‘On Top of the World’: English Distillery Scales World’s 4th-Highest Mountain With Whisky in Tow, Breaks Record

Bimber Distillery

Bimber Distillery now holds the record for single malt reaching the highest summit, as part of an effort for charity. The bottle that reached the summit is said to auction soon. (Photos: Bimber Distillery)

English whisky producer Bimber Distillery reached new heights when its co-founder, Phillip Pinchin, summited the top of Mount Lhotse in Nepal with a small bottle of its single malt on May 24, according to The Spirits Business.

The climber and founding member of the distillery chose to attempt this daring feat for a U.K. charity called Cobalt, which specializes in research for Cancer and Dementia.

Pinchin beat the previous record set by Rebecca Stephens MBE, who was backed by The Glenmorangie when she reached 21,300-foot elevation on Mount Everest with a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 Year Old. Pinchin beat this record by summiting Mount Lhotse, which is 27,940 feet tall, making it the world’s fourth-highest mountain.

Stephens was one of the first female British climbers to summit Mount Everest in 1993.

Bimber Distillery

Bimber co-founder Phillip Pinchin poses with the single malt at the summit of Mount Lhotse

The Lhotse Challenge 2023 concluded with a bottle of the spirit reaching the summit at 27,939 feet, 6,500 feet over Stephens’ record.

“We were astounded to discover that the climbing team had successfully reached the summit of Lhotse with the bottle of Bimber single malt,” Bimber Director of Marketing and Communications Mat McKay said, as reported by The Spirits Business.

The summit bottle has been returned to Bimber and is slated to be auctioned alongside a 700 ml edition soon.

“Together, with our generous members and supporters we have raised more than $8,798 for Phillip’s charity climb — achieving the highest bottle of single malt on Earth at the same time makes us feel on top of the world.” McKay concluded.

About Bimber Distillery

Tge London-based Bimber Distillery specializes in crafting single malt whisky by using old-fashioned methodology.

The distillery practices traditional floor malting, long fermentation processes and uses small copper pot stills heated directly with fire during the production process.

Bimber Distillery describes its whiskies as “light, fragrant and fruity.”

Join the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club, where you will receive hard-to-find bottles curated by Whiskey Raiders staff with a 90+ rating on whiskeyraiders.com plus live virtual tastings. Sign up here!

Filed Under:

Follow The Daily Pour:

About The Daily Pour

Founded by Dan Abrams, The Daily Pour is the ultimate drinking guide for the modern consumer, covering spirits, non-alcoholic and hemp beverages. With its unique combination of cross-category coverage and signature rating system that aggregates reviews from trusted critics across the internet, The Daily Pour sets the standard as the leading authority in helping consumers discover, compare and enjoy the best of today's evolving drinks landscape.

Cynthia Mersten is a former editor for Bottle Raiders and has worked in the Beverage Industry for eight years. She started her career in wine and spirits distribution and sold brands like Four Roses, High West and Compass Box to a variety of bars and restaurants in the city she calls home: Los Angeles. Cynthia is a lover of all things related to wine, spirits and story and holds a BA from UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television. Besides writing, her favorite pastimes are photography and watching movies with her husband.