A bourbon biscuit taste test across eight UK supermarkets has produced a clear winner, with M&S and Sainsbury's tying for the top score of 7.5 out of 10.
Tariq, a biscuit enthusiast, sampled bourbons from M&S, Asda, Sainsbury's, Lidl, Aldi, Waitrose, Morrisons, and Co-op to determine which is best for dunking as the weather turns colder. He wanted to avoid biscuits with a grim filling or a texture like cardboard.
Top Scores: M&S and Sainsbury's
Marks and Spencer's bourbon was described as "double-stuffed," with Tariq noting: "Now the taste is good. There's a smooth level of creamy milk chocolate with a tender biscuit base." However, he added: "But it seems to be lacking that deep, dark chocolatey flavour. Where is the cocoa seasoning?" He gave them 7.5/10.
Sainsbury's biscuits were found to be "stiff," with the "first couple of chews had almost zero flavour." Tariq explained: "But once it breaks down into that thick, muddy paste, it has this rich, bitter-sweet, dark chocolate punch. If only the biscuit were softer and the packet size were larger, they would rank higher." He awarded them 7.5/10, matching M&S.
Mid-Range and Lower Scores
Aldi's offering was "definitely an improvement," but Tariq noted "the biscuit base completely overpowers the cream filling" and "chocolate flavour was lacking." They received 5/10.
Lidl's bourbon was the lowest scorer, with Tariq joking it was "drier than a piece of bamboo," observing the "biscuit base was stiff and stale, the cream was non-existent, and it had this strange artificial tinge." It scored 2/10.
Remaining Supermarkets: All Similar
Tariq said he wouldn't "bore" viewers by sampling the rest on camera, as they were all "exactly the same." These biscuits from Asda, the Co-Op, Waitrose, and Morrisons were "all fairly good," with a "decent crunch" and "gritty chocolate texture." He added: "They also have what looks like sugar sprinkled on top, so they're quite sweet compared to the others." All received 7/10.
In his final assessment, Tariq concluded: "if you like it creamy, pick M&S," while "if you like it hard and stiff, pick Sainsbury's." For those "not really fussy," the remaining options are "perfectly acceptable" and "won't let you down." In the comments, one viewer quipped: "This sounds like my food tech theory evaluation of scones."
