Another day, another Ben Bracken Single Malt…
Hot on the heels of the 8 year old expression from Lidl’s Ben Bracken label, it’s now the turn of a 28 year old Speyside Single Malt.
Older (in both senses of the term), this expression was released in November 2015 as part of the Lidl Christmas range for that year.
Typically, it’s from an undisclosed Speyside distillery and apart from the bottling strength of 40%, any other details are pretty scarce.
So, how does it taste?
Nose
Bright fruity nose with some sherry dried fruit, but also Golden Delicious apple notes.
Honey, grassy and old-school sweet shop flavours like Fruit Salad lurk around but also a good hint of malt.
Quite mouthwatering overall.
Palate
Slightly more subdued in the initial flavours than the nose would suggest, with a pleasant maltiness dominating.
The sweetness does arrive however, with red fruit, orchards, vanilla and a hint of apricot all present.
As with almost every review I write of a 40% whisky; I wish it was just a couple of percent stronger to give something for the flavour to hang onto.
Finish
That low ABV impacts the finish most significantly with the flavours being washed away far too quickly.
A malt-cereal finish lingers for a bit longer, but it’s pretty forgettable.
Overall
This 28 year old Ben Bracken Speyside single malt is a decent whisky, but it’s hard to say much more than that. It’s very drinkable, but not in the ‘bargain territory’ of other Lidl spirits.
The flavours are pleasant, but it doesn’t taste like a 28 year old whisky overall.
Braw Spirit 