A black whisky issues from the Black Mountain. We get a bottle and see what happens. And what happens is molasses.
Rating
Price
Circa £50
In a Nutshell
Moderately fiery blackstrap molasses flavoured joy juice from the Black Mountain. Add just a little water for a delicious surprise!
Black mountain, black whisky
You are looking at the Speyside Beinn Dubh – a black single malt from SPEY / AKA Speyside Distillery, who hail from near Kingussie. Perhaps not as well known as some of the other distilleries in the area, SPEY nevertheless have a cult following and have been putting out deliciousness since 1990. This is their latest and, like many whiskies, has a most excellent story to go with it.
It was launched at Thunder In The Glens, Europe’s biggest Harley Davidson motorcycle rally, on 30 August, 2015 – and supposedly road tested on a bunch of bikers (don’t drink and drive OK?). What’s ‘Beinh Dubh’ then? It was the name given to Ben Macdui – the highest peak in the Cairngorm mountain range, by a professor who climbed it way back in 1891. It’s also the second highest peak in Scotland, second only to Ben Nevis.
The Cairngorms are also the supposed home of a ‘malign humanoid entity’ (which is coincidentally a good way told describe me in the morning) – which known locally as ‘Fear Liath Mor’ (‘Big Grey Man’). The Big Grey Men were said to stalk those who trespassed into their territory. It is not known whether the Big Grey Men were actually real, or if they enjoyed a dram, but I am going to go with ‘yes’ on both counts because it makes the story more interesting :3
Back to the whisky – water used in its production comes from the Black Mountain and it’s finished in toasted port casks from the Douro Valley in Portugal (the place where port comes from!). In keeping with the ‘black’ theme, it’s an unmistakable, rich, ruby-black colour.
We Drink It, Stuff Happens
First Impressions
The ruby black dark colour kinda reminds me of a very, very old Johnny Walker I once tried at a distillery tour in Cardhu. I wonder if they added any caramel to get it to look like that? There’s not too much coming off the nose initially, but when you get in there and really sniff it, there is the feeling that it’s going to be rich and opulent on your palate – lots of sweetness…
Nose
This sweetness is tempered by some harshness – probably the booze. My initial thoughts are that this whisky will be sweet but fiery enough to put off any beginners (which later turns out to be the case)
Dried fruits – sultanas, raisins, plus a little of those oaky, caramel notes from the toasted wood. I suppose an average level of alcohol evaporating on the nose. There’s also a dry sandy note hiding under the fruitiness – I can’t quite place it but it balances out the dried fruit flavours
Palate
OK, it’s not hugely characteristic – which is not what I expected based on the colour. There’s the dried fruits again, some woodsmoke and a kind of dry, black treacle note there. Cinnamon, blackstrap molasses (a little) – but more on the treacle side.
It is sweet and satisfying, with a bit of heat in it. Like a biker chick with anger management issues. Sweet and not complex – so maybe she’s an airhead as well as full of rage? *stupid metaphor collapses tenuously*
Finish
Sweetness hits tongue – first is a definite sweetness, 5-10 seconds after follows some heat. Swallow and you are greeted with some not so full on dried fruit notes, but which are pleasing nevertheless. Overall? Kinda disappointing – tends to go towards the treacle and burnt sugar notes in the short term but also retreats pretty quickly. That delicious treacle honey lingers for a little while but not nearly long enough. It’s short to average length in finish.
Verdict
It is initially harsh but increasingly easy to drink as you acclimatise – so probably not a whisky to start on – wait ’till your palate’s been warmed up a little. Once you warm up to this one it becomes a lot more easy drinking – the sweetness is somewhat moreish, but not so much as to have you knocking it back in a dangerous fashion. You must respect the Black Mountain.
My recommendation? 4-6 drops of water from a pipette into a regular (‘dram sized’) portion. I found this turned it into a kinda dry treacle drink, taking the edge off of it opens up some of that sweetness very nicely and makes it much more easy drinking.
This is also how I’d recommend you serve it to other people. Tasty and not too complicated! At this point it might make a good ‘starter dram’ too. But each to their own…