Highland Black 8 Year

Review of inexpensive blends: An addendum. Smell: Rather common malt scents, with sherry and grain whisky. It isn't particularly impressive, but thankfully lacks the rubbery off-flavor often found in budget blends, and has a certain full and generous character. Taste: Again, quite full and fruity with raisins and some sherry notes. Nutty flavors and a Christmas pudding character, but a little watery. Difficult to find fault with. Finish: Quite short with the fruity sweetness remaining but eventually degrading into a slightly sour note, which is the only significant flaw. For a cheap blend this is not bad. It has a very pleasant smoothness, almost a creamy feel, to the texture but I wouldn't describe it as rich. Good body and flavor, although the smell is somewhat distant. Adding water does not improve it, and it is quite pleasant straight. As a mixer it gets somewhat lost but adds a pleasant fruity sweetness to soda or cola. You need to compare this directly against other cheap blends to appreciate how good it is. Recently this received a lot of awards and is currently (mid 2018) being promoted in popular magazines and websites as a giant-killer and the best thing in whisky ever. This is not true. It’s a good mid-shelf blend that represents exceptional value - that's all. The price is near the bottom of the range, but it competes well against big name blends costing $10-15 more. “Average”: 76/100 (2.5 stars)

I'm pleasantly surprised by this. Given it's an ALDI private label and its very low price point, I was highly skeptical. However, I received it as a humorous gift and decided to try it. I read online that one of the sources is William Grant and Sons in Scotland, the producer of Balvenie and Glenfiddich. The initial aroma is somewhat harsh and astringent, but elements of cinnamon and crème brûlée can be detected. It mellows and softens with some aeration. On the palate, there are hints of toffee, baking spices, and butter. The mouthfeel is thin. The finish is very brief and fades quickly. I can definitely discern the Speyside characteristics, which are my preferred ones anyway. Allowing the dram a little time in the glass and exposure to air reveals a predominantly honeyed sweetness. It's rather one-dimensional, but not an unpleasant characteristic. It's a very easy-drinking spirit, suitable as an inexpensive daily dram. Its availability at ALDI in Australia makes it even more appealing. I suppose I'll keep the bottle after all!

This is a store-brand scotch from the discount supermarket Aldi. After opening and letting it sit for a while, the nose is subdued, lightly floral and chocolaty with whiteboard marker undertones. It's very thin but has a pleasant taste of biscuit, honey, toast, matchstick, and toffee. The finish is dry with a little sour sharpness. Overall, it has an agreeable sweetness without being complex at all. This is as good as any other blend. It costs €19, making it cheaper than JW Red, JW Black, Famous Grouse, Grant’s Family Reserve, Teachers Highland Cream, and Black & White. In my opinion, it's slightly better than all those listed, but I won't be replacing the bottle.

This offers excellent value for its price, exceeding expectations considerably. The aroma features light vanilla, crème brûlée, and almonds, with some acetone sharpness at its core. The taste mirrors the vanilla and crème brûlée notes, but rapidly transitions to coffee/cocoa/stout and similar dark flavors, with very pronounced oak. It has a surprisingly full body and a good finish, is very smooth, and lacks any acrid bite. While it might sound unconventional, I would choose a bottle of this over Johnnie Walker Black or Chivas 12 any day. And, needless to say, I much prefer this to extremely inexpensive blends like The Famous Grouse and Johnnie Walker Red.

Aldi's economical scotch. The aroma is sweet yet subtle. Notes of toffee, banana, pineapple, and some citrus are present. The taste is sweet, with hints of smoke, spice, and oak. Some orange and vanilla are also detected. It's all rather mild, but a respectable drink for the cost.

Not bad at all for ten pounds; a friend recommended this one and I got it on the cheap. It had a bit of a sharp aftertaste that I didn't care for, but the flavor was good.