A GLASS of whisky can warm up on a cold autumn evening – but which brand or supermarket does it best?
We tried budget Highland whiskies sold at the supermarkets Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose against leading brand Glenfiddich.
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Read on to find out how the supermarket brands compared – and whether you could save even more buying an own-brand tipple.
Our testers gave each whisky a score out of 10 for taste and out of 10 for value for money.
Here’s how they scored out of a total of 20 points.
As always, if you’re enjoying a drink or two, remember to be Drinkaware.
Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- £42.50 for 70Cl (40% ABV)
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The Glenfiddich whisky is a classic, with a smooth oak and sherry taste and a long finish – the taste lingers in your mouth afterwards.
At £42.50 per bottle, it’s almost twice as expensive as all the supermarket brands we tried, but it’s previously been on sale at Tesco for £30.
- Taste: 9/10
- Value: 5/10
- Total: 14/20
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
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Sainsbury’s Highland whisky had a warming, smoky taste.
It was quite similar to Glenfiddich in flavour but less refined, with a harsher alcohol taste.
At just £23 per bottle, this budget version is a good rival to the original for nearly half the price.
- Taste: 6/10
- Value: 8/10
- Total: 14/20
Aldi Glen Marnoch Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- £18.49 for 70Cl (40% ABV)
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At less than £20, and less than £15 previously at Aldi, this is a real budget whisky.
Unfortunately, it tastes like it too.
It has an incredible harsh chemical small, and while there is an aftertaste of peat and smoky flavours, your first impression on sipping it is that it is rough and oily.
- Taste: 3/10
- Value: 7/10
- Total: 10/20
Lidl Ben Bracken Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- £18.49 for 70Cl (40% ABV)
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Lidl’s budget whisky has a strong burning alcohol taste which is harsh on the throat.
But it does have an aftertaste of dark chocolate and cherry – and it is not as rough as the Aldi version.
For a bargain price of £18.49, this is not too bad.
- Taste: 4/10
- Value: 7/10
- Total: 11/20
WINNER – Waitrose No.1 8-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky
- £23.50 for 70Cl (40% ABV)
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This was the only whisky we tried which was a blend instead of a single malt, but it was one of the best.
It had a smooth and dark, strong peaty taste, with flavours of tobacco and treacle.
It would only be suitable for lovers of peaty whisky as the flavour was very intense – but our testers agreed it was a quality product.
At £23.50 per bottle, it was the most expensive supermarket brand but £19 cheaper than the Glenfiddich brand – and our testers thought it was just as good.
- Taste: 8/10
- Value: 7/10
- Total: 15/20
How to save money on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
