I had high hopes for this pie, as I opened the cellophane wrapper there was a wonderful boozy smell. A good looking pie, with 5 steam holes, usually a good sign of plenty of filing. Quite a large pie, with plenty of pastry overhanging then edges. A good size and weight, with a lovely aroma…Could this be a great pie? Alas, no. First impressions were spoilt by rock hard pastry! far too tough. The Filling was good, not too sweet and fruity. But that pastry really spoilt it for me. How could it be so dry when it was wrapped in cellophane?…. A good effort, and the best score so far in 2010!
Reviewers Comments and Guessed Origin
“A delicious smelling pie, well filled. The pastry was far too hard and biscuity for my liking, almost like someone had made a pie shaped Rich Tea, put some mincemeat inside, and then topped another Rich Tea on top.”
“All smell and no substance. A very smelly filling – pungent in fact. Promises a juicy tasty filling but delivers flavourless tosh. Good pastry though to save it.”
“Carlsberg don’t do mince pies… but if they did! Epic!”
“That is one mighty fine pie. top quality all round. Harrods?”
“This was the Paul Gascoigne of mince pies, something a bit special about it with some great tekkers and of course full of alcohol”
“Together on the plate when presented, they all looked of a very even and professional finish. Pre first bite, the strong aroma wafted through the vent holes in the well sugared lid like an alcoholic Vesuvius. The fist bite revealed a thick, yet satisfyingly tasty and good quality pastry of just the right consistency – together in combination with the powerfully flavoured filling. Whilst the filling was pretty chunky with nice peel and nutty fragments, it is by far also the most suggestive of having an alcohol content (maybe actually is whisky). I’m all for the alcoholic pies, but such was the overall quality of the pie that it would have still scored very high in all departments. If the alcohol taste is in fact synthetic, then they have done a very good job here. It surely has to be a top store luxury range item from a supplier the likes of Harrods, Fortnum & Mason or Duchy Originals.”
“Top quality filling and filled to the top.. Pastry was a bit hard though.”
“Very good pie – unique flavour to mincemeat suggests copious amount of alcohol in process. Pastry was very good a major plus”
“Very much like a Thai ladyboy – Look great and had a fantastic aroma.. All buttery and ready to go, leading me to believe it was gonna be great.. Then once it was unwrapped it was a total letdown, a leathery crust and lacking a loving touch, so much so that I didn’t even wanna finish it off…”
Packaging Description
Harrods
Mince Pies with Malt Whisky.
Best Before: March 2011