After what, by anyone’s standards, has been a challenging year, we must seek our pleasures where we can, and as the festive season gets underway, Aldi seem to have taken on board the need for some Christmas cheer, with their impressive range of digestifs. A digestif is an alcoholic drink that aids digestion, at least that is what I tell my wife when I reach for a glass. ‘Think of it as medicinal’ I say, to the sound of raised eyebrows.
This comprehensive range of digestifs would be perfect to round off a heavy meal, or an extensive evening of fun, including as it does, award-winning whiskies, rich rums, beautiful brandies, classic cognacs, scrumptious sherries and passionate ports; after dinner digestif for the big day, and indeed beyond.
I would equally welcome any of these in my Christmas stocking, or as a gift to welcome the much longed for New Year.
Whilst it is undoubtedly true, that one could leave a glass of one of these for Santa, if I am perfectly honest, they are so good, they bring out my inner Scrooge, and Father Christmas may have to make do with a glass of milk this year.
I tried three from the Aldi Digestif range, and if the others are even half as good, they will be snapped up by those wishing to get into the Christmas spirit or indeed any spirit.
First, I tried the Specially Selected 5-Year-Old XO Brandy, £13.99 (NEW) A popular scented and elegant brandy, with beautiful woody notes from being aged in oak casks for 5 years. This infusion results in a rich and complex flavour, complemented by hints of vanilla and nuts, creating a palate with an exceptionally smooth finish.
Next up was the Highland Black 8 Scotch Whisky, £12.99 which is great value for money, having secured gold medals in the past two years, coming in at a fraction of the cost of some of their more famous rivals. The tipple is created using a range of the finest Speyside and Highland Malt whiskies, blended expertly together with the Grain whisky from Girvan in the Lowlands of Scotland. Each oak cask used in creating Highland Black is matured for the very minimum of 8 years.
Finally, I enjoyed the Organic Prosecco £7.49 an eco-friendly fizz, sourced from 150-hectare estate, 30km north-east of Venice. Grown with no pesticides or herbicides, the grapes are predominately hand-picked and gently pressed to ensure only the highest quality of juice is used. This is an extra dry sparkling wine with scents of apples and pears which could be served before, or after a meal, to make it an occasion.
We are living in unprecedented times and this is not the time to stick to convention, be it Christmas, New Year or when we can all be together again to celebrate, this is the time to raise a glass, strictly for medicinal purposes, obviously.