Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt (Lidl) Posted on March 12, 2020 September 9, 2020 by Neill Murphy Neill Murphy reviews a bargain basement single malt from the isle of Islay, bottled by German supermarket chain Lidl. Lidl’s life began as a small, independent grocery wholesaler in Germany during the 1930s. Lidl has introduced three single malt whiskies as part of World Whisky Day. It is not whisky! I have some fruitcake flirting with a touch of heather, cereal and honey, quite nutty with the slightest whiff of floral smoke, we have a wee bit of syrupy indulgence, a lot is happening in my glass. I found nothing offensive in this, either on the nose or palate, and in general would rate it higher than for example, the rather lame Bowmore NAS small batch Bourbon cask that i have on my shelf, along with Laphroaig Select,in favour of more interesting and more heavily peated gems. Sign up today to stay up to date with new releases, tastings and much more. Made in 5 easy steps! Abrachan. with the sugar. First sniff is OK but next one is disaster. 2. Wasted £17 on a drink that I could have spent on a 3 ml of really decent stuff . Bought bottle Ben Bracken (Speyside) lovely whisky.Once finished will definitely try the other two.Well done “Lidl ” someone has done their sums correctly. Budget brands: German supermarket chain Lidl is known for its affordable own-label goods. Just as Berry Bros and Rudd are not a distillery..but they definitely sell their bottles of Islay Whisky. I’ve only had laphroaig, lagavulin and bowmore, but these smoky, medicinal flavours are what you’d expect of islay. Spirits from Thursday, 01.11. at Lidl UK. The Bracken I got today has a silver IWSC 2018 award imprinted on the label Paul McQuade, head of Lidl’s Scottish buying team, “We’re incredibly proud of our whisky range and with World Whisky Day approaching this is the perfect time to release our new range of Ben Bracken single malt Scotches.“ I bought a bottle of ” Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky ” as a pick me up for my wife who was suffering from a heavy cold, she said it tasted worse than her medication, I tried it and it did, it tasted like iodine. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It is pretty good value in Scottish branches at £17.50, so I got one of the bargains of the year. Here is a second opinion from The Whisky Family YouTube channel (which is awesome btw): Ben Bracken Speyside Rating. Its quite clear that many of the reviewers above had unreal expectations of this whisky. Whether you prefer rich reds or crisp, chilled whites, browse a selection of our wine range below to find your new favourite. Menu Services Content Language Selection Language Selection ... Our Whiskey Range. Think I’ll water it down with gin. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Only three years ago did they release a Maxwell range of single malts that were received with open arms by the Whisky community. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Please note the we are not affiliated with any Whisky or spirits company. Nose 80%. Cost: £17 Picture: Abrachan, Lidl A group of judges gathered in London on Monday 11th June, to take part in a blind tasting that resulted in … I look forward to trying the other two although it may be difficult not to buy Islay again first! By the way, as a response to an earlier comment, with me as a retired chemist, I couldn’t detect any hint of iodine. The discount supermarket has added to its award-winning whisky range. I actually bought the Ben Bracken Speyside malt in Lidl’s supermarket in Mijas for €10 a bottle (£9). The unique, traditional whisky is a blend of the finest malt and grain whiskies. Add all cocktail ingredients along and shake well to combine. With Christmas just around the corner, Lidl has unveiled its new Ben Bracken … Please select your store to see all offers available in your area. Lidel buy casks from various distilleries. Mix the lemon zest and sugar in a shallow bowl wide enough to fit the rim of the glass. A very typical Speyside, light and sweet, quite lavish with nutty fruit flavours, apple, pear, vanilla spice, mouthfeel is creamy, a medium finish where I found a little oakiness  and toffee. Take a moment to think before you post Mr Rawcliffe. Lidl History. For example the speyside is bought from Tamnavulin. There are no Ben Bracken distilleries in Speyside or the Highlands either. Following on from their successful Scottish Gin Festival, Lidl have announced the launch of a new gin liqueur. All our words are our own. Our Whiskey Range - Lidl Ireland. 1. Not that it was bad whisky, I just though to myself; if this was a blind tasting would I think this was and 18 yr old or for that matter, worth what I paid? Bought a Lidl 18 (or so) year old a couple of years ago for about £45 and returned it, it was that poor. I think this range is brilliant. Lidl has announced its turkey range, and starting from £2.89 per kg it says it’s the most affordable place to buy a turkey this Christmas. Doubt very much if he’s Scottish, but can guarantee he knows hee-haw aboot whisky. This is not the first time Lidl have branched into the world of Whisky. Lidl introduces three new single malts. Go directly to. The German chain's Queen Margot whisky, which costs … It’s rocket fuel! It has been a while since I’ve tried their islay, but it wasn’t that dissimilar to whisky typical of islay. Learn how your comment data is processed. Its ascent to international success was slow and steady, and it wasn’t until 1973 that the first Lidl store opened its doors. B. udget supermarket chain Lidl may be best-known for its low-cost offerings, value meat and esteemed wine range but its whisky that is making headlines. It is a complex, acquired taste, and the lidl example has positive reviews from people who know and appreciate islay whisky, That’s not how it works.. I have just tasted a dram of the speyside, expecting an Islay , as that what I was what I had asked for…I live on Islay, my sisters shopping is obviously not up to much, but I am enjoying the subtle tang of this dram,a very enjoyable tasting! Aldis Glen Marnoch is Laphroaig and I am told that Ben Bracken is a young Bowmore.. I loved this, very smooth and typical island malt traits at what can only be described as a bargain price. Speaking about the win, Lidl UK Spirits Buyer Hannah Cvetkovic said: “It is fantastic to be recognised once again for our Scotch whisky range. The islay bottle actually states it is produced & bottled by Clydesdale Scotch Whisky Co., Glasgow. Some peculiar reviews on here, perhaps the iodine was the seaweed flavours that are synonymous with island malts! Menu Services ... Our Wine Range ... With an obviously peaty aroma, this whisky has notes of soot and smoke that are backed up by sponge pudding and candied orange. All in all i think this is an interesting effort, i also have the highland from Lidl, and the blended malt from Aldi, all good drams. Triple Oak Matured Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 42% ABV. Lidl's Whiskey Sour cocktail drink recipe is a combination of Irish whiskey, lime juice and sugar for the perfect cocktail. Just bought a bottle this afternoon & astonished at the quality for the price. The whiskies are being released under Lidl’s Ben Bracken Range, with variants from three of the whisky regions Speyside, Islay … https://malt-review.com/2016/12/27/tamnavulin-double-cask/. Sourced from the Highlands, Speyside and Islay regions, they would be bottled at … LIDL Ireland has relaunched their premium range of Dundalgan Irish whiskey to create a more contemporary, sleek and luxurious look for the brand. Glen Orchy 5 Year Blended Malt Scotch Whisky £15.49 in Scotland and Wales² DISGUSTING stuff. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. the abomination that was the Fujikai 10 Years Old). Tel. Irish Whiskey 40% - Lidl Ireland. These triumphant trophies for Lidl's own brand spirits follow the retailer's win of Supermarket Own Branded Spirits Range of … LIDL do not deal direct with ‘various distilleries’. For more from the whisky range from Lidl at incredible prices get yourself down to the nearest store (they don’t let you order online for some reason). www.whiskyboys.com 2008 - 2020. Anyone can bottle a whiskey from an Islay distillery.. By 1979, the number of stores had grown to 30. Reviews of affordable whisky with some entertaining tales along the way…. This thing smells like burned rubber. Same with taste – burned rubber, shoe leather, chemicals, rotten potato… AVOID! Nectar in my book, well done Lidl! The firm have launched the newest Ben Bracken whisky for just £34.99. The Whisky Cellar: Private Cellars Selection Series #001 (Part 2), Distilleries of Scotland (under development), Scotch Malt Whisky Society Bottling Codes, That Boutique-y Whisky Company Advent Calendar, Beer Review: Ardbeg / Williams Bros “The Shortie” Smoky Porter. Now this is so different from the Speyside. Its still available, still reduced, and the 12yr blended is bloody good stuff.. It’s just crap . Lidl have long offered affordable whisky in their spirits selection but in 2017 it was announced that a new range of single malts would be released under the Ben Bracken label. As The Scotsman reported, Lidl also won gold and silver medals for its Ben Bracken Speyside Single Malt at The Scotch Whisky Masters last year. Iodine, rubber, charred wood are found in reviews of most Islay peat monsters and are generally seen as positive comments. i think its an absolute bargain for the price. Now, full confession: the Lidl team sent me these three whiskies in the post, much to my surprise, but regular readers will know that such kind gestures are not immune to some harsh words (i.e. The taste is malty and nutty, with notes of brown bread and toasted mustard seed. FACT: All Ben Bracken whiskies are created by Whyte & Mackay and then supplied to LIDL. 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