Beinn Dubh single malt whisky is the perfect gift this Christmas: with hints of rich, decadent chocolate – as well as fruit and currants – it’s just like Christmas cake in a glass.
For those who love rich traditional fruit cake, Beinn Dubh captures the taste perfectly – without the months of preparation that goes into making one.
The whisky is inspired by Ben Macdui – the highest peak in the Cairngorm mountain range – which translates from Gaelic as the black mountain. Its name is also the inspiration for the enchanting ruby-black colour of the whisky, which conjures up feelings of warmth on a cold winter day.
Beinn Dubh is produced by Speyside Distillery, which lies in the very heart of the Cairngorms National Park.
The distillery wanted to create a whisky that celebrated the local area and captured the magic of the mountain: water from Ben Macdui is even used in the distillation process.
The taste of the whisky is deep and dark, just like the mountain – fruits, currants and chocolate dominate at first, but these gradually give way to both bitterness and sweetness.
Beinn Dubh is 43% ABV and the 70cl bottle has an RRP of £50.
Ardbeg ‘best single malt under US$100’
Ardbeg has swept the board in a review of the best single malt Scotch whiskies under US$100. The Islay Distillery’s unorthodox expressions; Ardbeg Ten Years Old, Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigeadail were lauded for their exceptional quality and value, taking the top three spots in Whisky Advocate magazine’s analysis.
Against a backdrop of surging demand for whisky and rising prices, the American magazine sought to establish the best creations available globally for under US$100.
Whisky Advocate explained that “the big surprise was the number of truly excellent Scotch whiskies still available for under US$100”. Its team studied the magazine’s database of 2,880 reviews and selected 92 whiskies from around the world, with a rating of 90 or more – and an affordable price tag.
The top of the single malt Scotch category is dominated by Ardbeg, the world’s smokiest, peatiest Islay single malt. First place was won by Ardbeg Corryvreckan, which takes its name from the treacherous whirlpool near the Distillery’s Scottish island home. With a rating of 96, the magazine describes the whisky as “quite stunning”.
Ardbeg Uigeadail, named after the mysterious loch from which the 200-year-old distillery sources its water, comes a close second. Praised for being “incredibly complex” by the magazine, it scored a rating of 95.
Meanwhile, the “powerful peat smoke” and “thick, oily palate” of Ardbeg Ten Years Old places it right on Ardbeg Uigeadail’s heels, with a rating of 93.