Can I Buy Good Whisky In The Supermarket? Part 01

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A few years ago Lidl release an aged Highland whisky that Jim Murray (the Whisky Bible guy) scored as 95/100. The process of releasing limited edition high end whisky's has very much been pioneered by the German supermarkets that continue to perform well with their own brands at domestic and international spirit awards.

Lidl: Ben Bracken 22 yr Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This leads us to one the Lidl offerings for 2016/17. Ben Bracken 22 year old Islay whisky priced at £44.99. In terms of cost this is pretty much ridiculous as Islay whisky's from brands like Laphroaig (such as the Laphroaig 25) can cost as much as £400.

I mention Laphroaig as too me that is what this is. When doing some research I read one person say it was Bowmore. I can't agree with that at all; it very much smells and tastes like higher end or independently bottled Laphroaig. It could potentially be Lagavulin (a mile down the road from Laphroaig) as the distilleries historically have very similar taste profiles and having recently drank the unsherried Lagavulin 8, it was certainly reminiscent in both flavour and style. However this would suprise me as pouring into a glass every nuance of the nose screams Laphroaig to the extent that I cannot countenance it being anything else. This is no bad thing.

More importantly though, is it any good? Well yes, but far from an unequivocal success. Is it worth buying for £44.99? Absolutely yes. Out of the bottle it reminds me a touch of a newly opened standard 40% Laphroaig 10, in that is a good quality but underpowered spirit. Lidl have chosen  to chill filter this whisky and bottle it at 40% rather than leave it unchilfiltered and bottles at 46%. This leaves the whisky initially underwhelming.

One of the reasons that peated whisky is often much younger than other types is because the phenolic levels drop over the years and as such can lead to a relatively disappointing experience if you are looking for a 'peat monster'. However leaving the whisky for 30-40 minutes in the glass prior to drinking really let's this whisky breathe and show of its best assets.

This isn't a surprise. This whisky would be a huge loss leader for Lidl and Laphroaig (or the small time independent bottler referenced) aren't going to give up their best barrels of 20 something whisky without charging a fortune for them. So what we have here are barrels that whilst not without their charms, aren't good enough to fetch a premium price.

However time works it's magic and this becomes a fantastic whisky for the price if you have the patience to wait for it. I left some glasses on the side for some friends over Christmas and too a man this whisky went down very well.

This whisky did win an award; however since that was months before release I feel that must have been in a cask strength or 46% unchilfiltered iteration. A whisky not without flaws but well worth a trip to Lidl.

As a side I poured my father a glass of this handsomely packaged whisky rather than a Poet Charlotte Valinch I had bottles myself at the Bruichladdich distillery. He was deeply disappointed in comparison to that (admittedly fantastic) 7 year old whisky. But this was straight out of the bottle. Patience is the key.

So what does this mean regarding the quality of supermarket whisky? Well clear they can offer value for money and are presented well. This is a whisky that has been proven to be of some interest even to people who have enjoyed high quality whisky over a number of years. As such a trip to Lidl seems worth making around November as the supermarket is developing a track record of producing whisky's which provide a decent amount for a relatively small financial outlay.

Link: For taste notes click here

Link: Can I Buy Good Whisky In The Supermarket? Part 02

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