I've just returned from a trip to a Lidl supermarket near by house: http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index.htm. It's a discount supermarket. The world discount when associated with a supermarket or retailer of any kind usually conjours doubts and negative images. Aisles and aisles of non-branded gruel, the customers all grey-faced people shivering in rags.
The reality couldn't be further from this image. It's a bright, airy place with many bargains and offers on close imitations to main brand products. I'm going to talk about the discount coffee that they sell there because in a recent coffee taste test, the value, non-branded coffee won out : http://www.supermarketownbrandguide.co.uk/search.php?SearchString=SSCoffee&Search.x=27&Search.y=22&score=&price=0&pricevalue=0.00&orderby=Price.
As I like my coffee caffinated, I selected Aldi's GranArom Highland Gold 100% Arabica instant coffee. First impressions, it looks good. The jar has a distinctive Aztec, hewn-of-glass look to it and the packaging has images of coffee beans on it. It's pretty plain and doesn't try to be anything else.
Popping open the hermetically sealed lid releases a powerful rich aroma. There's no hint of any mealy or bland undertone to the nose of this coffee. It fills the mind with images of warm, comforting, steaming cups of coffee and good times with friends. Long discussions over luxurious coffee.
Once water and milk are added, it tastes great. Really nice smooth flavour. Not too rich but with a powerful smell of real coffee beans. This is definately not from the dregs of the coffee industry, a good piece of evidence for the 'own-brand' / 'non-brand' foodstuffs besting their more expensive cousins.
I'd easily give this coffee a full-bodied 8 out of ten. It's definately a good quality coffee that you could get yourself up with in the morning but not a product that you'd use to impress friends with your sophisticated coffee knowledge. A true no-frills, but delivers exactly what it says kind of product.
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