with vanilla custard. Punchy ginger and white pepper in the middle, with a hint of toasted wood. A slightly alcoholic edge when taken neat, but a few drops of water solve this. Also nutmeg and orange peels.
Finish: quite long, still rounded albeit with a fresh oaky side, including ginger and a leathery dryness.
Very similar to Ludwig, if my memory serves me well. Very pleasant. Simply a well-made dram with nice fruity notes and a good balance.
Bimber ‘Curie – The Scientist’ (57%, OB ‘Shoulders of Giants’ 2023, ex-Oloroso cask #250/15, 300 btl.)
Nose: a rather dry style with tobacco leaves, lots of cinnamon, a little chilli and cocoa. After a while plums appear, alongside honey and toffee. Brighter oranges and peaches as well. Nice development, albeit with a bit of an alcohol kick.
Mouth: quite dry now, even a little green. Green walnuts, more tobacco, nutmeg and leather. White pepper. There are raisins and some cedar wood underneath, but there’s a leafy element and some fresh oak shavings that are just too much.
Finish: woody, with walnuts and liquorice. Medium.
The dryness and the alcohol make this one a sharper version, and there’s a funky note on the palate that bothers me. Score: 83/100
Bimber ‘Marlene – The Actress’ (58,1%, OB ‘Shoulders of Giants’ 2024, Spanish oak Oloroso cask #442, 285 btl.)
Nose: more caramelly, with some Werther’s Original, stewed figs and milk chocolate. Black peppercorns. Then plenty of latte notes, as well as some bruised apple. Darker than Curie, but after a while a fresh plummy note comes out.
Mouth: more towards a red wine cask now. Certainly more meaty as well. Then leather, cigar boxes and oriental spice. Quite earthy, with mulched leaves and wet soil. Quite a lot of roasted coffee beans and umami notes, along with dark chocolate.
Finish: medium long, with cocoa, some wood tannins and tobacco.
A lot more characterful than Curie, especially if you’re into the darker and earthier style of sherry. Score: 86/100
Bimber ‘Sax – The Inventor’ (58,3%, OB ‘Shoulders of Giants’ 2024, PX sherry cask #437, 302 btl.)
Nose: dark and jammy this time, think blackberry jam, dried prunes. Roasted coffee beans and hints of chocolate. Then some walnut liqueur, caramelized hazelnuts and hints of old leather.
Mouth: the coffee theme becomes louder. Hints of black pepper, bramble and the chocolate coated raisins that are so typical of Pedro Ximénez. Cinnamon and a bit of gingery heat, along with some cough drops, burnt caramel and bittersweet herbs.
Finish: long, with marmalade, more chocolate and plenty of cough medicine again.
Rather dark and brooding again, but it’s also supple enough to enjoy and less woody than the Oloroso casks. This bottle was a Belgian exclusive. Look into Adolphe Sax, he survived being hit on the head by a cobblestone, three bankrupcies and lip cancer. Score: 87/100
Bimber ‘Albert – The Physicist’ (58,3%, OB ‘Shoulders of Giants’ 2024, Tawny Port cask #304/8, 252 btl.)
Nose: much better than expected. This shows nice hints of polished floors, aromatic plums and cherry jam. Hints of raspberry ganache. At some point this gave me Kavalan vibes. Then mossy notes, some black tea and tobacco. Then some clove and cinnamon as well. My favourite so far, very attractive.
Mouth: … but it doesn’t keep up with this high level. It becomes quite extractive now, with bitter notes and plain wood. Liquorice and sandalwood, plenty of tobacco leaves and forest soil. Less fruity now, although there is a hint of black cherry. Then heavily steeped herbal tea and a lot of cough medicine.
Finish: long, with more tea, bitter chocolate and dried fruits.
Overall a nice release – the most intense whisky in today’s session. Some might say the palate crosses a line though, with some very extractive cask influences. Harder to score. Score: 85/100