We’ve all seen those articles that show Aldi and Lidl whiskies coming out on top in various tasting awards. This Ben Bracken Islay review will try to keep an open mind about such matters though. Winning these awards doesn’t mean that these are the best whiskies in the world as some overzealous newspaper headlines would have you think. A lot of these awards are ‘pay-to-enter’ affairs that are barely worth the paper that they’re printed on. Still, at just over £16, Ben Bracken has to be worth a look. Doesn’t it?
Ben Bracken Islay Review
Ben Bracken isn’t a distillery, or even a place. Instead, this is the umbrella branding that Lidl uses for its single malt Scotch whiskies. Their Ben Bracken range covers both a Speyside and Highland variation too.
Much debate has centred around the identity of the Islay distillery that the whisky in these bottles originate from. General consensus seems to be that it’s the handiwork of Bowmore Distillery. Perhaps my palate isn’t educated enough to pick up any similarities between the young whisky in Ben Bracken and the 12-year-old Bowmore, but I don’t taste the connection.
How Much is Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt Whisky?
All of the Ben Bracken core range are priced at the frankly sensational £16.49. I’ve not seen any fluctuations in this price at all. I certainly can’t imagine that you’ll ever see it on offer given how cheap it already is.
On the Nose
Toffee and peat. If you’re buying an Islay whisky then you’re probably hoping for some peat smoke, and this has plenty. In fact, there’s a significant amount more than its alleged older sibling, Bowmore 12. It has that insulin-like fragrance, but there’s also a vegetal softness to it. A first-aid kit left in the overgrown grass under a barbeque.
Is Ben Bracken Islay Suitable for Sipping Neat?
Definitely. That nose carries through to the taste, which is quite peaty with an additional hit of toffee apples. Despite its probable youth (there’s no age statement as you might expect for the price), there’s plenty of flavour to enjoy, and the 40% ABV probably helps it to go down quite easily. A little sharp in places perhaps, but what do you want for £16?
Is Ben Bracken Islay Suitable for Mixing?
Probably not. I’ve no idea what you would mix this (or any peaty Islays for that matter) in. If you’re feeling experimental though, you may as well do it with a £16 bottle rather than the bottle of Lagavulin you got for your birthday.
Ben Bracken Islay Review – Verdict
People give all sorts of fancy suggestions to people asking what the best gateway whisky into the peat-filled world of Islay is. They’ll offer up tips on soft and fruity little numbers with the faintest whiff of peat smoke in the background to help you get acclimatised to the style. In the real world though, you want something representative of the area that won’t cost big bucks on the off-chance that you hate it. Ben Bracken Islay is that.
It’s also a bit more than that however. These last couple of months, I’ve been in a bit of an Islay mood, and have been circulating this alongside Laphroaig 10 and Bowmore 12. Although I keep telling myself that it can’t be true, I’m starting to think that the Ben Bracken Islay might be my favourite of the three.
That statement probably won’t win me much respect from whisky purists, but I’d be surprised if any can say with hand on heart that this isn’t superb value for the money.
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You’ll Probably like Ben Bracken Islay if You Already Like…
If you’re in Lidl now, then why not check out their peated Abrachan Scotch too!
But what about Aldi’s budget Scotch? Have a butchers at this Glen Marnoch Islay review.
Tesco have their own budget Islay equivalent. Check out this Glenfairn Islay whisky review.
Enjoy those funky TCP notes? Classic Laphroaig’s always a good bet.
Fancy a rum instead? This smokey 12-year-old Appleton Estate is probably just the thing for a whisky drinker.
I’ve visited 3 of the Islay distilleries, including Bowmore, which remains one of my favourites. I would never have guessed that this Ben Bracken variety came from Bowmore; and notwithstanding the fact that it doesn’t have any great age to it is very palatable and unbeatable for value.
That’s the rumour I’ve heard from a few people at least. I’m with you though – I struggle to see any similarities between Ben Bracken and Bowmore’s main offerings. A decent dram for the price nonetheless though.
How old do you think this whisky is
If you look at the 18 year old Ben Bracken, it mirrors the abv of 43%, sold at lidl for an unbelievable £39.99. I managed to get one bottle and will open and try in the new year. As for the unaged range of lidl whisky’s, they are just distilates and a friend of mine who runs his own still produces far better tasting. Once you get in to aged single malt whisky’s you are in to a completely different world but it comes at a price. The 21 year old Bowmore colaboration with Aston Martin comes in at around £300 per bottle. The 18 year old claimed to come from Bowmore for lidl is around £80 outside of lidl. Is it worth the gamble of £40 to find out, that is the question.
I didn’t realise they’d realised an Islay 18 year old. I’ll be hunting for one now. Interested to hear what you thought to it.
I’ve been too all the distilleries on islay and have never been disappointed. My favourite is Ardbeg 25 year old however l was more than satisfied with Ben bracken and at the price it is an absolute steal.
I can only imagine how a 25-year-old Ardbeg must taste! I need to make a pilgrimage to Islay at some point.
Many years ago my wife bought me a bottle of Ardbeg 17yo which was absolutely the drink of the gods. It is not available anywhere now at any price (she paid around £150 – a big premium on top of the standard price of around £35 at its release). I’ll look out for a 25yo.
17yo Ardbeg at £35 a bottle?! I can imagine they got hoovered up pretty quickly! You can see why folk are investing in the stuff now.
I was surprised and delighted when I first sampled the Lidl Islay after expecting to pour it down the drain. It’s not like any Bowmore expression I’ve tried from a glass of a sensational 1964 at the distillery given as a 60th birthday present by manager Eddie MacAffer to the standard 12 yo. I’m familiar with the products of all the Islay distilleries and to me the lovely slightly oily mouth feel of the £17 Lidl gives it away as Caol Ila. It’s a good malt and great value. I would certainly pick up a bottle again.
A 1964?! Wow. I’ve only had the Bowmore 12, so interesting to hear that Ben Bracken doesn’t bear any similarities to any of their other expressions either. You may well be onto something with the Caol Ila. I think I’ll need to get a bottle from each Islay distillery to blind test next to Lidl’s bottling (in the name of science of course!).
On Saturday, here in Germany where I run a shop, I discovered that our local Lidl in Lübeck-Travemunde were selling a Ben Bracken Islay 8 years for 15,99 euros, which is about just under 14 quid! On the reverse label it says that it was produced and bottled by Clydesdale Scotch Whisky Co in Glasgow. Absolutely unbelievable that a whisky tasting this good could be so cheap. How do they do it?
Wow, never heard of an 8 year bottling! Hope we get it over here in the UK soon. That’s cheaper than the NOS Ben Bracken here. An absolute steal!
Don’t think Bowmore. Another mid peated Islay far more likely. Caol Ila far more likely and as biggest Islay distillery as owned by Diagio and used in significant number of blends. Have tasted older Caol ila has same signature points just more refined by age. Think about 5 years old. Islay whisky matures quicker than Speyside hence the number sold at ten years old.
I agree that the Ben Bracken is a perfectly reasonable gateway to Islay, and that it is indeed better than over-caramelised Bowmore 12 and bland 40% Laphroaig 10. I disagree that you would be condemned for saying so by proper whisky purists, who are well aware of the deficiencies of those low end expressions from the big corporates, including Beam Suntory.
Have been given as a Christmas present a 19yr old single malt version distilled in 2003. Lidl selling same for circa thirty five quid.
I’m saving this for NYE and beyond, whilst not a whiskey expert by any stretch of the imagination I have high hopes having read all your comments.
Enjoy! I never seem to be able to find the age statement bottles in my local store, but I’m ready to pounce once I see one!
The Ben Bracken ‘speyside’malt was not too bad so thought to try the ‘islay ‘ malt. It is pretty dreadful – harsh to the palate, harsh to the nose. Malts are matured in old sherry or sometimes bourbon casks; this malt tastes as if it had been matured in a tar barrel. I might even have to pour it down the sink as it is too rough even for cooking with !
Are you familiar with Islay-style whiskies? If you were expecting something akin to a sweet Speyside Scotch, then you’re always going to disappointed with the smoky and more savoury Islays. They’re very different beasts!
I like malt whisky. I like Islay single malt whiskies….but not only do I not like the prices that branded distillery bottles sell for I just can’t afford them…so I tried Lidl’s (un-aged) Islay single malt Ben Bracken and, bless me, I’ve fallen in love with whisky again! What’s not to like at (currently )£17.49a bottle but that was before the recent UK Budget statement. Reading your’s and other reviews I’ve now got a list of expressions to get through starting with the Abrachan blended malt. I liked the sound of that and I read another review mentioning armagnac/brandy notes and a distinct oiliness. I liked the sound of that. Next will be the other Ben Bracken unaged expressions – Highland and Speyside – just to ensure thoroughness, and by that time it’ll be nearing a birthday, bound to be someone’s birthday, so I’ll try and track down that mythical beast – a Ben Bracken 28 year old…for under £50…or did I imagine that? Oh and as for the source distillery I’m with all the Caol Isla respondents. The Ben Bracken has that same and quite distinctive “burnt paper,” nose in my opinion. Its certainly nothing like a young Bowmore.
A lovely whiskey… Strangely, almost idistinguishable from Jonnie Walker Black Lable blended 12 year old, which is a very good comparison for the price at Lidl.
Whyte and Mckay have something to do with the blend, since the postcode brings up their head office but I’m in agreement with this being young Caol Ila. I’ve bought four bottles since first tasting this at Christmas. I think its superb.
I’m sipping Abrachan at tis very moment.
Superb for cheap whisky.
The Ben Brachan Islay also superb for sipping. What a price!
Smoky, peaty, seaweedy Islay malts are for many people a whisky style you either love or hate. I’m very much a lover and a longtime devotee of Laphroaig 10yo but as it’s hard to find that at under £40 in the UK nowadays I thought I’d give this a try when I last ran out. I had far from high expectations but found it more than tolerable. In a blind tasting I don’t think it would lead many to imagine they were drinking the real thing – but with at least a reasonable hint of all the right flavour nuances it makes, in my opinion, a perfectly passable substitute when you’re strapped for cash.
Aldi’s Glen Marnoch Islay is also worth a look as an everyday sipper. Doesn’t quite have the punch of Ben Bracken, but has a slightly more balanced profile.
First tried the Ben Bracken Speyside on a recent camping / fishing trip to the borders, £18 in Lidl, a bottle for our campfire evenings. What a suprise, lovely stuff and I’m not ususally keen on Speyside whisky. Back home today and picking up a few things from Lidl, popped a bottle of the Ben Bracken Islay into the bag, wow, great stuff ! Up there with my favourites 10yr Springbank, and at the other end of the price spectrum Black Bottle. Well done Lidl, looking forward to trying the Highland version.