Ben Bracken 1989 W&Y

Overall rating
86.06/100
votes
148
Whiskybase ID
WB104497
Category
Single Malt
Bottler
Wallace & Young Distillers Co. (W&Y)
Bottling serie
Speyside Single Malt
Vintage
1989
Bottled
2017
Stated Age
28 years old
Casktype
Oak Casks
Strength
46.0 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Barcode
20975067
Bottled for
LIDL
Market
Germany Germany
Added on
03 dec 2017 7:39 pm by whisky313
ColoredChillfiltered
Ben Bracken 1989 W&Y
Photo by Mark Renton
Ben Bracken 1989 W&Y
Photo by Mark Renton
Ben Bracken 1989 W&Y
Photo by Mark Renton

Average value

€ 111.98

Found 3 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 88.00
Germany Whisky Raritäten & more € 109.00
Netherlands MusthaveMalts.com € 114.95
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Whisky reviews for Ben Bracken 1989 W&Y

33 users have left 34 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 86.06 points.

  1. Tom na Gruagaich scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    Slight conflict. The malt shows age, is tasty, but also fresh and sometimes looks younger. In a positive sense, highly unspectacular. Simply good whisky, with a lot of age for the money, even if you shouldn't expect too much in terms of taste. Solid sipper.
    • Nose
      Fruity, ripe apples, some honey, restrained oak. Pleasant nose, a little unspectacular.
    • Taste
      Crunchy, fresh, apples, here also wood and seasoning.
    • Finish
      Sweet, fruity, apples again, the oak becomes a bit more present, the honey drops by. Fresh and not at all bitter end.

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  3. Acetate scored this whisky 86 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      84 84

  4. ulikoch scored this whisky 87 points Member Junior

    Great 'bang for your buck'. Just taste it blind and ignore it's Lidl.
    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  5. Kawa_ZX6 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    lacks of complexity. Tastes like some plain casks where in the cask selection

  6. Vallado scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  7. herby.usa scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      87 87

  8. KB201 scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    A whisky to drink.
    • Nose
      89 89
      The oak stays in the background, instead more and more tropical fruits are appearing.
    • Taste
      90 90
      Spicy, creamy, fruity with intense citrus and orange aromas, spices, honey.
    • Finish
      88 88
      Medium-long finish

  9. Simon Stood scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Very good spaceide. Very similar to Benriach. 89 results
    • Nose
      88 88
      The aroma is quite delicate, perfumery. Caramelized berries, sinabones, green fruits (apricot, plum)
    • Taste
      90 90
      Berries - black currants, blackberries, gooseberries, baked goods, a little salt. Very good.
    • Finish
      89 89
      I wanted to finish a little longer. Sun-dried fruits, menthol, a little pepper

  10. dapoinbua scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  11. dominikbraun scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    A whisky for the drinker, not for the collector. This is possibly the best value for money whisky I've had to date.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Floral and voluminous. A basket of citrus fruits is combined with apple juice, fruit and spices. The oak stays in the background, instead more tropical fruits and candle wax gradually emerge. Actually a picture book Speysider, if you will. The nose is not overly complex for 28 years, but it is incredibly appetizing.
    • Taste
      88 88
      Spicy, creamy, waxy and fruity with intense citrus fruits, orange jam, herbs, spices, forest honey, tea.
    • Finish
      86 86
      The finish is not as spectacular as the palate, but it rounds off the taste with a slightly drying fruit sweetness. Here, too, the oak is very reluctant.

  12. glenrob scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      88 88

  13. dapoinbua scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      94 94
    • Taste
      94 94
    • Finish
      94 94

  14. markjedi1 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Complex
    A few years ago, this 28 years old Speyside malt could be found on the shelves of the German supermarket Lidl. The provenance is kept secret. Bottled by Wallace & Young Distillers, the company that also releases that other supermarket whisk Queen Margot.
    Oh, my, what a delicious nose! Overripe and tropical fruit, bergamot oil, acacia honey, hazelnuts, a bouquet of wild flowers, candle wax, cinnamon and liquorice. The whole is wrapped in beautiful notes of charred wood. A tad old school and simply grand.
    Good body. Nicely oily and waxy. The fact that it is bottled at 46% is a plus. Lots of honey and sugar up front, followed by yellow fruit and nuts. Then the spices kick in. Salt and pepper (surprisingly salty for a moment in fact). Lots of earthy notes too. And a bitterness as if from grapefruit. Good balance. This is actually quite complex!
    In the satisfyingly long finish I get more nuts. Both hazelnuts and almonds. The spices prickle nicely and keep your mouth warm without drying it.
    What a pleasant surprise! It is amazing that you can buy a whisky 28 years of age for only 70 EUR, don’t you think? Makes you wonder about the official releases, I suppose. Thanks, Gunther.

  15. ColorOutOfSpace scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    glenfarclas 25 has always been a price cracker with its 90-110€. but this has a even better price performance ratio altough its not as refined and the caskwork is rather restrained. it shows IB not OB style.

    however, blind you would get/guess something between a glenfarclas 25 and knockando 21+.
    its just good. I drank 3x2cl but my original plan was to drink 1x2cl. just couldn't stop.

    Lidl shows us, that good whisky doesnt have to be expensive and ultra rare rare special. its damn good whisky to drink and aint that the point?
    • Nose
      88 88
      wow, a blast of maturity. smells like the age printed on the label.
      classical mature speyside character:

      red and green apples above everything. vanilla, clear applejuice, barley, fruitbread, marmelade, orange zest, hazelnuts, nuts, walnut-oil, tropical fruit bowl, apple pie, wood.
      a little alcoholic note pops up but well integrated.

      I was impressed by the nose with my first sniff directly from the just opened bottle. I never expected this quality and maturity out of such a cheap discounter bottle.
    • Taste
      87 87
      slow arrival, initially it seems a bit weak but coating the mouth let it grow then like a wave. loads of oak move in. strong taste of honeyed apples with citrus and vanilla cake. oily and juicy mouthfeel. its rather spirit driven, caskwork (complexity from a cask that evolves the spirit about 3 decades)is not that prominent beside the woodnotes themself.
    • Finish
      86 86
      powerful and long. first sweet, then kind of peppery and spicy. the oak is still there after quarter of a minute. alcohol is pungent, not overly "heaty" but theres definitely a little alcoholic hit.

      damn what a nice whisky. the price is insane.
      I bet most of the people would sort this blind clearly above 100€, but its ridiciously only 60-70€. ordered another bottle straight away.

  16. SpringBarley scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    after having this whisky open for about 4 months now, it opened a lot and is much more approachable. with fruity, honey and wood notes. yes, a lot of wood, so maybe not fot beginnera but for the experienced drinker, a great a super value experience. i bought this on offer for less than 60 euros.
    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  17. LDB scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Surprisingly good!
    • Nose
      87 87
      Quite shy, unobtrusive at first. Give it some time, then it opens up nicely with hints of ripe apricots, pickled ginger and tender wooden notes.
    • Taste
      88 88
      Astonishingly fruity yet elegant, a fine balance between sherry casks and distillate. Oily and orange-y, with a dash of honey and nectar
    • Finish
      87 87
      Cinnamon bun, a gingery note, sweet and sour grapes plus a marvellous elderberry sirup finish.

  18. KonstUA scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Nose 22, taste 21.5, finish 21, balance 21.5

  19. DerDennis! scored this whisky 86 points Specialist

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      85 85

  20. yggr scored this whisky 86 points Specialist

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  21. Ed Radour scored this whisky 87 points Specialist

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  22. Funtik scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    21 21 21 21

  23. Odinson scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  24. dramidaris scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  25. robse211 scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      84 84

  26. Whiskonaut scored this whisky 91 points Member Junior

    Wonderful, complex Whisky - I just love the slightly citric aroma in the nose, and the taste reminds me of sandalwood oil, I can really taste the 28 years of wood. I think this is a 90, but I give an extra point for extraordinary value (paid only 50€).
    Wins in direct comparison with Glenfarclas 25 y.o.
    As hs305 mentioned, there are different batches. My first bottle (the one reviewed here) from April 2020 was batch L44-7-7, I ordered three more bottles in August 2020 and they were all batch L44-7-1 which seems to be the "old" one? - haven't tasted yet though!

  27. Mannix65 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      85 85

  28. FritzeKrautman scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    A very nice, complex, well matured whisky that does not miss age, barrel influences or distillery notes. Coupled with a reasonable alcohol content results in a really tasty whisky, which at most loses points if the finish is too short.
    • Nose
      89 89
      Briefly solvent at the beginning, then sweet light fruits (apple, pear). Coconut appears and molasses too. Over time, too, chocolate, old wood, nutty notes and leather.
    • Taste
      90 90
      Start with the sweet light fruits, then vanilla and malt. A slight bitterness appears before strong dark berry fruits appear. Sufficiently strong and reasonably integrated alcohol.
    • Finish
      86 86
      The finish is a little short with oak, walnut, some honey and pleasant, subtle bitterness.

  29. Sandman23 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  30. Whisky-Fancier scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
      Citrus, fresh sweet and sour fruit notes (gooseberry, josta berry, red currant) somewhat in the direction of Riesling
    • Taste
      86 86
      Sweet, fruity, light fresh fruit salad, very soft, oak flavor
    • Finish
      83 83
      In short, seasoning remains a little

  31. dongolzo81 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Tasted at the Spiegelau Digestiv Snifter
    Clearly a lot better than the 1987 30yo Speyside. Where the 30yo seems too heavy and overlaid, this 28yo is very balanced and balanced.
    Not comparable to other 28yo original bottlings, but really very good in its price range, in which it competes with 10,12, 14-year-old bottlings or even those without age information.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Yes, I would have typed blindly on Speyside too. Very sweet and fruity, honey, vanilla, summer fruit basket, caramel, 46% are not noticeable. The fruits are more native than tropical: red apple, (candied) grape, ripe peach, a hint of cherry. Later some wax, some tangerine and a hint of nuts. The longer in the glass, the more Sajne candy and apple rings. Very harmonious with almost no spice.
    • Taste
      85 85
      Very mild on the tongue, overripe apple shows up before seasoning begins. Nevertheless, it remains quite mildly sweet. Slightly nutty, grapes evoke a brief brandy association. The fruitiness becomes non-specific because it lacks intensity. He is tasty, not complex.
    • Finish
      86 86
      The spice persists, however, cautiously. The spice lets only a little fruit shine through here, caramel-like sweetness is balanced with the tighter oak tones. A little honey and vanilla again after the spice has died down. Despite its low intensity, he does not completely deny his age. Medium length. He needs a second, third, fourth sip to become more present, more complex and more pleasant.
      A balanced ripening, he is clearly ahead of the 30yo 1987.

  32. Issie did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    • Nose
      dark honey, cereals, almost bread-like, apple, peach, melon, some cinnamon
    • Taste
      Honey, cereals, apple, grapes, lemon, honey and some pepper out of the back

  33. hs305 scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    [November, 2019] I am not sure if my observation is statistically right but it seems as if no-name and cheap bottles got much weaker rates here at WB than bottles from well-known distilleries that are sold at high prices. But the times when the price of a bottle reflected its inherit (drinking) quality are long gone and there are a lot of questionable (from a drinker's perspective) highly-priced drams released these days. On the other side you can find reasonable priced bottlings of great quality and quaffability too, with a little luck. Will this Lidl-release be one of them...

    ...and it is, without any doubt. If you like fruity-honeyed Speyside drams with a good balance (not too woody) and a high Q-factor (quaffability) this one is for you. I am pretty sure this one is from the Tomintoul distillery, not just because of the flavours profile (and rather low price) but the Tomintoul owners (Angus Dundee) are the main whisky suppliers for all the big discount store chains worldwide. They own huge warehouses with casks from almost all distilleries (via swaps with Tomintoul) and the facilities to do very large batches of blends, vatted malts or (even) single malts if requested. A nice market niche, and they can select the rather below-average casks for the cheap blends and use the better casks for (no-name) single malt bottlings like this one.

    To be honest, I like this 28-years old Tomintoul very much. This is a real bargain these days (for drinkers, I guess collectors and investors are not interested in no-name Lidl releases) so go for it if you do not own the deep pockets for 25+years old original distillery releases and you like fruity Speyside drams with a balanced (not wood-driven) profile.

    [December, 2019] I just noticed that Lidl now sells a different batch L 44 7 7 instead of L 44 7 1 which shows a slightly darker colour and owns more wooden notes than the batch I reviewed. I score the new batch two points lower at 87 points (88-87-86) but still it is a good deal for your bucks.
    • Nose
      89 89
      The colour is amber and the nose offers an impressive old Speyside profile with tons of ripe fruits of all different kinds, honeys, spices, nuts and fine oils. All in good balance and without any off-note. After some breathing this nose turns more old-stylish with beeswax, fruits and floral impressions. The woods are perfect to me (by the way: I use a big spheric blender's glass to nose this dram).
    • Taste
      89 89
      The taste is very sweet on fruits, honeys and sugars first before the spices and waxes balance this out. A tasty first layer that gets more harmonic the longer I chew the dram. There are earthy and bitter flavours (almonds, tea) which nicely counter the sweetness and all combine to a fine dark chocolatey note towards the finish. The woods are again perfect to provide structure without dominating. Ooh, this is dangerously quaffable (my taste buds cry for more).
    • Finish
      90 90
      The dram arrives very charming on my palate with a warming feeling and an instantly great coating effect. Actually, the texture is very creamy without any distracting moments - a truly great mouthfeel! The finish is long and sticks literally to my throat with chocolatey-nutty flavours and again no distracting moments at all. Water releases chalky-mineral notes in the nose and flattens both taste and finish, I like the neat dram best.

  34. Oberlutz scored this whisky 84 points Newbie

    A typical Speysider. It is rather one-dimensional, no smoke, a little hint of sherry cask.
    But look at the price. You get a "good" 28 year old whisky, which compares to a 25 yo Glenfarclas. I have tasted better but much much more worse.
    • Nose
      86 86
      Sweet Apple, Apricot, a hint of Sherry, caramell. Not very complex but delicate
    • Taste
      82 82
      Starts with apple, followed by some sweetness and then the oak flashes with typical bitterness. No sherry here, no smoke
    • Finish
      84 84
      Rather long lasting, much oak, after a few minutes caramell and toffee

  35. nhuber scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Fruity with a bit of oak in the nose...very sweet and soft in the mouth, more sweet fruits with some pepper and Oak. Short finish. Not bad but also nothing exciting, nonetheless still good considering the price and add the age brings nice smoothness. 

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