Freeminer Shakemantle Ginger Ale

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

Sampled from bottle. Pours dark gold - not white as stated on the label. Fine head and lacing. Not unattractive, just off-style and not as advertised. Notable ginger and sublte bready malt aroma. Balanced, with spicy ginger flavor. Really, it jsut dominates the beer so much that it removes itself from most drinker's session beer list I would assume. Medium-boided and effervescent. If you dig ginger beers, give it a try.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

Pours murky copper with minimal head. The aroma has a champagne-like quality with sweet peach notes banaced by herbal hopping and ginger. The flavor is like a combonation of ginger ale, lemonade, and swill beer. Not delicious, but strangely refreshing. Light bodied, but not watery, with strong carbonation.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

To be honest, this is one beer I probably would not have purchased, if I had read the label closer. For you see, I'm not a fan of ginger, in any form -- most of all in beer. To this day the mere thought of the (thankfully) long-gone Pete's Wicked Mardi Gras Ale -- all it's ginger-filled nastiness -- turns my stomach.

So how did I come upon this beer? Simply said, I was in a rush, and grabbed a handful of British 500mL bottles who labels I did not recognize (thus ensuring that I would have plenty of beer to sample and review down the road). And actually, this particular beer was a bit buried in my fridge for a while. So while hunting for a beer to wash down dinner with, I had the double-surprise of refinding this beer, and finding that it was a ginger-related ale.

The third surprise was that this isn't bad. Not too bad at all, IMHO. A bit dull to look at, especially when the head disappeared all-too early. But otherwise, this comes across as something a hybrid British Bitter/Belgian Wit.

Bitter and sharp, and quite refreshing overall -- with the added bonus of a spicy twang in the finish. If that's the ginger coming through, then call me a convert to the cause.

Overall, this would never be a beer that I would have grabbed had I paid attention to the label. But the fact that I didn't only allowed me to find an interesting ale, that I can see getting again....
//TB

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Orange gold color, very slightly hazy. Small head. Aroma is ginger, fruity, yeasty and sweet. A medium bodied wit. Donít know what I was expecting but it wasnít a British Ginger Wit. I guess I need to read the label a little more closely, eh? Malts are fruity, with tangerine, orange and citrus notes. Liberally flavored with ginger, so it has a nice spicy edge to it, yet it not over the top with the flavor either. Smooth tasting, very pleasant beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet and a touch spicy.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Poured from a dusty bottle. A reddish orange colored body with a thin head. The aroma is sweet carrots with cherries. The taste is a strangely dry combination of carrots and ginger with earthy wood. I am not a fan of ginger beers and this is no exception. This is a unique beer that is certainly different for a bitter.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 5

Very gingery, like fresh ginger was added and very good. Smooth malt. Brown in color. Light in hop taste. Very good.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Clear gold color with nice head throughout. Aroma of slight ginger not as predominant as the taste. So, if you like ginger, I mean REALLY like ginger, this is the beer for you. Not sure it's such a deal for $5.29 for a 1 pint .9 ounce bottle though. I am kind of surprised the minimal head lasts as long as it does for this kind of specialty beer, but it does.