Royal Jamaican Alcoholic Ginger Beer
Big City Brewing CO LTD

Royal Jamaican Alcoholic Ginger BeerRoyal Jamaican Alcoholic Ginger Beer
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Big City Brewing CO LTD
 
Jamaica
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
Ranked #85
ABV:
4.4%
Score:
79
Ranked #26,419
Avg:
3.43 | pDev: 21.87%
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
63
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 26, 2023
Added:
May 23, 2011
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  15
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by IronDjinn:
Photo of IronDjinn
Reviewed by IronDjinn from Canada (AB)

2.99/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
From a 355 ml brown bottle, shiny gold label. Pours out a pale hazy straw colour with a quick splash of fizzy head and no retention.

Aroma is of sweetened ginger, with doses of warmth emanating from the present ginger as well.

The flavour is of sharp, warm ginger, very faint bready malt, finishing on a sweeter note with the eponymous ginger character. More of an earthy character lingers in the aftertaste.

Light mouthfeel, slick texture with a brisk, high level of carbonation.

Perhaps leaning more along the lines of a malternative, I would imagine it would be better straight out of the bottle and well chilled. I love ginger so don't find this all that offensive, but would still find it at its best as a hot day lawnmower beer. Very one dimensional, and if you don't like ginger this may be one to pass (unless you're one of those diseased/obsessed ticker types).
May 23, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of BrisLoganite
Rated by BrisLoganite from Australia

3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Good Beer with a spicy aftertaste
Dec 26, 2023
Photo of buschbeer
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio

3.56/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 FL.OZ. bottle
Served in a tulip glass

This beverage pours an opaque cream color. It has no head.

It smells like ginger and smells sweet.

Sweet, soda-like flavor with plenty of ginger flavor.

Thin bodied with a watery mouthfeel

It is sweet and tastes like ginger.
Aug 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.41 by Latarnik from New Jersey

Apr 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.87 by luvGoldenMonkey from Pennsylvania

Jan 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by paulish from New York

Dec 06, 2018
 
Rated: 3.66 by Griphon from Florida

Jul 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4.28 by HopsForBrains from North Carolina

Jan 30, 2018
 
Rated: 3.47 by Jcbroome from Florida

Feb 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by Karibourgeois from Texas

Jan 09, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by Gaddabble from Ohio

Dec 30, 2016
Photo of cknoch
Reviewed by cknoch from Canada (AB)

1.39/5  rDev -59.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
This may sound harsh, but in my opinion this beer is one of the most vile creations of man. A ginger beer is supposed to add a spicy ginger element whether you are drinking it straight or using it in a cocktail; however, the Royal Jamaican ginger beer tastes almost purely like a ginger extract has been dumped in at an overly aggressive rate. It took me two hours to finish this beer (only finished it because I hate wasting beer), and the whole time I felt like the experience must have been some universal punishment for a terrible deed I no longer remember. I have had many other ginger beers before and so I can't understand why anybody would waste their money on this. Essentially any other ginger beer is 10X better than this, do yourself a favour and look around.
Dec 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.68 by deonreds from New York

Sep 06, 2016
Photo of puck1225
Reviewed by puck1225 from Texas

2.91/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Poured from a can into a pint glass. Cloudy pale yellow, no head or lacing. Smell is strongly of ginger. The taste is quite sweet and is gingery. Somewhat refreshing but a bit too sweet, too muck like a lemonade.
Aug 07, 2016
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
11.2 fl oz. can, perhaps some sort of coded canning information on the bottom. Acquired a single can of this oddity as part of a mixed six pack at the local Binny's. "Product of Jamaica" "Alcoholic Ginger Beer" "Beer brewed with ginger". The side of the can appears to read: "Brewed & Canned by RJ Rums and Spirits Ltd., Kingston, Jamaica".

Poured into a 5 Rabbit Cerveceria Paletas can glass.

A - Pours a murky yellowy-greenish body, has almost the same consistency as dirty lake water. Conjures no head, merely some bubbles that audibly die out fast. No lacing. Looks like soda. Looks good for what it is, i suppose.

S - Aroma is authentic spicy ginger root all around. Some hints at white sugar, representing the soda part of this beverage. No noticeable "malt" or traditional "beer" qualities coming from this.

T - The flavor is straight-up authentic ginger root spice, with some natural tasting white sugar thrown in there. Some unfavorable heat burns on after the swallow. Again, this mostly tastes like regular soda, with no noticeable malt or traditional "beer" qualities, nor any conceivable alcohol. Much too hot for my liking, however. Has a sort of Big Red / cinnamon bubblegum flavor that is just overwhelming for me.

M - Feel is smooth & crisp, but the overwhelming ginger spice prevents one from being able to sip this stuff quickly. As another reviewer stated, this is probably not something you'd want to drink on it's own. The body is light, with some sugary sweetness & wet cardboard flavors lingering on the finish.

Overall, not good. I suppose it achieves what it was going for, but this is not something i will be able to finish.

Royal Jamaican Alcoholic Ginger Beer -----2.5/5
Jul 01, 2016
 
Rated: 3.54 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

May 28, 2016
Photo of Immortale25
Reviewed by Immortale25 from North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a Duvel tulip. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a murky gumdrop-like color and produces no head. No surface foam, no lacing.

S- Smells like ginger ale.

T- Immediately, I have the same problem with this that I do with hard root beer. It tastes good since I like ginger ale/ginger beer but when I drink those beverages I like to take big swigs and the alcohol in this prevents that from being a pleasurable experience. I will say, the intense ginger is quite nice and gives a pleasant burn. Pretty sweet as well.

M- Lots of ginger heat on the palate and in the back of the throat. Medium carbonation and a light, syrupy body.

O- I bet this could be used to make a killer dark n' stormy, but to drink it on its own isn't something I'd aim to do ever again. Good for what it is.
May 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.65 by colonia25 from New York

Apr 15, 2016
 
Rated: 3.9 by Whitey_from_Remedy from Pennsylvania

Mar 24, 2016
Photo of Greywulfken
Reviewed by Greywulfken from New York

3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I've never had a ginger beer, and won't have one again. Not qualified to really weigh in on how this compares to others of its ilk, but the taste profile was not at all to my liking. The ginger had a biting, medicinal character in a light and heavily carbonated body. The aromas were similarly strong, somewhat astringent, and unenticing. I do enjoy an occasional ginger ale, but the alcohol in this, while low, clearly makes it into a markedly different drinking experience I'd not repeat.
Dec 26, 2015
Royal Jamaican Alcoholic Ginger Beer from Big City Brewing CO LTD
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 63 ratings