Mince Pie Reviews

 

Overall rating: 9/10

Review: The winner from 2017 returns triumphantly. Another great mince pie from Co-op.

The biscuity pastry is sweet and crumbly – but not too crumbly. Inside this towering beast of a mince pie is a lovely, rich, fruity and spiced mincemeat. A great mix of actual whole fruits and mincemeat paste. A generous filling too – not quite to the top, which is a good thing because it’s a big eat already! This one has brandy & port but not in huge amounts, just enough to give it hint. A sprinkling of coarse sugar on top finishes this pie off perfectly. These only come in packs of two, but get a few in for Christmas as they’re sure to be somewhere close to the best of the best in 2019.

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Overall Rating: 6/10

Review: Aldi have had a mixed showing the last few years. They tend to release a raft of mince pies of all types – and the specially selected range usually score well. However, this is a classic mince pie from that range and whilst it’s nice to look at – it’s disappointingly bland.

 

The pastry is a little dry and flavourless – quite crumbly. The filling isn’t coarse enough, it’s more paste than mincemeat. It needs more fruit to give it a better taste and texture. The brandy advertised on the box needs to be added next time too, must’ve got a dodgy batch without any ‍♂️

All in all this is a very standard mince pie – not terrible but certainly nothing to shout about.

Onto the next one!

 

Overall rating: 2/10

Review: Oh dear. I’m not sure how these can come from the same bakery as the 8.5/10 deep filled mince pies?

Shallow filled pies aren’t my favourite anyway, I mean having less filling and more pastry surely can’t be good! But these have somehow ended up greasy. The pastry is unpleasant. The filling isn’t the same as in the deep filled pie either, which is a mystery.

Very little flavour, a claggy, greasy pastry – one to avoid no matter how cheap they might seem.

Sorry ASDA…

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Overall rating: 8.5/10

Review: Last year’s winner here. Big boots to fill. I’m excited!

I’m disappointed. Damn it. But there’s no doubt these are still a very good mince pie.

ASDA, like many of the big supermarkets, still run with a selection of factory made boxes pies – and a smaller selection of bakery pies. This is the deep filled version from the bakery and so mileage may vary (dependent on the staff, even I guess). The pastry on these is very slightly too pale for my liking – but that’s a really minor point. The filling is a little short – both on amount and taste – but certainly better than most standard factory boxes pies.

Hard to say where they would’ve ended up on the scale if they had been in the oven a little longer with a little more (and sharper) filling…as it stands I think 8.5/10 is fair. They’re a big eat too – so that always helps.

Enjoy!

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Overall rating: 9/10

Review: They may have dropped the ball with the salted caramel mince pie (4/10), but this sloe gin mince ‘tart’ is amazing.

It’s not really a mince pie, you can tell that by the name, but if you want something a bit different for Christmas – this could be the one.

There’s a hint of sweet mincemeat in there, a light hint of sloe gin – and the rest is great too – the pastry is soft and the glaze on top is sweet. A sprinkle of almonds on top finishes things off.

Really impressive Aldi. Some of my favourite this year for sure.

 

 

 

Overall rating: 9/10

Review: The King is dead, long live the King. So very close from Co-op…last year’s 10/10 mince pie has slipped one point to 9/10. It’s just not as good as the ASDA Extra Special deep filled pie.

The pie pastry is still sweet and biscuit-like but it’s too thick. So very slightly too thick. It’s a bit of a task to chomp through the (not so) little bugger. The mincemeat is sweat and full of whole fruity bits – it’s sweat and has a hint of brandy to it. But the taste of the mincemeat isn’t as good as the ASDA pie.

That’s not to say this isn’t nice – it’s a really great mince pie…it’s just not a 10 anymore. Maybe next year Co-op.

 

Overall rating: 10/10

Review: It took me longer to find a 10 last year, I think we were well into December, but ASDA have sneaked up on me this time and created a beauty.

These come in a pack of 4 and bear a striking resemblance to the Co-op pies that scored 10/10 in 2017 (although they only came in a meagre 2 pack!).

First impressions are that they’re really deep – huge in fact (I think an inch deep). And the pastry is short, sweet and almost biscuit-like, all without being too dry and crumbly. A hard task indeed. The mincemeat is great too – still coarse but moist too with lots of tasty fruit and a good swig of brandy as well.

All topped with a light sprinkle of icing sugar. What a great mince pie ASDA, well done!

These will be in the house at Christmas – guaranteed.

 

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Review: Whilst being one of the most impressive looking mince pies of the season, the Sainsbury’s flagship pie falls flat.

Probably a matter of form over function – and that probably works for them. Most people aren’t opening their 10th box of mince pies on November 9th…they go to their supermarket of choice and pick a fancy box. Don’t…well not if you shop at Sainsbury’s.

This pie isn’t terrible – but as this is their pricey offering it needs to be better. The filling is the main culprit. The after taste is almost chemical…it’s odd, I can’t put my finger on it but I don’t like it. The pastry is far too smooth and pale – verging on undercooked. Not one I’d be happy to see on a plate at Xmas.

 

Overall rating: 9/10

Review: This is a first for me – a cookie with mince pie flavour. And it’s good, really good.

The cookies are just what you’d want in consistency – firm enough to hold but nice and soft when you bite into them.

I know you’re only interested to hear about the taste though – and they do taste like mince pies. They’re full of sultanas and raisins which does help – and if I’m being honest you do get a little hint of them being ‘gingerbread-y’. But overall, in this alternate category, they’re the clear winner.

 

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Review: I’m not sure if it says more about this mince pie, or the Taste the Difference pie – but this 7.5/10 score is decent.

A nice pastry, maybe slightly soggy on the bottom, but forgivable at this price point. The mincemeat is quite standard but tasty – all the right things in the right place. Higher marks would’ve been achieved by a firmer mincemeat – slightly more filling and a sweeter pastry with no soggy bottom. A decent pie to bring out on Boxing Day.