Ben Bracken Whisky Review: Lidl's Single Malts on the Evidence

Ben Bracken is the name Lidl puts on its single malt Scotch — a Highland, a Speyside and an Islay, all genuine single malts, all under £20. It's also the own-label range with the most surprising trophy cabinet in the supermarket aisle: a Ben Bracken 22 Year Old was named best Islay single malt at the World Whiskies Awards in 2016, beating bottles at several times the price. Here's what the range actually is, what the awards and reviews say, and where it sits against the alternatives.

How this guide works. This is a research-based buying guide, not a personal tasting. We assess Ben Bracken on price, category and age statements, independent competition results — which are judged blind, unlike any single reviewer's opinion — and what's verifiable about sourcing. Prices shift by season and region; treat them as a guide and check the shelf.

The range

The core Ben Bracken line-up since 2017 has been three no-age-statement single malts, one per region, all bottled at 40% ABV:

Prices checked July 2026 — but Lidl doesn't publish prices online (its product pages say "see in store"), so treat these as a guide. The trio launched at £17.49 in 2017 and has crept up only modestly since, which in a decade of whisky inflation is an achievement in itself.

On top of the core three, Lidl periodically drops aged limited editions — more on those below, because they're the bottles worth setting a reminder for.

Ben Bracken Speyside

The approachable one, in the classic light, fruity Speyside style. It has the strongest recent competition record of the everyday trio: it took a Gold in the Single Malt Speyside Standard category at the 2018 Scotch Whisky Masters, the blind-judged competition run by The Spirits Business. Independent reviewers tend to agree it's the pick of the three — WhiskyNotes rated it the best of the trio, describing "banana ice cream, vanilla custard, raisins" and honey on the nose, with a thinner, spikier palate.

Ben Bracken Highland

The maltier, heavier sibling. It won a Silver at the World Whiskies Awards 2021. Reviewers are less unanimous here: WhiskyNotes found it richer — "toffee sweetness and a hint of chocolate" — but scored it the lowest of the three. If you're choosing one bottle, the Speyside or Islay are the stronger buys.

Ben Bracken Islay

The interesting one. A genuinely peated Islay single malt at around £20 is rare — Ben Bracken Islay and Asda's Extra Special Islay are pretty much the only own-label peated malts in any UK supermarket, and named-brand Islay starts nearer £40. It took a Bronze at the World Whiskies Awards 2021. Lidl's own notes describe "tangy sea spray, bonfire smoke, salted bananas and baked apples", with soot, sponge pudding and candied orange; WhiskyNotes called it "a docile, flatter version of Big Peat", with kippers and brine, and noted the value for money is strong even if the 40% bottling strength holds it back. New to smoke? Start with what peated whisky actually is.

The aged specials: the real reason to watch Lidl

Every so often — usually in the run-up to Christmas — Lidl releases age-stated Ben Bracken bottlings at prices no named distillery can match. Recent history:

• Ben Bracken 22 Year Old Islay (Christmas 2016, ~£44.99) — named best Islay single malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2016, ahead of far more expensive competition. The result made national headlines.
• Ben Bracken 23 Year Old Speyside (Christmas 2018) — a 23-year age statement at supermarket money; independent bloggers who tracked one down rated it a genuine bargain.
• Ben Bracken 18 Year Old Islay (November 2021) — reported by Lidl as a sell-out.
• Ben Bracken 19 Year Old Islay (Christmas 2022, £39.99, 43% ABV) — whisky consultant Blair Bowman, quoted in Lidl's launch coverage, called it "another cracker of a whisky from Lidl... rich, fruity, and sooty". Reviewers at Malt also covered it as one of the better supermarket specials of that winter.

Older one-offs (27 and 28-year-old Speysides) have appeared too. The pattern: limited stock, in-store only, gone in days. If a £40 Ben Bracken with a big age statement appears, the track record says buy first and deliberate later.

Who makes Ben Bracken?

Lidl doesn't disclose the distilleries, which is standard for own-label Scotch — supply contracts almost always prohibit naming the source. What's on record: the current range is bottled by the Clydesdale Whisky Co. in Glasgow, which whisky writers widely link to Whyte & Mackay, and the liquid inside has changed sources over the years, as it does with most own-labels. We won't repeat guessed distillery names as fact — the full story of how supermarket whisky gets made is in our explainer.

What is certain: anything labelled single malt Scotch is 100% malted barley from one Scottish distillery, matured in oak in Scotland for at least three years. These are real single malts, not a legal fudge.

How it compares

Against Aldi's Glen Marnoch — the direct rival — it's close to a draw on the Speyside and Highland bottles, and both ranges have blind-competition medals. Ben Bracken's trump card is the Islay: Aldi doesn't sell a peated own-label malt. The full head-to-head is in Aldi vs Lidl whisky — though at the budget-blend end, Aldi's Highland Black 8 is the bottle Lidl has no answer to.

Against named entry-level malts, the honest gap is a few pounds and a name. The obvious step-up from the Ben Bracken Speyside is Tamnavulin Double Cask at £20–22 — a named Speyside distillery with a sherry-cask finish for roughly £3 more. For a lighter, orchard-fruit style, Glenfiddich 12 (compared here with Glenlivet 12) is the benchmark at ~£30+.

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Verdict

On the evidence — price, blind-judged medals, and third-party reviews — Ben Bracken is one of the strongest own-label single malt ranges in the UK:

• Best everyday buy: the Islay (~£20). One of only a couple of own-label peated malts in existence, WWA-medalled, and a fraction of named-Islay money.
• Best for newcomers: the Speyside (~£18). Scotch Whisky Masters Gold and the reviewers' pick of the trio.
• Skippable: the Highland, unless you specifically want the maltier style.
• Buy on sight: any aged limited edition. The 22 Year Old's 2016 World Whiskies Award wasn't a fluke of marketing — it was a blind result.

Run any of them through the Whisky Value Calculator to see the price-per-unit case for yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Who makes Ben Bracken whisky for Lidl?

Lidl doesn't say, and the contracts prevent the bottler from saying. The range is bottled by the Clydesdale Whisky Co. in Glasgow — widely believed to be connected to Whyte & Mackay — and the source distilleries have changed over the years. Whatever the source, the label guarantees genuine single malt Scotch: one Scottish distillery, 100% malted barley, minimum three years in oak.

Is Ben Bracken whisky any good?

The blind-judged record says yes for the price. The Speyside took Gold at the 2018 Scotch Whisky Masters, the Highland and Islay medalled at the World Whiskies Awards 2021, and a 22-year-old Ben Bracken was named best Islay single malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2016. Reviewers consistently rate the range as strong value rather than a revelation — competent single malt at a price named brands can't touch.

How much is Ben Bracken at Lidl?

Typically £17.49–18.99 for the Speyside and Highland and around £19.99 for the Islay (checked July 2026). Lidl doesn't list prices online, so check your store. Aged limited editions have ranged from about £40 (19 and 22-year-olds) upward, and sell out fast.

Is Ben Bracken Islay peated?

Yes — it's a genuinely peated, smoky Islay single malt, one of the very few own-label peated malts sold by any UK supermarket. Lidl's own notes cite bonfire smoke and sea spray. If you like it, the peated whisky beginners' guide maps out the named-brand ladder.

Related articles

• Every Lidl Whisky: Prices, Value & What's Worth Buying
• Aldi vs Lidl Whisky: The Head-to-Head
• Highland Black 8 Year Old Review
• Is Supermarket Scotch Any Good?
• Best Supermarket Whisky Deals
• Whisky Value Calculator

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Similar bottles you can get on Amazon

The own-label bottles above are in-store only. If you’d rather not make the trip, these are close in style and value — a small step up, delivered.

Tamnavulin Double Cask

Sherried Speyside — the closest match to an own-label sherry-cask single malt

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Auchentoshan American Oak

Smooth, unpeated Lowland — an easy everyday pour in the supermarket price band

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Glenfiddich 12 Year Old

Age-stated single malt — the safe step up if you want a known name delivered

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