Scotland
Bell's Original
- Sweet
- Cereal
Brand
Bell's whiskies
Bell’s is a Scotch blend with roots in Perth, in central Scotland, and for decades it was the best-selling whisky in the United Kingdom. It owes its name to Arthur Bell, who joined a wine and spirits business in the city in the mid-19th century and ended up running it. Today it belongs to Diageo. It is a simple, affordable blend, closely linked to British pubs, with a bell-shaped bottle that nods to its name.
- Created
- 1851
- Owner
- Diageo
- Origin
- Scotland
- In the catalogue
- 1 whisky
History, style and where to startBell's official website(opens in a new tab)
Guide to Bell's
History
Arthur Bell became a partner in the business where he worked and bet on blending whiskies from different distilleries to achieve a consistent flavour, something unusual at the time. His sons expanded the company, which in the 20th century came to own distilleries such as Blair Athol and Dufftown. In the 1980s Guinness bought Arthur Bell & Sons, and the brand ended up at Diageo when Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan. During the 1970s and 1980s Bell’s was the leading brand in the British market, and its bell-shaped commemorative decanters became collector’s items.
House style
Bell’s is a blend with a sweet, slightly spicy profile, with a smooth grain base and malts that bring cereal, honey and dried fruit. Blair Athol, a Perthshire distillery with a medium-bodied spirit and nutty notes, is still one of its key malts. The result is an unpeated whisky with a short finish, designed mainly for drinking with water, ice or a mixer.
Flavour profile of its whisky in the catalogue
Where to start
The catalogue has Bell’s Original, the version everyone knows. It is an option for mixed drinks or for a light, uncomplicated Scotch. If you like it, compare it with a blend with a little more malt to notice the difference in body and sweetness, or try a Perthshire malt to discover where part of its character comes from.
This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.
The colours of this page are inspired by the look of Bell's. WhiskyMatch is independent and has no connection with the brand.