It's here. The one that has made headlines by coming top in Which? Magazines blind taste test of mince pies of 2013. Aldi was always on our "to do" list, but unfortunately they do not have a store near my home or my place of work or along the 40 mile commute in between the two, so it has taken longer than usual to get hold of these. However, here they are. Ready for us to find out whether they really are that good.
Presentation - 7
Not a badly decorated box. A bit heavy on the brown, but other than that, it looks like the photo of the mince pies on the box were taken near an open fire; nice and warm. I'm surprised to not see the Aldi name or logo on the front of the box. It is there, just hidden away on the underside in the corner.
As for the mince pie itself it has the same decoration as the Morrison's mini mince pies, only larger. The decoration is neat and and there is a nice even distribution of sugar on top. Each pie looks plump and well cooked all around. There was a little breakage in the box, but I will give it the benefit of the doubt as I may have caused that during transport.
Nutritional Value & Price - 8
These are again your standard mince pie nutritional values, 241 calories, 21.9g of sugar and 8.9g of fat. No surprises.
As for the price, these are only £1.69 for 6. This is a cracking price for luxury mince pies.
Pastry - 30
I have to say, that I'm very impressed by this pastry. It was not what I was expecting. It is light, crumbly and not too thick all around. it has a very slightly soggy bottom, but nothing that affects its structure. It might be a fraction too sweet, but I think this may come from the generous sprinkling of sugar on top. There is a lot of butter in this mince pie and it definitely comes through nicely. All in all a very nice pastry.
Mincemeat - 32
Plenty of vine fruits, cherries and nuts... its all there! Nice, large fruits too. It looks moist and is also juicy. This particular mince pie was a fraction under filled, but as it happened, this was not my first Aldi mince pie, not even the second! I have had a few and so far all of them were filled to the roof. On some occasions it was actually touching the ceiling of the pie. This is a first for a deep filled mince pie I've come across. I have to say I am very impressed. There is a strong flavour of brandy in this mincemeat. Some may not like this, but if you've read my previous reviews, you'll know that this does tickle my tastebuds. This probably is one of the stronger brandy flavours I've tasted, but it is balanced out well with the pastry. It leaves you with a warm feeling inside. However, this really is a quality mincemeat with plenty of flavours including a punch in the face from the brandy!
Overall Satisfaction - 8
I can see why Which? Magazine liked this. It is a very nice mince pie. But it's not without a little wiggle room for improvement. I don't think this will be universally loved. Those who are not fans of brandy may not enjoy this as much. However, this is a tasty mince pie that is fantastic value for money and I would have no problems buying these again... If I pass another Aldi before Christmas.
Here are the scores from my fellow mincers;
Tester 1
Presentation (8) Nutritional content & Price (8) Pastry (31) Mincemeat (32) Satisfaction Level (8)
Tester 2
Presentation (9) Nutritional content & Price (9) Pastry (32) Mincemeat (33) Satisfaction Level (9)
OVERALL
88 / 100
Look at where these fit in on our leader board.
(Don't forget to follow us on twitter @TheMincePieBlog and on Facebook)
Presentation - 7
Not a badly decorated box. A bit heavy on the brown, but other than that, it looks like the photo of the mince pies on the box were taken near an open fire; nice and warm. I'm surprised to not see the Aldi name or logo on the front of the box. It is there, just hidden away on the underside in the corner.
As for the mince pie itself it has the same decoration as the Morrison's mini mince pies, only larger. The decoration is neat and and there is a nice even distribution of sugar on top. Each pie looks plump and well cooked all around. There was a little breakage in the box, but I will give it the benefit of the doubt as I may have caused that during transport.
Nutritional Value & Price - 8
These are again your standard mince pie nutritional values, 241 calories, 21.9g of sugar and 8.9g of fat. No surprises.
As for the price, these are only £1.69 for 6. This is a cracking price for luxury mince pies.
Pastry - 30
I have to say, that I'm very impressed by this pastry. It was not what I was expecting. It is light, crumbly and not too thick all around. it has a very slightly soggy bottom, but nothing that affects its structure. It might be a fraction too sweet, but I think this may come from the generous sprinkling of sugar on top. There is a lot of butter in this mince pie and it definitely comes through nicely. All in all a very nice pastry.
Mincemeat - 32
Plenty of vine fruits, cherries and nuts... its all there! Nice, large fruits too. It looks moist and is also juicy. This particular mince pie was a fraction under filled, but as it happened, this was not my first Aldi mince pie, not even the second! I have had a few and so far all of them were filled to the roof. On some occasions it was actually touching the ceiling of the pie. This is a first for a deep filled mince pie I've come across. I have to say I am very impressed. There is a strong flavour of brandy in this mincemeat. Some may not like this, but if you've read my previous reviews, you'll know that this does tickle my tastebuds. This probably is one of the stronger brandy flavours I've tasted, but it is balanced out well with the pastry. It leaves you with a warm feeling inside. However, this really is a quality mincemeat with plenty of flavours including a punch in the face from the brandy!
Overall Satisfaction - 8
I can see why Which? Magazine liked this. It is a very nice mince pie. But it's not without a little wiggle room for improvement. I don't think this will be universally loved. Those who are not fans of brandy may not enjoy this as much. However, this is a tasty mince pie that is fantastic value for money and I would have no problems buying these again... If I pass another Aldi before Christmas.
Here are the scores from my fellow mincers;
Tester 1
Presentation (8) Nutritional content & Price (8) Pastry (31) Mincemeat (32) Satisfaction Level (8)
"This pie is worth a try."
Tester 2
Presentation (9) Nutritional content & Price (9) Pastry (32) Mincemeat (33) Satisfaction Level (9)
"Wow."
OVERALL
88 / 100
Look at where these fit in on our leader board.
(Don't forget to follow us on twitter @TheMincePieBlog and on Facebook)
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