@ehBeth,
ehBeth wrote:is any supermarket brand whisky good?
Yes, of course. The British own-label supermarket booze market is intensely competitive. The customers won't buy crap products. Lidl do a single malt which they call "Ben Bracken" for just under 20 UK pounds, which has won prizes and medals, it compares with distillery-branded whiskies retailing for around 30 UK pounds, as a Scotch whisky offering it comfortably exceeds stuff like Johnny Walker Black Label. It is said to be from the Speyside Lamnavulin distillery which is a pretty good name. It has a sort of iodine flavour, a bit peaty as well, definitely a high class product. Marks and Spencer have the Kenmore brand which is a blend from Burn Stewart Distillers, which is way better than e.g. Teacher's or Haig and cheaper too.
In 2012 Lidl bought up a batch of 33 year old single malt and put it on sale at 40 UK pounds a bottle, claiming it was as good as stuff costing 100 pounds a bottle. Whisky reviewers agreed and said it was a 'superstar whisky'. I believe they sold out in 18 hours.