Melville's Ginger Beer
Innis & Gunn

 

Thin white head that goes down fast. A good smell to it that lets you know what it is but don't get too much unique out of it besides ginger. Have to agree with other reviews that say it is a strong ginger taste but very sweet. Almost like a sweet syrup taste. ITs good at the start but the overly sweet nature gets a bit much for a 500 ml can. Id enjoy it better in a 350 then not ordering another. Mouth feel is too sharp and carbonated to enjoy it going down as much as I'd like. Overall ok. Would be better if not for the sweet taste of syrup.

Re- Review. 500 ml can served cold into a tulip. purchased for $2.80 CDN. Not really sure what prompted me to try this again, but here we go.

Appearance - Pours a clear copper colored beer with a tremendous two finger head. Surprisingly good retention as the head stuck around for a few minutes albeit alack of lacing left on the sides of the glass.

Smell - Ginger, ginger and more ginger but not overdone, rather more like a ginger ale with extra ginger and some alcohol.

Taste - Again ginger, but there's a very sweet and sugary flavor that comes in behind before turning down the slightly spicier avenue of ginger properties. The flavors are good but one is enough since the sweetness can be a bit overwhelming. Bitterness is low to non-existent. Ginger starts to overpower after a few sips in an unpleasant manner.

Mouthfeel - Carbonation is good, body is a little thin, but the flavors make the beer "feel" a little more robust.

Overall - Much better than I remembered, and while not outstanding, this is certainly drinkable for a special occasion of if you really just love ginger. About as much ginger as one could take without becoming unbalance or complete overkill.

 

From Notes Jan '15......

A- Pours a deep gold, ginger ale like color, with some slight chill haze. The head is eggshell colored and is about 1 finger thick with decent retention.....gradually settling down. Good lacing, with small patches sticking to the glass. Carbonation appears to be mild, with only a few columns of fizz slowly rising to the top of the liquid.

S- Mild, candied ginger is the dominant aroma here, and smells very fresh! It really smells like the root of the plant has been chopped up and used for cooking....the immediate environment is permeated with this wonderful aroma of sweet spicy ginger!

T- Wow! The ginger spice is moderate and the heat only gradually creeps up on the palate over time, becoming more and more dominant as the beer is consumed and slightly warms up. Malt sweetness is noted and really helps to balance out the spice. There is a huge Earthy/root like quality going on with this one and again....is very fresh in it's sweet and spicy nature!

M/O- Incredibly smooth and velvety texture....I can't believe how fine the carbonation really is! It is almost desert like and so well balanced! This would be a perfect match for a really well prepared ginger beef dish and/or with freshly baked gingerbread cookies! Awesome on it's own too, this is the nicest example to date of a ginger beer that Ive tasted and I highly recommend this one! As always, a great product by the good brewery of Innis & Gunn!

500 ml can with bb stamp April 2015. Poured into a mug. Pours a light Amber color with approximately 1 finger of nice fluffy head. Strong ginger smell. Tastes of ginger, Malt and sugar. Feel is overly sweet. Overall a decent ginger beer but a little on the sweet side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

500 mL can picked up at the LCBO; best before April 2015. Served well-chilled.

Pours a bright, clear amber hue, topped with just over one finger of dense, creamy white head. Retention is decent; it takes more than a few minutes to settle down into a thin cap, surrounded by a thicker collar with a tiny crown of lace. The aroma is straight up candied ginger root, with a decent helping of brown sugar. It's not exactly unappealing, but it would be nice if there were some beer-like traits to describe.

Unfortunately the flavour profile doesn't do me many favours in that respect. This is a very sugary ginger beer, bordering on cloyingly so, but the bite of ginger root flavour toward the tail end does make up for this flaw somewhat. Sweet aftertaste with a mild ginger candy vibe. Fairly light-bodied, but with a syrupy smooth feel to it that I don't particularly enjoy in ginger beers. Agreeable enough to tolerate for a glass or two, but too sugary to be a good session option.

Final Grade: 3.14, a passable C+. Melville's Ginger Beer does have an enjoyable, spicy bite to it that is sure to rouse the interests of a few palates, but in my opinion this one is just too saccharine to be something I'd want to drink en masse (despite the light abv). If I buy this again, it'll probably be to use it in a mixed drink in place of Vernors or something. If they put a little more effort into the base beer then this could become a worthwhile option, but as it stands now, this one doesn't do anything more for me than Crabbie's would. Worth a try if you're a ginger fan, I suppose.

 

 

 

 

The scent is strong ,sweet ginger ale, the appearance is a bit darker than ginger ale with a thin fizzy white head; that does not last at all, and leaves an oily film. This tastes like a spiked ginger ale or a" malternative", sweet and a touch cloying. Ok, but, not worth searching out!