Ginger Joe

Brewery: Stone's
Beer: Ginger Joe
4% 0,33l


http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/stones-ginger-joe/176712/

Stone's ginger beer is another of the treasures found in the aforementioned store. (Not to be confused with the Helsinkian Pub of the same name..) As I love Ginger ale in the non alcoholic variant I figured I should give it's alcoholy cousin a try.
The foam reminded me of sprite and dissipated fast leaving but a small isle of bubbly goodness on the drink.

Im not really sure what to expect.. something sweet? Something spicy?

It's bright golden and filtered, not cloudy at all, so no visible yeast.
Looks like a generic pub beer, maybe a tad bit darker with some slight red tones.

It smells like it's non alcoholic variety, with some medicinal undertones. Very sweet, hints of citrus but also faint cinnamon traces and some spicy notes in the end. As I am expecting something highly carbonated it shall be interesting to sample... let's get going..

In a blind test I'm not sure I would have indentified this as beer. It's very sweet, alas not unpleasantly so (unlike the Cookie beer froma  few days before). You can only guess that there is alcohol in it fro the aftertaste and even there it isnt very distinguishable.
I wonder whether this is truly BREWED with the ginger or simply mixed with some stuff later on. Sadly the bottle doesn't say.
The carbonation is not as high as I expected and blends in nicely with the giner/cinnamon taste.
It's prolly a nice summer afternoon drink, though lacks most of the beer taste... a bit like a German Radler or an English Shandy when mixed with too much soda.
I'd drink it again out of novelty reasons. I'd say go and try it if only to be able to say that yay you did... beware, however, that it is, indeed, sweet.

DMW