Most supermarket own brand whiskies are dreadful. That’s being kind. Some are so bad you wouldn’t want to use them as toilet cleaner.
Highland Earl is Aldi’s own low-price blend and it’s actually not bad. I’d put it in there with other low price blends like Whyte and MacKay and Famous Grouse (the latter is one they also sell).
Oh it’s not fantastic. It’s not in the same league as their single malts or even the blended malts but it’s drinkable with no additives. No need for ice or lemonade or anything else. It’s perfectly okay as it is.
Lidl’s equivalent is Queen Margot. Don’t touch the three year old one, it’s rough. The eight year old is much better.
Aldi’s Highland Earl is only a three year old but the blend isn’t too harsh. At the price, definitely worth a try.
This has been a public service announcement (who remembers that, eh?) 🙂
underdogs bite upwards 
For the limited amount of whiskey I drink, I’ll stick with the MacAllan.
And Ice! A religious experience should never be diluted!
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There is a pub here that has a ‘house whisky’ that even the purest whisky fan would put ice into 😉
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Personally I prefer Aldi’s 8 year old Highland Black. It won an award from the Daily Mail too, whatever that’s worth. Following which there seemed to be a run on it and Aldi kept running out. Supplies improved after a couple of months though.
What puzzles me is how did they manage to increase their supply of an 8 year old blend within 2 months as opposed to having to wait 8 years?
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I haven’t tried their Highland Black. I’ll add it to my list.
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I can confirm that you’re right. Highland Black is far superior to Highland Earl.
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Those who listened to Eminem’s first two albums – back when he had something new to offer – will recall his Public service Announcements.
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Highland Black is lovely. Highland Earl is so bad, I’d use it as mouth wash. I’ve yet to try the malts from Aldis. I like to add cola to mine or perhaps ginger. Yes, I know, sacrilegious, almost blasphemous….
:o)
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I’d never add anything to a malt, but a cheap blend can be massively improved by adding green ginger wine 😉
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Never been a big fan of blended whisky. I love an occasional malt – Laphroaig is a favourite. Talisker is another I’m quite keen on, as is Bowmore, but I really only drink them once a flood, even though they are sitting in the drinks cabinet. I’ve had the bottle of Laphroaig for about ten years, and there’s still a few shots left!
I’m not really a spirits person, but I do get through a bottle of good Rum quite fast. Likewise Tequila, which I’ve always had a soft spot for. Mostly, though, I drink red wine. By the gallon.
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You’ve had Laphroaig for ten years? It takes a supreme effort of willpower to make that one last ten days!
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Got talked into a Jonny Walker Double Black coming through duty free. Turned out not to bad!
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My son was given a bottle of Bells for Christmas. Neither of us are regular whisky drinkers but like a malt occasionally and can tell quality when we taste it. In the case of the Bells we tasted it and poured away the rest of the glass. It was foul.
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Bells is one I won’t touch. I never understood why it’s so popular. It’s really harsh!
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Most of the blendeds are horrible. The only ones I’ve liked are Teacher’s (is there an apostrophe?) and Chivas Regal. All the rest are paint stripper. Ok if you mix them, I suppose. Stones Green Ginger wine, or Crabbies, or even dry ginger ale is ok. And plenty of ice.
I guess whisky is an acquired taste, one that I’ve never really acquired. And yet I like whiskey – Bourbon, Rye, even Jameson’s Irish is pretty good. In fact I’m quite keen on Bourbons – some of them are stunning (literally, too 🙂 ). But they all seem to be mellower than blended Scotch. I have had the good fortune to sample many, if not most spirits, having both managed and owned cocktail bars with a wide selection of booze, but I never got the hang of blended Scotch.
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The grain blends vary between ‘Oh shit, what did I put in my mouth?’ and tolerable.
The vatted (blended) malts can be good. I remember Lidl’s Ben Bracken being a good one, and their Glen Orchy was okay some years back. I think it went from 8 year old to 5 year old and went a bit downhill.
The ones I really like, such as Ardbeg, Bruaichladdich, Laphroaig, have gone up so much in price in recent years that they really aren’t affordable any more other than as rare treats.
One day, when I’m a big publisher, I’ll get the posh whisky again 😉
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On Irish whisky, try Writer’s Tears. I tried it once and it was very good.
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Don’t touch the three year old one, it’s rough – good rule of thumb for one’s wimmin too.
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That goes for Lidl’s Queen Margot too. The 8 year old is tolerable, the 3 year old is vile.
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