Ben Bracken Highland Peated
Spicy, Maritime, Costal2022-09-21
LIDL does not reveal which distillery is behind Ben Bracken. All we know is that we have a whisky from the Highlands at a bargain price in our glass. The packaging is brown, which distinguishes it from the other whiskies in the series. There is also a Highland whisky, an Islay Scotch and a bottling from Speyside.
Smell
Peated and smoky are hardly found here. Earthy and maritime-salty aromas are present. Apple, vanilla and caramel resonate, but are rather weak.
Taste
This scotch tastes extraordinarily thin and sweet. You have to search again to find the promised peat-smoke. We detect a maritime saltiness and a slightly peppery aroma. All in all, not unpleasant.
Finish
A trace of smoke and maritime saltiness lingers for a medium length.
Thoughts
One could think of a mix of Takisker and Bowmore. However, the intensity, the smoke and the concise, powerful flavour explosions are clearly missing.
Assuming we were buying this Single Malt to drink a heated whisky, we would feel cheated. Since we are in the low-budget range, this bottling is actually fine.