London distillery looks to open new outlet in Scotland

March 3, 2021 | Uncategorized

The team behind London’s Bimber Distillery have confirmed plans to open a new Scottish whisky distillery in Dunphail, south of Forres.

The proposal, which is currently being reviewed by Moray Council, will see an existing farm steading converted into a small (200,000 LA capacity), craft Scotch whisky distillery that combines tradition and modernity into both its appearance and its production processes.

Dunphail Distillery will feature a floor malting facility and traditional kiln designed to process 100% of the distillery’s locally sourced barley, as well as a cutting-edge visitor centre, blending rooms and dunnage warehousing. Bimber currently produces whisky in London.

Pending planning consent and construction, distillation is expected to commence at the site in 2022. The distillery aims to produce a full-bodied, fruit-forward spirit in both unpeated and peated styles.

Bimber founder/director Dariusz Plazewski said: ‘We’re tremendously excited by the prospect of opening Dunphail Distillery – whisky making has been a lifetime passion for us – and that enthusiasm both originated and has continued to grow from our love for the quality and diversity of Scotch. We are aiming to create whiskies with distinctive profiles that have been shaped by traditional production processes.

‘At the same time, we are committed to building a distillery that encourages people to act, think and drink different – and for us to lead the way by reducing our environmental footprint.’

The Dunphail existing site

The distillery will be situated and developed in an environment where people and nature thrive together. Sustainable production methods, energy efficiency and water conservation will be placed at the heart of Dunphail’s production methods, whilst ingredients and plastic-free packaging will be sourced as locally at possible, dramatically reducing the carbon footprint of the site.

Together with the implementation of systems to reduce water use, the team also intend to create a new forest on the grounds of the distillery. For every cask purchased, a tree will be planted, greatly improving the biodiversity of the area and providing a wonderfully rich habitat for many insects, lichen and birds.

Darius added: ‘It’s an incredibly exciting time for us. We are aiming to expand our production capacity at Bimber by exploring potential London sites for a relocation – at the same time we are thrilled to be looking to Scotland to establish a new distillery that will be distinctive from and run separately to Bimber.

‘Drawing from our experience and knowledge, we intend to combine our traditional outlook to production with a forward-looking innovative approach to whisky education and appreciation. Our vision for Dunphail is to craft truly exceptional, world-class spirit born of the techniques of the past – but with its focus firmly on the future.’