Jones Ginger Bread

I built a ginger bread house once, during the only Christmas I remember spending with extended family, my aunt and uncle and cousins in upstate New York. It is a fond memory, and I'm much more fond of the memory than the taste of ginger bread itself. I have little expectations for this soda.

"Ok, I'll tell you...Do you
know...the Muffin Man?"
 - Gingerbread Man

Twisting the top (oh yes, Jones are glass bottle twist tops), I get a whiff of cinnamon. I'm surprised...not slightly, but greatly surprised that my anticipation for drinking this beverage just skyrocketed. The ginger bread aroma smacks me in the face and my lips literally lunge to take that first sip and it is an amazing first sip. It is complete ginger bread and an instant reminder of holiday cookies. The soda is creamy and while the carbonation is mild, that lacking adds to the soda's appeal by giving an enhanced smoothness.

As I imbibe more I get a little concerned that the taste will lose its luster and the appeal will fade because that happens with many special flavor sodas. While the soda does, the drop off is not immense and I never bore with the taste. It is a filling soda and one that needs to be sipped, but it brings a solid taste all the way through. My initial reservations on this flavor have been overturned and in this third sampling from Jones Holiday 4-Pack I've found a taste to revisit each year. Here's to hoping Jones puts this back on the shelves for Christmas 2013!

Overall Taste: 6.3 - Surprising, and what you could call a must have for ginger bread fans.

Fizz Factor: 3.5 - No bubbles? No problem.

Appearance: 7.0 - Again for Jones, the color of the soda is something to marvel. Like the perfect purple for the plum, the transparent hint of yellow for the pear, the ginger bread is a natural brown, almost like a cream soda color but missing that honey/golden touch.

Flavor: 6.3 - Perfect ginger bread. Wouldn't have thought to make it a soda, but it works.

 

From the company: 12 oz has 190 calories, 0g of fat, 47g of carbs, 47g of sugar, and 0g of protein.