Ginger Beer Taste Test  Add/Read Comments

Each ginger beer was tasted blind and ranked out of 5, with 0 being undrinkable and 5 being damn tasty. The average scores are detailed below with the products listed in taste order. The tasters, who incidentally were of a wide span of ages (from early teens to 'getting on a bit'), were encouraged to write a few words some of which are quoted.

Review0.3Ginger Beer 1 - Whole Earth Sparkling Organic Ginger (can) Score 3.6
"lacks body/light", "fizzy, long after-taste", "subtle taste, pale in colour" "my favourite"

Review0.3Ginger Beer 2 - Fentimans Botanically Brewed Ginger Beer (bottle) Score 2.6
"odd smell" "really strong taste of ginger", "ginger kick", "strong after-taste"

Review0.3Ginger Beer 3 - Bunderberg Diet Ginger Beer (bottle) Score 1.6
"lemon like smell", "cloudy, very lemony", "too much lemon", "a ginger kick on the finish but why so lemony?"

Review0.3Ginger Beer 4 - Belvoir Fruit Farms Organic Ginger Beer (bottle) Score 0.8
"smells horrid", "dirty water smell", "unpleasant", "chemicals, burning aftertaste", "yuck!"

Review0.3Ginger Beer 5 - Old Jamacia Ginger Beer (can) Score 3.4
"Best, if slightly sweet", "quite nice", "very sweet, very pleasant, syrupy"

Prior to organising this tasting I had tried the Belvoir Fruit Farms version; and was astounded at just how terrible the drink was - a smell of dirty washing up water, and an unbelievably bad, dirty, taste made worse by the ginger kick that is suddenly sprung on you. So bad, so undrinkable yet sold at a premium at various delis. I actually thought I had an off bottle but it would seem not.

Personally either of the two canned products I would be happy to drink as they are over ice. The strong ginger kick in the Fentimans would be my choice for a cocktail mix, as in some of the Pimms cocktails.

With thanks to the various members of the extended Barrow-clan for conducting the tasting.