I recently received a bottle of this whiskey from the guys at Aldi, I tried it out and was not disappointed in the slightest.⠀
For those that aren't familiar with it, Ardfallen was the first private label collaboration between Aldi and West Cork Distillers. Launched in 2019, this bottling was developed to Aldi’s own specification.. crafted in small batches, triple distilled, and matured in bourbon casks. It has since won accolades for Aldi and contributed to the recently awarded, and highly coveted ‘Own Brand Supermarket of the Year’ award by Whisky Magazine’s awards 'The Icons of Whisky Ireland'. 2021 is the second year running Aldi has picked up this award.
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Getting it's name Ardfallen from the region in County Cork where the malted barley is sourced, this blend has a sweet aroma of chocolate, almonds and green apples with a lingering sweetness to the taste. Very soft and easy on the palate. Grows ever so slightly into a little spiciness, with cocoa & caramel notes following through. This is a very easy drinking whiskey, good vanilla tones throughout making it almost too easy at times! ⠀
There's been an age old ignorance among 'whiskey snobs' about supermarket own brand whiskey and I'm here to squash that ignorance completely.. this whiskey is not phenomenal, sure, but it is a smashing whiskey and while I'm an advocate of the whole "there's no such thing as bad whiskey", this bottling is far better than a lot of whiskeys I've tried in the past. And, for the price it is in comparison to the rest of the market, it's probably underpriced.⠀
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Simply put, this is a great priced whiskey that drinks well neat or mixed. Undeniable value for money! Check it out, you won't be disappointed. At only €18.68 a bottle (70cl), it's an absolute steal.
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Big thanks to the guys at Aldi & Presence PR for the chance to try this bottle out.
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Sláinte,