2016 - Aldi - Specially Selected - Exquisite - Luxury Hand Crafted 6 Mince Pies

I've been introduced to these by a few people all of whom have raved about them. Unfortunately, my local Aldi never seems to have these in stock. I've finally managed to get hold of them. Lets see what all the hype is about. Is there something I'm really missing out on.

Presentation - 4 / 10

I'm almost certain that with adjectives like Specially Selected, Exquisite and Luxury Aldi want us to know that these are their most special mince pies!

The box isn't very "Christmassy", but does convey the luxury image well. The window into the box always scores an point as it displays mince pie confidence that the sight of their mince pies will attract sales. You might also notice the gold plastic tray +1!

The mince pies themselves look very much hand made, they all have that uneven, non-machine made look. I also like the fact there is no foil base - I can eat them straight out the box unencumbered!

Nutritional Content & Price - 6 / 10

£2.99 for 6 is a hefty price for these. Lets not forget, these are from Aldi, the supermarket famous for saving UK consumer money.

In terms of nutrition, these have 10g of fat, 21g of sugar and are 241 calories a mince pie, which isn't so bad considering the size of them.

Pastry - 24 / 35

The Pastry - I like it. Its crumbly (clearly evident in the picture), buttery and there are no soggy bottom in sight.
The frangipane top (which I've bundled into the scoring of the pastry) has lowered the pastry score. It is a distinct taste which overpowers everything. It is basically a layer of marzipan on top. If you love almonds, you won't be disappointed at all.

Mincemeat - 24 / 35

The mincemeat is fairly tasty if you can get past the overpowering almond/frangipane topping. The fruit pieces are small, but whole, moist and tangy. I would argue that its not too sweet, but I can't be certain as I can't separate it from the topping.

Overall Satisfaction - 3 / 10

I feel like either there is either little difference between frangipane and marzipan or Aldi have mixed up the names because I swear that's marzipan on top!
I'm not a fan at all, but if you like almonds you'll love these. I still maintain that a traditional mince pie is best.
 
OVERALL SCORE - 61 / 100

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