Bimber
Type: Distillery and brand
Bimber is a London whisky distillery known for floor-malted barley, seven-day fermentations and small, directly fired copper pot stills, according to its published production account. Its first single malt appeared in 2019, followed by its first eight-year-old age-statement whiskies in December 2024.[1][2][11]
Bimber at a glance
| Field | Verified record |
|---|---|
| Country and locality | England, Park Royal, London.[11] |
| Production began | 2016, according to the producer.[2] |
| Registered business | BIMBER DISTILLERY LTD, company 07515908, incorporated 3 February 2011.[3] |
| Legal owner and ultimate parent | Not reliably established from the supplied records.[1][3] |
| Business status | Active on Companies House, checked November 2026.[3] |
| Recorded control | Ewelina Chruszczyk holds 75% or more of voting rights and the right to appoint or remove directors, checked November 2026.[4] |
| Distilling status | A February 2024 statement said the businesses remained fully operational; present production is not reliably established.[8] |
| Visitor access | Current access is not reliably established; tours and tastings were reported in 2022.[6] |
| Site status | Not reliably established. |
| Stills | One wash still and one spirit still in the cited trade account, checked November 2026.[12] |
| Official website | bimberdistillery.co.uk.[1] |
What Bimber is known for
Bimber's published account puts its production methods at the centre of its identity: barley from a single farm, floor malting, wooden fermentation vessels made in its own cooperage, and directly fired pot stills. Trade accounts identify the barley source as a Hampshire farm and the maltster as Warminster Maltings.[1][11][12]
The name means “moonshine” in Polish, but it should not be read as a description of the whisky's age or maturation. The producer dates its first casks to 2016, although a trade account gives 2015. Its first age statement releases were eight years old.[1][6][11] The Polish name and the London production site are distinct parts of its identity.[2][6][11]
There is no site tasting record behind this article. Its focus is the documented production approach, releases and business history, rather than an assessment of a particular bottle's aroma or flavour.
From barley to bottled whisky
The producer describes a seven-day fermentation in wooden washbacks, the vessels in which fermentation takes place. It says these were hand-made at the distillery's own cooperage. That is a useful detail because Bimber's account links its woodworking activity not just to maturation casks, but also to the equipment used before distillation.[1]
The spirit is distilled in small copper pot stills, described by the producer as directly fired. A separate trade account records one wash still and one spirit still. The available record supports that description of the arrangement, but not a dependable statement of the stills' individual capacities.[1][12]
| Stage | What the record describes |
|---|---|
| Barley and malting | Single-farm barley, floor malted; trade reporting names Hampshire and Warminster Maltings.[1][11][12] |
| Fermentation | Seven days in wooden washbacks, according to the producer.[1] |
| Distillation | Small, directly fired copper pot stills, according to the producer.[1] |
| Maturation | Mostly ex-bourbon casks, alongside new oak and ex-sherry casks, in the trade account.[12] |
| Preparation for release | Blending and bottling on site, according to the producer.[1] |
A 2022 interview reported that 80% of production went into ex-bourbon casks. That is a dated account of the cask programme, not a specification for every subsequent release. The inaugural whisky provides a clear counterpoint: it came from Pedro Ximénez sherry casks rather than the ex-bourbon casks that dominated the reported programme.[2][6]
Bimber's on-site cooperage is another recurring feature of the published production descriptions. Together, the washbacks, stills and cask programme give readers more concrete information than the producer's broader description of itself as an independent craft distillery.[1][12]
The founding story and its dates
Story box
Story title: A London launch, followed by the first whisky
Founding story: Trade reporting identifies Dariusz Plazewski as founder and master distiller and Ewelina Chruszczyk as co-founder. The business launch is reported as 2015, although a separate report gives 2005. The founding year is disputed.[6][7][9]
Turning point: Bimber announced its inaugural single malt, The First, for 13 September 2019. This moved the story from establishing production to releasing its own matured whisky.[2]
Documented record: Companies House records incorporation on 3 February 2011 under an earlier company name. Incorporation, business launch and first production are separate events.[2][3][6]
Sources and claim mapping: - Founder, role and 2015 launch: The Spirits Business interview, March 2022. - Co-founder and 2015 launch: The Telegraph report, February 2024. - Conflicting 2005 date: Whisky Magazine report. - Incorporation: Companies House record. - First release: producer's announcement.
Last checked: 7 November 2026.
Verdict: Disputed
Claim: Bimber was founded in 2015.
What the record shows: The 2015 business launch is supported by the trade interview and subsequent reporting.[6][9]
Evidence against or gap: Whisky Magazine gives 2005. The 2011 incorporation date does not, by itself, settle when the distillery business began.[3][7]
Earliest known source: Not established from the sources checked.
Sources: The claim-specific links in the story box provide the supporting and conflicting accounts.
Last checked: 7 November 2026.
Production and release timeline
Bimber's chronology is clearest when production milestones are separated from company dates.
Verdict: Disputed
Claim: Bimber's first casks were laid down on 26 May 2016.
What the record shows: The producer's account gives that date.[1]
Evidence against or gap: A 2022 trade interview gives 26 May 2015.[6]
Earliest known source: Not established from the sources checked.
Sources: Producer's account; trade interview, March 2022.
Last checked: November 2026.
| Date | Recorded milestone |
|---|---|
| 2016 | First production year, according to the producer.[2] |
| 13 September 2019 | Announced release date for The First.[2] |
| 2019 | First peated spirit run, according to the producer.[2] |
| October 2023 | Sister distillery Dunphail began production.[7] |
| 2024 | Shoulder of Giants single cask range debuted.[11] |
| December 2024 | First age-statement whiskies released.[11] |
The First comprised 1,000 bottles at 54.2% ABV. Bimber described its Pedro Ximénez casks as having spent several decades in Jerez soleras. Those details belong to that particular release, rather than describing the distillery's whole output.[2]
The two first age-statement releases were Harmony of Eight, an eight-year-old whisky comprising 1,090 bottles at 50% ABV, and an eight-year-old Single Cask Edition comprising 268 bottles at 56.8% ABV. Harmony of Eight was announced for release from 5 December 2024.[11]
Bimber has also been associated with whisky distilled elsewhere. The 2022 interview described Apogee XII as a blended whisky using Highland and Speyside liquid. It therefore needs to be distinguished from Bimber's London-distilled single malt when reading about the wider portfolio.[6]
The business and the founder's departure
Verdict: Disputed
Claim: The producer's stated company identity corresponds to the Companies House record for BIMBER DISTILLERY LTD.
What the record shows: Companies House lists BIMBER DISTILLERY LTD, number 07515908.[3]
Evidence against or gap: The producer names THE BIMBER DISTILLERY COMPANY LIMITED and gives “Company number 208471220”. The relationship between the identifiers is not reliably established.[1]
Earliest known source: Not established from the sources checked.
Sources: Producer's account; Companies House record.
Last checked: November 2026.
The Companies House record also separates directorship from significant control. Plazewski's directorship ran from 1 December 2015 to 20 November 2019; his recorded significant control ceased on 4 March 2024. Chruszczyk has been a director since 21 January 2015 and is recorded as holding 75% or more of voting rights.[4][5]
In February 2024, a spokesperson said Plazewski had “relinquished all his responsibilities for both distilleries”, referring to Bimber and Dunphail, and that the businesses remained fully operational. That statement describes their position at the time, rather than establishing their operating status today.[8]
The statement followed reporting about his arrest and extradition proceedings involving Polish authorities. Reports described allegations including conspiracy to murder and drug offences; these remain reported allegations, not findings established by this article. Chruszczyk was reported not to be accused of wrongdoing.[9][10]
The distinction matters when reading accounts of Bimber: a founder's reported legal circumstances, company control and the operation of a distillery are different subjects. The December 2024 releases provide a subsequent documented business milestone, but do not settle every question about present operations.[4][8][11]
Visiting Bimber
A small visitor centre offering tours and tastings was described in the 2022 interview. Before making a journey, check the producer's current information directly for booking arrangements, accessibility and age requirements. The older report is useful background, not confirmation of present visitor access.[6]
Where to go next
- The English Distillery: another English distillery profile.
- Cotswolds Distillery: continue exploring English whisky production.
- White Peak and Wire Works: read another distillery and whisky brand profile.
Sources
- Bimber Distillery. The Story. Producer's account, undated. https://www.bimberdistillery.co.uk/the-story
- Bimber Distillery. Announcing Bimber The First. Producer's announcement, 2019. https://www.bimberdistillery.co.uk/post/announcing-bimber-the-first
- Companies House. BIMBER DISTILLERY LTD, company 07515908. Register record, checked November 2026. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07515908
- Companies House. BIMBER DISTILLERY LTD persons with significant control. Register record, checked November 2026. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07515908/persons-with-significant-control
- Companies House. BIMBER DISTILLERY LTD officers. Register record, checked November 2026. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07515908/officers
- The Spirits Business. The big interview: Dariusz Plazewski, Bimber Distillery. March 2022. https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2022/03/the-big-interview-dariusz-plazewski-bimber-distillery/
- Whisky Magazine. Boss of Bimber and Dunphail distilleries arrested and facing extradition to Poland. 2024. https://www.whiskymag.com/articles/boss-of-bimber-and-dunphail-distilleries-arrested-and-facing-extradition-to-poland/
- Whisky Magazine. Bimber and Dunphail owner relinquishes responsibilities at distilleries. February 2024. https://www.whiskymag.com/articles/bimber-and-dunphail-owner-relinquishes-responsibilities-at-distilleries/
- The Telegraph. Report on the Bimber founder's bail hearing. Descriptive title supplied by the fact sheet, 12 February 2024. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/12/london-malt-whisky-double-life-accused-bail-court/
- The Telegraph. Report on the Bimber founder. Descriptive title supplied by the fact sheet, 20 March 2026. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/20/polish-gangster-whisky-selfridges-crime
- The Spirits Business. Bimber unveils first age statement whiskies. December 2024. https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2024/12/bimber-unveils-first-age-statement-whiskies/
- Whisky Online. Bimber Distillery. Retailer editorial account, undated. https://www.whisky-online.com/blogs/news/bimber-distillery
This article is desk research based on verified fact sheet TOP-A347, distinguishing producer statements, company records and secondary reporting.
Last checked: November 2026