Aldi - Premium Spirits

Psycho Sonny · 20 Nov 2018 at 13:14

Anyone tried any of these?

I hate shopping in ALDI but had so many people at work say their premium range of spirits is ridiculously good. The main reason I hate shopping there is I don't like how they fling stuff through the checkout, the ridiculously tight car parks spaces, car park is always full, no local trolley drop off, etc, etc. It's all the small things. Plus the range of products is pretty limited.

So I bought their Scottish Blueberry gin - yet to try and their Saint Germont (grey goose rip off) vodka.

The vodka was like £14 and 40%. I'm astounded tbh it may replace russian standard as my go to. The gin was much more expensive at £20 for a bottle but the bottle is ceramic and fancy so it looks premium much like the saint germont.

Can anyone recommend a decent whisky from there? Ones that would rival the likes of Jura and co. It's for an avid whisky drinker who is coming over at christmas I have already spent £45 on a premium brand was going to see if he could tell which one is which. To see if they can live up to

bartledvd · 20 Nov 2018 at 13:31

Don't drink whisky my self but i remember a post on here about the single malt they do being ranked as one of the best in the world. pretty sure its this one https://www.aldi.co.uk/speyside-single-malt-scotch-whisky/p/068322237384704

PinkFloyd · 20 Nov 2018 at 13:49

Possibly the Islay rather than the Speyside. I got introduced to it a while back by a Whisky loving friend, liked it myself (in small doses) and bought a bottle. Have then passed on a bottle to another Whisky drinking friend who really rates it up there with the other Islay single malts he likes to drink.

I should pop in and see what else they have, wonder if they have any nice Rums!

robj20 · 20 Nov 2018 at 16:00

There gin gets ranked very well as well.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/aldi-gin-best-world-spirit-10-cost-cheap-international-wine-spirits-competitions-awards-a7864211.html?amp

I don't actually like there whisky, not peaty enough for me.

Semple · 20 Nov 2018 at 16:13

Psycho Sonny said:
The main reason I hate shopping there is I don't like how they fling stuff through the checkout

Yeah it's not really suitable for old/slow people, i find it perfect, there's nothing worse than standing in a queue whilst someone spends 15 mins packing a full shop into their bags. Just stick a trolley at the end and fire everything back into it, and then move to the side to pack.

As for the spirits, we've bought a couple of their gins and whiskeys over the years, can't recall on brands though.

Might be a bit tricky if someone's an avid whisky drinker though - especially if they only drink the expensive stuff.

Lartyconshayo · 20 Nov 2018 at 16:17

Interesting that their Brandy aims to knock off courvoisier. Chevalier lol

Martynt74 · 20 Nov 2018 at 16:47

PinkFloyd said:
Possibly the Islay rather than the Speyside. I got introduced to it a while back by a Whisky loving friend, liked it myself (in small doses) and bought a bottle. Have then passed on a bottle to another Whisky drinking friend who really rates it up there with the other Islay single malts he likes to drink.

I should pop in and see what else they have, wonder if they have any nice Rums!

Nah, rum is out of favour at the moment it seems so Aldi is just full of gin

Flaevius · 20 Nov 2018 at 18:35

Psycho Sonny said:
The vodka was like £14 and 40%.

Was that a litre or a 70cl?

My interest is piqued.

~Divine~Wind~ · 20 Nov 2018 at 18:59

50cl iirc

the Forest Fruits Vodka they had in was quite tasty
Not tried the plum n cinnamon gin liquer yet

robj20 · 20 Nov 2018 at 21:03

I've got some of the passion fruit gin liqueur, that's very nice.

Psycho Sonny · 20 Nov 2018 at 23:03

Flaevius said:
Was that a litre or a 70cl?

My interest is piqued.

70cl

Its ridiculous how good it is for £14 I had it again tonight. It's only available at Christmas though and my local only had 2 left so I got the second last one.

It's the grey goose rip off. I might go and just buy 10 bottles should see me through to next Christmas will need to get in early when shelves are stocked full

Psycho Sonny · 20 Nov 2018 at 23:15

Semple said:
Yeah it's not really suitable for old/slow people, i find it perfect, there's nothing worse than standing in a queue whilst someone spends 15 mins packing a full shop into their bags. Just stick a trolley at the end and fire everything back into it, and then move to the side to pack.

As for the spirits, we've bought a couple of their gins and whiskeys over the years, can't recall on brands though.

Might be a bit tricky if someone's an avid whisky drinker though - especially if they only drink the expensive stuff.

I'm not old and I'm certainly not slow. They literally fling the stuff through with no care if they damage it or not.

I also don't shop there for a main shop only when I need to grab 1 or 2 things. So I can usually fit everything into 1-3 bags.

I also don't like how their shelves are so empty due to understaffing. They rotate staff on and off the tills so they don't do the best at either.

The car park is my main gripe. The type of people who shop there won't think twice before swinging their car door into yours and you don't have the option of parking far away from everyone else because the car park is tiny.

jpaul · 21 Nov 2018 at 08:16

Marvt74 said:
Nah, rum is out of favour at the moment it seems so Aldi is just full of gin

hopefully aldi get the cheap el dorado, 14/21 like previous years ... keep missing their post xmas sell-off ...

...not a connoisseur - but for vodka maybe lidl is better
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/ig...rey-goose-knockoff-1399-in-store-lidl-2818280

Martynt74 · 21 Nov 2018 at 08:27

jpaul said:
hopefully aldi get the cheap el dorado, 14/21 like previous years ... keep missing their post xmas sell-off ...

Doesn't look like it. They usually advertise is with the Christmas spirits but there's no mention of it. The only rum they've got in the Christmas section is a spiced rum for £15 unfortunately

Psycho Sonny · 21 Nov 2018 at 12:16

jpaul said:
hopefully aldi get the cheap el dorado, 14/21 like previous years ... keep missing their post xmas sell-off ...

...not a connoisseur - but for vodka maybe lidl is better
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/ig...rey-goose-knockoff-1399-in-store-lidl-2818280

the aldi one won a outstanding silver IWSC medal

their £13.49 whisky also won a gold back in 2013 but in recent years it's been getting a normal silver along with 2 of their £17.49 malt whisky's.

so i don't think the lidl vodka is any better tbh unless it won a gold at IWSC?

jpaul · 21 Nov 2018 at 17:31

There was a recent watchdog type exposure on these drink award organizations - anyone recall it.
https://www.internationalspiritschallenge.com/isc2018/en/page/issuu-publications-2013
https://www.iwsc.net/result/search/...&origin=0&award=0&award_type=0&purchasable=no

never looked at their sites before, the awards are like the proverbial firsts now handed out at Universities -
most supermarkets have a whisky/vodka that has won something 50-100 across gold/silver/bronze !

....the grocer gives far fewer awards https://www.thegrocerdrinkawards.co.uk/winners-2017/

Vodka

Gold: Ignis French Grain Vodka, Lidl

Silver: Russian Standard Platinum, Russian Standard Platinum

Whisky

Gold: Haig Clubman, Haig Club

Silver: Glen Marnoch Speyside Single Malt Whisky, Aldi

and review other foodstuffs too, which i have previously found credible..
but word of mouth/OC is probably best

Psycho Sonny · 24 Nov 2018 at 10:53

jpaul said:
There was a recent watchdog type exposure on these drink award organizations - anyone recall it.
https://www.internationalspiritschallenge.com/isc2018/en/page/issuu-publications-2013
https://www.iwsc.net/result/search/...&origin=0&award=0&award_type=0&purchasable=no

never looked at their sites before, the awards are like the proverbial firsts now handed out at Universities -
most supermarkets have a whisky/vodka that has won something 50-100 across gold/silver/bronze !

....the grocer gives far fewer awards https://www.thegrocerdrinkawards.co.uk/winners-2017/

and review other foodstuffs too, which i have previously found credible..
but word of mouth/OC is probably best

you got a link to this expose?

they are regarded the best in the world because it's blind testing. grey goose has never won an award at them either. they would pay money for a gold if they could.

jpaul · 24 Nov 2018 at 21:35

eg https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodand...wards-why-medals-dont-mean-great-bottles.html

— the IWC has fewer entries but pleads the fifth so as not to give Decanter the satisfaction of being officially bigger. What is known is that the IWC has just handed out 490 golds, 2,110 silvers, 3,426 bronzes and 3,668 commendeds, suggesting its award rate is in the region of 60 per cent to 80 per cent.

etc.

LeeUK · 5 Jan 2019 at 10:54

Never a problem at my local Aldi. Spaces are the same size as anywhere else. Yes shopping goes back into the trolley to pack at the packing desk but I've never had my stuff flung at me and damaged.

If you want your bags packed by the checkout person while fail to acknowledge them while on your phone then head off to Waitrose. Also the staffing issue is the same right across the retail sector. Everyone is cutting pay while on the race to the bottom.

Me? I love cheap Aldi cider

BUDFORCE · 5 Jan 2019 at 20:53

I just tried their Clarke's Bourbon, it's ok for the money, although probably just pay the few extra and get a better bottle.

Aldi - Premium Spirits

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