July 10, 2019
Bull’s Head Ginger Beer | A Review
For the beautiful Alaska cruise we took, mentioned in the last review, the ship departed from Vancouver. Clean and beautiful, it goes on the short list of places worth living. While ginger beer was not to be found near the hotel, this Canadian product popped up at a store near Denver so why not review it now, while it’s geographically relevant? It makes me feel like I didn’t miss out.
John Henry Bryant was brewing beer in the Eastern Townships of Quebec at the Silver Springs Brewery back in 1896 when he grew tired of the sheer volume of competition in the area. What he needed was a unique product, a niche that he could exploit to meet with the kind of success he dreamed of. Irish by heritage, Bryant settled on a Belfast-style ginger ale which his wife suggested he call Bull’s Head as an homage to his characteristic stubbornness. Bottles sold briskly for decades as people of the region loved the crisp drink.
The rights to the unique ginger ale changed hands a few times beginning about 40-50 years ago but settled with the 2009 purchase by Charles and Dominic Pearson and their partner Charles Martel. Their vision of the company went beyond ginger ale and a number of new flavors joined the lineup such as a root beer, a cola and a blood orange soda. In 2012, they concocted this, the Ginger Beer, which they insist is delicious in a Shandy Gaff — a traditionally after-golf mixture of blond lager and ginger beer.
The bottle casts a squat silhouette with its short neck and stocky proportions. The logo and the founding year of 1896 rise from the dark brown glass. The label is clearly inspired by the design of that era with its strong type and etched art. The effect holds vintage appeal and would look right at home in a Victorian bar.
In the ingredients the water gets a special recognition. This is not ordinary carbonated water; this is carbonated Appalachian Mountains spring water. Following that opening act are cane sugar, natural flavor and citric acid with the ginger flavor coming from extract. The sum total is 11.5 ounces for 108 calories. That’d be about 113 for 12 ounces, just for comparison’s sake.
There’s spiciness to the ginger smell that tingles the nose a bit. The ginger beer holds a dark color, near to a cola despite the lack of caramel coloring, and no sediment.
A light sweetness comes in first followed by the taste of a strongly earthy ginger. There’s a burst of sweetness and heat late in the development with prickles on the tongue and roof of the mouth. The heat measures above average but doesn’t overpower. A fading sweetness graces the finish.
Hewing close to traditional flavors and ingredients, this ginger beer boasts toe-shoe balance and expertly tuned spiciness. Canadian ginger beers being difficult to locate in the States, the nation’s first impression is certainly impressive. Bull’s Head is stubbornly good.
Final Decision: Second Tier – Alluring
Purchased at: Rocket Fizz in Highlands Ranch, CO | Check website for local and online availability.
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