I bought this a while ago, so it's not all that "NEW" anymore, but still, I was excited to see just how bold this ginger ale could be.
Something about the label design puts me at unease. It looks aged, but in a bad way. It isn't as if they were attempting a vintage-vibe, it's more like this looks like a 2-Liter of soda your grandma had hoarded away in the basement for too long and finally decided it's time to bring it up for a family party. Does that make sense to anyone else? That's what the color choices and labeling says to me, basement-grandma-soda, and while that isn't a terrible thing, it certainly isn't all that great either.
Safe to say, I definitely didn't buy this for the packaging or the aesthetics. I bought this because, as an adult, I have a newfound appreciation for bold, spicy, ginger beverages. Jamaican ginger beer? Spicy Jin+Ja? Yes, please! That said, I had high hopes that this was going to be as bold as the all CAPS label promised.
Once opened, the liquid inside smells...pretty much like normal ginger ale. Sweet, fresh, crisp, and maybe a little spicy, but only as "spicy" as usual. I'm really hoping this tastes a lot bolder than it smells, but with ginger being such a bold aromatic, this does not bode well.
I poured a glass, and it seems like it had less fizz than normal ginger ale, and it certainly is more amber in color.
One sip, and I was immediately disappointed. At first all I could taste was sweet, slightly less carbonated, ginger ale. After swallowing, you can feel a little bit of the warmth and spiciness from the ginger lingering in your throat, but that's about it. On a scale of normal ginger ale (being 1) to Jin+Ja (being 5), this 2.5 at best. The flavoring is not bad. If you like normal ginger ale I am sure you would enjoy this, but I would really hesitate to call it "bold." Especially when the font is in all caps.
The slight warmth from the drink is pleasant enough, and I got a bit of it on my upper lip and it tingled slightly (I hesitate to call it "burn"), so there's no doubt that this is indeed bolder than Canada Dry's normal ginger ale...but it plays it too safe.
If you like bold ginger drinks, this is weak-sauce. Personally I wouldn't buy this again. Canada Dry can stick to making fun fruity infused ginger ales, but they're a bit too timid to enter the "bold" arena. I'll stick to Jamaican ginger beers for my spicy kick in the future.
Fans of these would also like: Jin + Ja, Pepsi Fire, Not Your Father's Ginger Ale, or Pepsi Ginger Cola
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