Every M&S Whisky: Prices, Value & What's Worth Buying

Every other supermarket hides the distillery behind its own-label whisky. M&S doesn't. Its Collection range names the maker on the label — and the names are good ones: the Islay is from Kilchoman, the Highland is a 10-year-old from Glenfarclas, and there's a Collection Glengoyne too. That changes the question from "is the mystery supermarket malt any good?" to "does buying a named distillery's whisky in an M&S jacket save you money, or cost you it?"

How this guide works. This is a research-based buying guide, not a personal tasting. We assess on price and value (including the price of the named distillery's own official bottling), category, and what M&S verifiably tells you about sourcing. Prices change and the line-up rotates — treat them as a guide and check the shelf.

The range

M&S Collection Islay Single Malt (Kilchoman)

Type: Single malt, Islay — distilled & matured by Kilchoman, bottled for M&S

The most interesting bottle in supermarket whisky. Kilchoman is a respected Islay farm distillery whose own bottlings sell for £50+. The value question is direct: is M&S's Kilchoman cheaper than buying Kilchoman's standard release, or are you paying for the badge?

M&S Collection Highland Single Malt (Glenfarclas, 10 Year Old) — from ~£42

Type: Single malt, 10 years old, from Glenfarclas

A 10-year-old from Glenfarclas — a respected, family-owned, sherried distillery — bottled for M&S. An official Glenfarclas 10 sells for around £40, so the question is whether the M&S version is cheaper, dearer, or a different cask profile entirely.

M&S Collection Glengoyne Highland Single Malt

Type: Single malt, Highland, from Glengoyne

Unpeated, slow-distilled Glengoyne under the M&S badge — same test against the distillery's own range.

Kenmore Single Malt (M&S)

Type: Single malt — M&S's cheaper line, distillery not named

M&S also runs a cheaper Kenmore single malt line that doesn't name the distillery — the closer analogue to the other supermarkets' anonymous own-label malts, and where M&S sits when it isn't selling a named distillery.

Value: the M&S question

M&S is the pricey end of supermarket whisky — the Collection malts sit around £40+, where Aldi and Lidl trade at £14–20. So value here isn't "cheap per unit"; it's "cheaper than buying the named distillery direct?" That's the comparison worth making bottle by bottle: M&S Collection Highland (Glenfarclas 10) vs an official Glenfarclas 10; M&S Collection Islay (Kilchoman) vs a standard Kilchoman. Put both prices side by side before you buy.

What makes M&S different

M&S is the outlier: it names the distillery. Where Tesco and Sainsbury's leave you reading IWSC registrations to guess at a Whyte & Mackay source, and Asda tells you nothing, M&S puts Kilchoman and Glenfarclas on the front label. That transparency is worth something — but it doesn't automatically mean value, because you can usually buy those distilleries' own bottles too. The fuller story of how supermarket whisky gets made is in our explainer.

What's worth buying

• If you value transparency: the Collection range is the only supermarket whisky that tells you exactly which distillery you're drinking — Kilchoman, Glenfarclas, Glengoyne.
• Before you buy: check the named distillery's own official bottling price. If M&S undercuts it, it's a genuine buy; if it's dearer, you're paying for the badge.

Frequently asked questions

Which distilleries make M&S whisky?

M&S names them, unlike other supermarkets: the Collection Islay is distilled and matured by Kilchoman, the Collection Highland is a 10-year-old from Glenfarclas, and there's a Collection Glengoyne Highland. The cheaper Kenmore line is not distillery-named.

Is M&S whisky good value?

It depends on the comparison. M&S is pricier than Aldi or Tesco, but because it names the distillery you can check its price against that distillery's own official bottling — which is the only honest way to judge whether the M&S version saves you money.

Is the M&S Kilchoman the same as a standard Kilchoman?

It's from the same distillery, but likely a different cask selection or age to Kilchoman's standard releases. Same distillery, not necessarily the same whisky — so compare the prices.

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