Bimber are better known for their whisky — they are one of London's most acclaimed grain-to-glass distilleries — but their vodka range is equally impressive. This blackcurrant expression uses half a kilogram of real blackcurrants per bottle, and the generosity is immediately evident in the glass.
The nose is intense and genuinely berry-laden, with deep blackcurrant fruit accompanied by honey, clove and a hint of cinnamon. These spice notes are not added — they emerge naturally from the interaction between the quadruple-distilled wheat spirit and the fruit. The overall impression is of a sophisticated fruit preserve rather than a simple flavoured vodka.
On the palate, the blackcurrant is concentrated and rich, with a sweetness that is balanced by warming spice and the clean backbone of the wheat spirit. The integration is remarkable — this does not taste like vodka with fruit bolted on, but rather like a single, coherent spirit in which fruit and grain have become inseparable.
The finish is long and warming, with lingering blackcurrant and gentle spice. This is superb with tonic water and a sprig of mint, and it makes a phenomenal base for a Bramble variation. At just over twenty-seven pounds, it represents outstanding value for a craft spirit of this quality. One of the finest fruit vodkas produced anywhere in Britain.
