As part of my promotional campaign trying to recruit members for this new local whisky club that I’m currently creating (ppsssst! Join us !), I happened to pop in a wee shop specialised in French and Belgian craft beers earlier today and came accross this black and white bottle featuring an Occitan cross and containing this welknown golden liquid… Whisky ! After a long spirited talk with the owner, I found myself coming back home with this southwestern beverage that I was really curious to discover !
A bit of history :
The initial observation was quite simple : there were more than 20 brands of French whisky on the market, produced or matured in France. Each and every region possessed its own brand(s) apart from the Southwest. However, the area was home of world-famous spirits and historical traditions. That’s why 4 passionate friends came up with the idea to use the exceptional waters of a high altitude spring (1000m) located within a natural wonder, the national park of Haut Languedoc, which will be the location of the future distillery, meant to be built by 2016.
Before the distillery starts operating, and with the aim to demonstrate its know-how, the founding team at Black Mountain Compagnie has launched two blended whiskies aged here, in the southwest of France, and named “Black Mountain Selection”.
So here I am, home, comfortably seated, cracking open the bottle of BM2 (40% ABV and matured in ex Armagnac casks) and pouring myself a wee glass of this liquid sunshine.
Nose : woody with strong vanilla notes and hints of caramel, predominant sweetness
Palate : honey, fruity, sweet spice aromas
Finish : short and slightly smoky
I won’t say I was deeply seduced but BM2 would make a perfect evening dram after a long and hard day at work. It’s definitely not the kind of whisky that you would hide for ages in your cellar and only open for special occasions but more something to share with good friends before indulging in a hearty wintry meal. Black Mountain is more of a social drink than an intimate and individual luxury and finally, that may be how I prefer my whisky : shared.
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