Value for Money: There’s no surprise anymore when Lidl bottles turn out to be pretty good. The most surprising thing was that I felt it improved no end by adding a little water, something I didn’t expect with a 43% abv. The 8 year old Ben Bracken normally retailed for £18, but it appears that it was being replaced by the new trio of Ben Bracken expressions which were launched for World Whisky Day in 2017. … Charcoal, autumnal forest decay and Muscovado sugar. 5. Rate Facebook; Twitter; Google+; Upload a picture Details about this bottle Edit Whisky-ID: 28751 Distillery: ... We use cookies and website technologies to customize information and improve your shopping experience all around whisky. I’d avoid the Bowmore official range. But we could do with your support each month – think of it as buying us a dram. A tonic we haven’t had too much of during 2020, but one thing we’ve certainly enjoyed – arguably too much of – is whisk(e)y. Ben Bracken Highland Cd . No, it wouldn’t TC, as the bottler can do what they like, especially if they aren’t naming the distillery. A little like watching Nigella dance her way around the kitchen in her latest television escapade. Little evidence exists to confirm this hypothesis but if it were to be proved correct, the isle of Islay would be the true birthplace of the spirit that became known as scotch whisky. Ben Bracken isn’t a distillery, or even a place. Also, what peat there is would have stepped aside as the years rolled by. I think the stand out things for me with this is that it’s nose it good but the mouthfeel was so thin and palate was far brineyer (sp?) There’s no distillery – or even place – by the name of Ben Bracken of course, rather I suspect the marketing brains at Lidl flicked through a dictionary of Scottish words with their eyes shut before slamming their finger down at the appropriate moment. The firm have launched Ben Bracken whisky - a 16-year-old Islay Single Malt Whisky (ABV 43%, 70cl) - for just £34.99. This is the season to be jolly. Frankly, I just don’t care. Surprisingly, Aldi didn’t really embrace the format this year, although maybe they’ll have a surprise in store? Pointless information I know, but nevertheless crucial for padding this article out to a respectable word count. Spices as well with black peppercorn and cloves. I was however, pleasantly surprised and impressed by its quality and depth given it is such a budget whisky (£17 in Lidl UK). What they don’t want to state is the distillery, or provide a clue as such, unlike many independent bottlers who have dropped hints where possible. Tried it and was very impressed, reminds me of Laphroaig. This 22 year old Islay Single Malt was released for Christmas 2016 and is priced at £44.99, making it a very tempting proposition indeed. The price point of £34.99 and the availability of an age statement should remove any need for hot air. Go to shop Check with the merchant for stock availability. . Ben Bracken 40 Years . Water on the palate reveals candied orange and varnish. Ben Bracken Speyside / Highlands / Islay Ben Bracken is the range of single malts sold by Lidl supermarkets. Perhaps this is a reflection of the silly prices for casks at auction and via brokers? I’ve snapped up several bottles of the regular Ben Bracken Islay when it went on special at the local Lidl but have never seen this version. I’m fine with that given the price. vs. 8 Jahre 40 % Vol. They all that tanned glow and sadly aren’t as good as they once used to be! Bottled by Clydesdale. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Unfortunately they’d passed the bottle around and a hand went up “according to my learned friend from Germany next to me , it says ‘Mit Farbstoff: Zuckerkulör’ – With Colourant :Caramel …..” At this point Percy done his best Jean Luc Picard Facepalm impersonation……. General description This is a very good whisky for the price, although for me it didn’t have any wow factor. Thanks for review of Ben Braken islay. Thanks, the clue is in the hashtags and on good authority, it ends in ‘more. In 1308 Angus Óg Mac Domnhall of Islay married Agnes, daughter of Cú Maige, Baron of Ulster. At the forefront of the hype are German stores Aldi and Lidl, the latter of which made headlines last year with their award winning “Queen Margot” blended scotch. It was the launch of the Enigma Duty Free bottling with the then Manager Percy and some of the Marketing team . Over the years they’ve had all kinds of bottlings, some with age statements (12 Years, 16 Years, 28 Years…) many of which have only been released in the UK. There’s a rich colour on display, suggestive that E150 has been added to a sizeable degree, particularly given the omission when it comes to a natural colour statement. Driftwood. Announced for World Whisky day back in May this isn’t Lidl’s first venture into putting their name behind a Whisky but the lineup in 2017 features a Highland, an Islay and the Speyside we have Today. Your email address will not be published. It’s two-fingers up at the rest of the whisky industry, that’s for sure. The Christmas 2020 splash from Lidl is Ben Bracken 16 Year Old. 6. Ben Bracken Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This Ben Bracken was bottled at 42,1% ABV. If you read the back of the tube it comes in it says ‘Mit Farbstoff: Zuckerkulör’ confirming (if you needed it!) I bought one of these at my local Lidl store yesterday and was amazed not to see any mention of ‘Peat/Peaty’ or Smoke/Smokey within the tasting notes. Created by the experienced hands at Whyte & Mackay, if you can find a bottle, then it’s yours for a miserly £34.99. Just not worth the effort or expense. Required fields are marked *. The blue one (Speyside maybe) wasn’t bad either. We’re heading down to Lidl for some bargain basement Speyside Single Malt. You must buy this and sneak it into blind tastings to shock your friends. In the mouth: a more rounded peat, approachable and not overpowering at this strength. Budget single malts from massive supermarket chains have become something of a big deal in the whisky world with each retailer offering their own label bottlings. Lidl’s Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt is bottled at 40% and retails at £17.49 a bottle. Either that or it’s some kind of wandering vagabond distillery, as Lidl also sell a Speyside and a Highland offering from Ben Bracken. Cue lots of online chatter about which distillery this release comes from. You can reach out via Instagram. I’d certainly buy another bottle if these hadn’t already been stripped from the shelves across the UK. Read more about our new Patron offering, or hit the button below to contribute. Let you know after our tasting. Thanks Jason, sure I’ll manage Many thanks, Your email address will not be published. For the record I’m still not convinced that it’s not some wonky Laga 16. Learn how your comment data is processed. For the record, this Ben Bracken is bottled at 43% strength and proudly exclaims it is chill filtered. Adding water reveals notes of coffee, amber and old newspaper. Hi, link for making donation, doesn’t appear to be working. So, its all too easy to get sucked into values and potential profits. 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