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2018 KWM Whisky Calendar Day 15: Spey Beinn Dubh Ruby Black Flying Scotsman

Posted on August 2, 2024

by Andrew

Evan, observant as ever, noticed that we have our second Black Mountain whisky in this year's Whisky Calendar, as Beinn Dubh is Scots Gaelic for Black Mountain. Beinn Dubh is a whisky produced by the Speyside Distillery, in the region of the same name. This has created quite a bit of confusion in the market, as there are some 60 distilleries operating in the Speyside, and a lot of undisclosed Speyside single malts. So if your whisky is called Speyside, in this day and electronic age, it is sure to get lost. Accordingly, the owners of Speyside Distillery sell most of their whisky under the brand Spey.

The Speyside Distillery only dates from 1990, but its origins as a croft and barley mill go back to the 1700s. The distillery sits on a piece of land near Drumguish, Kingussie, just off the A9. The land was acquired by George Christie in 1956. The following year he opened a grain distillery in Alloa. In 1962 Christie commissioned the construction of Speyside Distillery, the work would take 25 years to complete. The mill continued to operate until 1965, and after a change in ownership in 1986, the distillery was finally completed the following year.

The first single malt from Speyside Distillery was bottled under the Drumguish label in 1993, and in 1999 a bottling of Speyside 8-Year Single Malt was released. The distillery's ownership changed again in 2000, with a group of private investors taking over. It was sold again to Harvey's of Edinburgh in 2012, and that is when the distillery's fortunes began to improve. John Harvey McDonough has strong connections if the Far East, in particular Taiwan, where the rebranded Spey is one of the top-selling whiskies.

Production, at just over 600,000L, makes Speyside one of Scotland's smaller distilleries. The distillery is reputedly hard to find, tucked into the woods nearer to the headwaters of the River Spey than any other distillery in Scotland. The owners are apparently opening up a visitor center in the nearby tourist town of Aviemore, called The Snug.

The Beinn Dubh range replaced Speyside's old Cu Dubh - or Black Dog whisky. Cu Dubh was itself a controversial replacement for Loch Dhu, The Black Whisky, a bottling of Mannochmore originally produced for the Danish market. The producers claimed the colour was a result of double charred casks, but it is hard to see how the whisky could have achieved such a colour, especially at a young age, without the addition of caramel colouring or leaving copious amounts of sherry in the cask. The Beinn Dubh Ruby Black Flying Scotsman is supposedly produced without adding E150 caramel colouringâ€, which given the hue of the whisky is an impressive feat. I will let the producer discuss the origins of the wood which flavours and colours the whisky:

"Tanoaria Josafer Lda are experts in the art of cooperage and supply the Ruby Port from the Douro Valley in Portugal, which produce "Vinho do Porto". It is these casks which give Beinn Dubh its unique Ruby Black colour. Our whisky is matured in charred casks to produce a unique ruby black toasted whisky with a dark rich ruby colour and a unique chocolatey flavour. The casks used for finishing have been drained of any liquid prior to use and any changes in our spirit will therefore result from its interaction over time with the wood of the case."

Image courtesy of @frombarreltobottle

One final note, the Beinn Dubh Ruby Black Flying Scotsman, is a bottling in support of a great cause. The whisky is a partnership between the Speyside Distillery, the National Rail Museum & The Flying Scotsman. A portion of the proceeds from every bottle purchased will go to preserving the Flying Scotsman.

Beinn Dubh Ruby Black The Flying Scotsman - 43% - Finished in Bespoke Ruby Port Casks

$12.99 (50mL mini bottle available only)

Andrews Tasting Note

Nose: chocolate and treacle; Sunrype fruit bars, Fruit by the Foot, burnt molasses and fudge; very muted for the colour.

Palate: over-the-top sweet and fruity upfront; Christmas cake, more chocolate fudge, Fruit by the Foot and Sunrype fruit bars; leathery, spicy and oily with more burnt molasses and treacle.

Finish: light and short considering its massive upfront profile; fading, but not unpleasant.

Comment: there is a market for this style of whisky, but full disclosure this is not to my taste; it is an interesting inclusion in the Calendar, but would we stock it in the shop, likely not.

Evan's Tasting Note

Nose: grenadine syrup, Dr. Pepper, maraschino cherries, Twizzlers, candied oranges, Dutch licorice, cherry cough syrup, oven-baked beet chips, and somehow a bit of malt survives under all of the candy and syrup notes.

Palate: it has an... interesting texture to it. Maybe the colour is just faking me out but it sure comes off like flat Coca-Cola on the tongue. Molasses syrup, cherry and mint chewing gum, some earthy spices, pepper, nutmeg and even some saltiness in there as well. Like eating teriyaki-flavoured beef jerky and a fruit rollup at the same time.

Finish: fuzzy with saline and slightly cloying with a touch of fruit roll-up. More texture than flavour-driven on the finish.

Comments: This is what happens when you let your five-year-old child get behind the bar and mix their own Roy Rogers: they come back with a glass stuffed to the brim consisting of 1/2 grenadine, 1/3 maraschino cherries, and 1/3 Coca-Cola with just a touch of fruit juice. Yes, I know that doesn't add up, but this is a five-year-old we are talking about. Check their pockets and confiscate those extra cocktail sabres they pilfered.

Playing catch-up on our 2018 Kensington Wine Market Whisky Calendar?

You can find the rest of the blog posts here!

This entry was posted in Whisky, KWM Whisky Calendar 2018, Whisky Calendars

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