I paid a visit to my local Asian market for the first time in a while this past weekend. Every time that I go, I pass by these tiny drinks in the tea aisle during my shopping and I wonder every time what the small beverage is like. Well, I can officially lay my curiosity to rest, as I have finally tried one and it is really not very good.
As far as the ginseng flavor goes, the drink is very satisfying. I love ginseng, and the flavor is very natural. However, this makes a lot of sense, as the beverage literally gets its flavor straight from a chunk of ginseng root contained within the interestingly shaped glass bottle. The ginseng is not, from what I can tell by the taste and ingredients, artificially enhanced in any way beyond the flavor dissipation from the root.
Everything sounds great so far, right? Had the beverage stopped there, that would be correct. The reason that this drink falls short, however, is totally unrelated to ginseng. The drink, unfortunately, has been sweetened. But not with any conventional sweetener; no. That would be too...conventional. The beverage is sweetened with honey alcohol. Now, I have never experienced honey alcohol before, and I think that it is fair to say that my first exposure has turned me off to the stuff. The sweetness offered by the substance is...peculiar. It has a mild pungency to it, and leaves a horribly dry and unappetizing taste in the back of the throat. The aftertaste just does not sit well, and lingers for some time after the initial consumption. I practically had to empty my water bottle before the taste started to subside after only taking a few drinks of the already very small beverage. Although the taste of the ginseng is well-cultivated, the drink overall has a musty, bitter taste due to the odd mixture of ingredients, and I think that I would definitely have a very difficult time recommending this one to anyone other than the most die-hard of ginseng fans.
Note: This is not an alcoholic beverage. Honey alcohol contains less than 0.05% alcohol by volume and is not actually an alcoholic ingredient.
Verdict: Not recommended
Purchased: Asian Market [Columbia, SC]
Size: 4 fl. oz. [120 mL]
Price: $1.75
Well this review is illuminating only as far as one's palate is concerned. And thank you for that but what about the physical results? Is it an effective and potent form of consumptive ginseng? Please elaborate for those of us not as familiar with the benefits and possible health concerns posed by this particular supplier's ginseng drink.
ReplyDeleteFrom Anonymous above- For any who have taken notice, pardon the inaccurate application of the word "consumptive". It shouldn't detract from the intent any more than is apparent in this case. Thank you for your time....
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