Lidl's 33 year old malt - £39.99 - available today

[CMM]

Jim Murray's full review -

Nose: (24.5) rarely does exotic fruit come quite so exotic! The oak is pulling out every trick in the book to underscore its great age with an aroma as softly enveloping as it has any right to be. Those who remember fruit salad candy will also seduced by this one. As well rounded as any malt you'll find this year and probably as labyrinthine, too. And, just to prove it, a few peat notes escape from their fruity clutches to add weight and depth, the intensity increasing as the temperature and oxidisation increases.

Taste: (24) all the fruits registered on the nose are present and correct, but it is the spices which momentarily take the breath away. A fabulous mouth feel alternating between crisp and mouth-watering - aided and abetted by some staccato Demerara sugar notes - and always no less than feather-pillow soft. The mid ground starts allowing the oak to show some intense vanilla and that lazy smoke to gain a foothold, a more solid one with each mouthful;

Finish: (22.5) dry and sophisticated, the fruit is now spent and a slight tang reminds us of the great age here. A light, delicate fade with the peat withdrawing surprisingly early on;

Balance: (24) Last year Lidl unearthed a couple of stunning whiskies to be sold at an improbably economic price to the consumer. They have done it again for Christmas 2012 with a malt destined to be another collectors' item. At times towards the end the age is apparent. But no less so is a malt which has on the nose and delivery a marriage between oak and barley matured in heaven. A very softly smoked, delightfully fruity gem.

[bifter]

Damn! Took the car in for its service today so walked right past a Lidl on the way to work. May have to nip out at lunchtime. I haven't seen any indication of how many bottles are being released. I wonder if it might be worth getting a couple if I can?
_________________
"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

[Bookie]

My local Lidl closed earlier this year so no hope of me getting one.

[Archer]

Is it a Maxwell 33 year old, wasnt it a Maxwell 28 year old last year. Is Jim Murray's review of the Maxwell 33 year old in his 2013 whisky bible , i cant find it, can someone point me at it.

[Blackadder]

Just had a look at it on the Lidl website, looks like they have only justy put it on the shelves.

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/7067_36939.htm

i will check out my local Lidl this evening.

[bifter]

Just bagged two of these at the New Kirkgate store in Leith. An assistant had to collect them from the stockroom but he said there were a few left. I may see if they sell well on eBay and use one to pay for t'other.

Update: the box says this is a limited edition of 5200 bottles! Perhaps I should have got more!
_________________
"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

[Kray]

I am sure you could double your money on ebay with this. I will have a look in Lidl on my way home from work, hopefully get a couple for drinking if they are as good as Jim Murrays review says.

[Brummie]

Where is Jim Murrays review, i cant see it in the Whisky Bible 20112 or 2013

[albo]

Picked up 2 from 2dinburgh Dalry, there were probably a dozen left on the shelf.

[bifter]

There's one up on eBay already, BIN £90 + £10 P&P. Predictable.

The packaging is distinctly dowdy for such a premium malt, a dull brown cardboard box. I remember the Aldi Glenbridge 40 had a velvet lined box and square-shaped decanter-style bottle that might have made it more attractive to collectors. Can't complain though!
_________________
"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

[Grant M]

I tried 2 stores here in Northern Ireland, no sign of it.

[CMM]

Where is Jim Murrays review, i cant see it in the Whisky Bible 20112 or 2013

Quote is from: http://prnewswire.netpr.pl/en/pr/228572/lidl-33-year-old-whisky-given-superstar-status-by-whisky-legend-jim-murray and used in today's Daily Telegraph, p4

[Innes]

Definitely no mention of a Maxwell 28 or 33 year old whisky under the section "Unspecified Single Malts (Highland)" in either the 2012 or 2013 Whisky Bible. So it seems like Jim Murray is doing individual reviews of whiskies which he isnt putting in his book, very odd. Incidentally i had a bottle of last years Maxwell 28 year old and it was pleasant enough but not brilliant if i was to have rated it out of 100 i would have said 81/100

[k1ranki]

On the www there is quite a bit about this whisky as Lidl are issuing press releases etc. Bought one down at my local Lidl this afternooon, last one on shelves, I guess it won't be around too long with all this publicity eg in the Grocer.

[TheWM]

Grrr, goddamit; a new one opened near me this week and I have been extolling the virtues of their amazingly low prices for what appears to be good quality gear to everyone in the office.

I was going to go today for a butchers but decided to plough on with work (as if they're ever going to reward me with anything bottle shaped).

I'm tempted to drive down now (or get the missus to )

Hello everyone btw, sorry for a ranty first post!