When I got the news that we might be able to get our hands on some Costco mince pies, I cannot say I wasn't a little excited. However, when you rely upon someone who takes mince pies for granted, you end up with Walkers Glenfiddich 8 Luxury Mincemeat Tarts! We shall make every effort to get hold of a Costco mince pie this year, but in the meantime, there is no reason to let these go to waste. Let's welcome this unexpected newcomer to the blog.
Presentation - 4
According to Google, the definition of a tart is "an open pastry case containing a sweet or savoury filling." By that definition, these clearly are not tarts! They are entirely enclosed mince pies. Each mince pie is large and appear well baked all around. The moment you open the cellophane wrapping, you can smell the whisky emanating from the mince pies!
As for the box, this is far from "Christmasy". The box clearly screams whisky and spirits. It has that matt black look and feel that often appears as the basis to most whisky and spirit brands. With the brand name of the whisky front and center, it is hard not to wonder whether they really want you to know what's inside.
Nutritional Content and Price - 5
The lack of any nutritional information on the box is disappointing. A trip to the Walkers website will give you some information, but only nutritional information per 100g. However, with a little maths, we estimate that each mince pie is 247 calories, has 25.4g of sugar and 8.9g of fat. Making these your standard mince pie.
As these were bought in Costco, they came as 2 boxes wrapped together for £5. Therefore each box of 8 mince pies will cost you £2.50. A little higher than your regular mince pie, but you are getting 8 rather than 6.
Pastry - 13
The pastry felt good. It was crumbly and well cooked all around, however it was far too sweet. The pastry is sweet as it is, but with the generous sprinkling of sugar on top, really does push it over the edge. I also felt there was quite a lot of pastry and with the lack of mincemeat, makes the mince pie quite dry.
Mincemeat - 12
My goodness! The whisky hits you hard from the first bite. According to the ingredients list, 3% of this mince pie is Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky! I have to say that my usual tipple is a whisky of some sort, so this was not an unpleasant taste for me. I can see other people, not used to the smokey and earthy flavour, saying these are bitter and dry. The taste of the whisky does overpower anything else, so you cannot taste the large vine fruits and any citrus flavourings in there. What you can taste along with the whisky is sugar. The sweetness and whisky is an odd combination. Some of the sweetness may come from the whisky - I don't know as I've never had this brand of whisky before by itself. The mince pie is half filled, but while they could have put more in there, I'm certain you would need to show I.D. before buying a box.
Overall Satisfaction - 5
Personally, I did not mind these. They have a strong flavour and it is more a "do you want some pastry and mincemeat with your whisky" situation. I could not eat more than one at a time as I'd be worried I may be over the legal driving limit. If you are whisky, bourbon or brandy drinker and want a cunning way to have a drink while at work, then these might be for you. Otherwise, probably best to stay clear - one of our regular testers just couldn't swallow this mince pie as she hated the taste!
Here are the scores from my fellow mincers;
Tester 1
Presentation (4) Nutritional content & Price (6) Pastry (22) Mincemeat (18) Satisfaction Level (5)
Presentation (6) Nutritional content & Price (6) Pastry (20) Mincemeat (25) Satisfaction Level (6)
OVERALL
52.3 / 100
Look at where these fit in on our leader board.
(Don't forget to follow us on twitter @TheMincePieBlog and on Facebook
Presentation - 4
According to Google, the definition of a tart is "an open pastry case containing a sweet or savoury filling." By that definition, these clearly are not tarts! They are entirely enclosed mince pies. Each mince pie is large and appear well baked all around. The moment you open the cellophane wrapping, you can smell the whisky emanating from the mince pies!
As for the box, this is far from "Christmasy". The box clearly screams whisky and spirits. It has that matt black look and feel that often appears as the basis to most whisky and spirit brands. With the brand name of the whisky front and center, it is hard not to wonder whether they really want you to know what's inside.
Nutritional Content and Price - 5
The lack of any nutritional information on the box is disappointing. A trip to the Walkers website will give you some information, but only nutritional information per 100g. However, with a little maths, we estimate that each mince pie is 247 calories, has 25.4g of sugar and 8.9g of fat. Making these your standard mince pie.
As these were bought in Costco, they came as 2 boxes wrapped together for £5. Therefore each box of 8 mince pies will cost you £2.50. A little higher than your regular mince pie, but you are getting 8 rather than 6.
Pastry - 13
The pastry felt good. It was crumbly and well cooked all around, however it was far too sweet. The pastry is sweet as it is, but with the generous sprinkling of sugar on top, really does push it over the edge. I also felt there was quite a lot of pastry and with the lack of mincemeat, makes the mince pie quite dry.
Mincemeat - 12
My goodness! The whisky hits you hard from the first bite. According to the ingredients list, 3% of this mince pie is Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky! I have to say that my usual tipple is a whisky of some sort, so this was not an unpleasant taste for me. I can see other people, not used to the smokey and earthy flavour, saying these are bitter and dry. The taste of the whisky does overpower anything else, so you cannot taste the large vine fruits and any citrus flavourings in there. What you can taste along with the whisky is sugar. The sweetness and whisky is an odd combination. Some of the sweetness may come from the whisky - I don't know as I've never had this brand of whisky before by itself. The mince pie is half filled, but while they could have put more in there, I'm certain you would need to show I.D. before buying a box.
Overall Satisfaction - 5
Personally, I did not mind these. They have a strong flavour and it is more a "do you want some pastry and mincemeat with your whisky" situation. I could not eat more than one at a time as I'd be worried I may be over the legal driving limit. If you are whisky, bourbon or brandy drinker and want a cunning way to have a drink while at work, then these might be for you. Otherwise, probably best to stay clear - one of our regular testers just couldn't swallow this mince pie as she hated the taste!
Here are the scores from my fellow mincers;
Tester 1
Presentation (4) Nutritional content & Price (6) Pastry (22) Mincemeat (18) Satisfaction Level (5)
"Average, not one to remember!"Tester 2
Presentation (6) Nutritional content & Price (6) Pastry (20) Mincemeat (25) Satisfaction Level (6)
OVERALL
52.3 / 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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