🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Don't get me wrong this is a good whisky and if you get it for 119€ during a Lidl sale even better, but it is in no way better than the Ben bracken 27 (WB104496), absolutely not. I remember in 2017 when I first bought the BB 27 it was an immediate stunner, 90+ points, no discussion, whiskybase points at that time were in the 83 range and I thought WTF are they all drinking, just because it is a Lidl whisky? Anyway over time points crept up to 87 and we are getting there but we are still not doing justice to it, why? Get your best whiskys out and the BB 27 will be able to compete with everybody, I even think it gets better if you up the dram competition, therefore I stick to my clear buying recommendation of WB104496. Back to this baby, I would not think this is 30 years old, rather peaty in the nose and stronger in the mouth, I think they used more sherry casks in this one (compared to WB104496) but rather short in the mouth considering the age. 88 points from me, bottle is just open a few weeks, so it could get better with some oxidisation, keep you posted. Will I buy another one? Nope definitely not, €119 was a good price but even for that price would not buy again because I have some BB 27 left. BB 27 46% is just way more complex and smooth, champions league in my view. Caol ila or Lagavulin? Caol ila I think In June 2026 points for this one are 89+ vs 87+ for WB10449, so I think points will creep down over time. I sometimes get an anchoring bias here on whiskybase where people base their votes on what's already on whiskybase and I recall the first ones were very positive, so that could explain the better points but over time quality comes out In a nutshell: good whisky, not a cracker like WB104496, if you want to own a 30 year old whisky at an affordable price go for it, no means bad, but I would always go for WB104496 compared to this one. Slainte

Bottle code: L 23 10 21 3 08:13 BB A truly fantastic bottling with a superb price-to-quality ratio (I got two bottles for €119 each). Whether you can taste the supposed 30 years of aging or not isn't really important to me. I simply really like this whisky, and the first bottle disappeared far too quickly. In any case, it's a significant improvement over the 27 BB Islay (WB104496). The 30 oz has a noticeably fuller body and exhibits even more "depth".

The smoke is present despite its 30 years, not overpowering, with candied light fruits, caramel, and a dry spiciness. The 46% ABV is very well-balanced; very pleasant to drink, not a boisterous, edgy Islay monster, but very refined.

Very pleasantly fruity and maritime. The smoke has largely dissipated and is now only subtly present. The mouthfeel is initially somewhat thin, but becomes oilier with each sip. A fine cigar, no off-notes, and deliciously easy to drink. The price-to-quality ratio is excellent for the current market. I would even prefer this to the 25-year-old Original Arrondissement Caol Ila.

Medium-strength, tarry smoke with a minimal medicinal note. Raw peat. Dried fruits are prominently featured, namely mango, apple rings & orange peel. Smoked goat meat. Capers and paprika powder in the background. Edit: Initially overlooked: baked beef brains. The raw peat becomes even more noticeable in the empty glass. It has virtually nothing in common with the Ben Bracken Islay 27yo. I would guess this is Lagavulin; the 27-year-old was probably a Caol Ila. As for the maturation, I suspect a Virgin Oak finish. Thankfully, there's no bitterness on the palate, and the 46% ABV is perfectly sufficient, very concentrated and with a good, strong mouthfeel. The finish is a bit too short for a 30-year-old. However, the length and aftertaste are still enough for a very high rating. Incidentally, there's no salt, no lemon, and no maritime flavorings. That's why I strongly doubt it's a Caol Ila. The peat is also stronger, dirtier, and more complex than is typical for a Caol Ila – at least from the mid-1980s onward. A truly fantastic Islay malt! 93/93/91.5 Edit: I've now had various bottle codes from 3 08:07 BB to 3 08:16 BB in my glass. So all except "09". And I haven't opened "06" yet. They're all good, with minimal differences. Except for "12", which I don't like. It just tastes like young wood with apple juice and has hardly any smoke. Update 10.6.26: Of the new batches, 08:00 is very, very good. 08:01 is similar, just a touch less harmonious. 07:58 and 07:59 were in the barrel too long and are somewhat bitter, but at least only lightly finished. I personally don't like 08:02 at all: too long in the barrel and also over-finished in virgin oak, meaning it has a pervasive note of dark apple juice concentrate – this is definitely not my imagination; the difference to 07:59 is very clear in this respect. My notes for 08:00: Extinguished fire in the heath, braised vine leaves, hazelnut shell, dried licorice root, dark chocolate praline with cognac filling, soaked leather, minerals, sauerkraut in the background and a trace of rosin. Compared to 8:00, 08:01 has a nasty, spicy linden honey note and a hint of mothballs on the nose. But it tastes good and has character. For these two batches (08:00 and 08:01), I suspect it's either a different distillery (Bowmore) or that the virgin oak casks were red oak. Or both. Edit: or a port wine finish.

The nose is excellent, clearly recognizable as Coal Ila; the taste and finish are slightly less impressive, but still very good and a high-quality recommendation; at this price, you can confidently buy a good quality, aged whisky - 07.03.2026

Very tasty and, in a positive sense, extremely drinkable. It has something to say!

I find the 27yo rounder and therefore more attractively priced; I paid €110. But without a doubt, it's a beautiful and very reasonably priced Caol Ila.