Lidl whisky costing £13.49 named one of the best in the world

The Queen Margot whisky sold exclusively by the supermarket is mellowed for eight years

A bottle of whisky costing just ​£13.49 at Lidl has won big at the first round of this year's World Whiskies Awards, scooping the prize for 'Best Scotch Whisky' in the '12 year old and under' category in the 'Blended' section.

Gathering in December, January and February in cities including Tel Aviv, Melbourne and Edinburgh, more than 40 international experts sampled whiskies from around the world for the competition.

The World Whiskies Awards is an annual event that recognises the "very best in all internationally recognised styles of drinks".

It's presented by TheDrinksReport.com, an online resource for professionals within the drinks industry.

Among those beaten by Lidl's entry in its category included the Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky, which retails at £22 at Sainsbury's.

Two further stages of the competition are due to take place to determine the winners for the 'Best Overall Blended Whisky' and the 'Best Overall Whisky', the results of which will be declared on 28 March.

The Lidl Queen Margot Blend Scotch Whisky is produced by using traditional whisky-making methods, ​which will have included malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation.

It contains dried apricot and plum, which the supermarket says imbue it with "a rich sweetness and depth of flavour" and is mellowed for eight years in oak casks.

Lidl's £13.49 Queen Margot whisky (Lidl)

Whisky is made from three basic ingredients: water, malted barley and yeast.

Once the barley has been dried, it's mixed with hot water to make "mash".

The mash is then fermented and distilled, before being placed in wooden barrels to mature.

This isn't the first time Lidl has triumphed at an alcohol award ceremony.

In April 2018, the supermarket's Hortus Artisan Dry Gin beat other more expensive rivals during a blind taste test conducted by the Good Housekeeping Institute.

Furthermore, it was recently announced that Lidl had been awarded the prize for Own Brand Gin Supermarket of the Year at Gin magazine's 2019 Icons of Gin awards.

This article has been updated to reflect the Lidl Queen Margot whisky won its award in the first round of the competition in the category for '12 year old and under' whisky in the 'Blended' section, and that further stages of the competition are yet to take place.

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