Quaffed the Raven

The folks as Buzzbee’s have created a range of tonics using natural ingredients and sweetened with honey, as a way of both promoting a healthier option for your mixer, as well as the need to sustain the UK’s bee population! This botanical tonic is billed as a citrusy-floral flavour profile. They have a various other flavours, as well as natural and indian.

Buzzbee’s Botanical Tonic is available in 200ml bottles.

Tasting Notes

When first pouring there is an explosion of bubbles that produce almost a froth which takes several seconds to die down, leaving a lot of bubbles clinging to the edge of the glass, some quite large, some small. There are quite a few bubbles rising to the surface too, and the liquid has a nice tint to it.

The aroma is light and a little spiced, with a touch of dry quinine coming through. There’s a natural cleanness to it too, but also a hint of salts, like a remedy for something. It’s nice and refreshing.

To taste, the liquid is very thin and there’s a dry, bitter flavour that comes across quite strongly. To me it isn’t really at all sweet, nor does it taste of quinine, in fact it leaves my tongue and the back of my mouth feeling dry. I confess I am not enjoying it. I can’t really taste honey either. It’s weird and not pleasant in my opinion.

With gin (3:1 Beefeater with dried lemon peel), there’s an improvement. The drier flavours from the gin compliment those in the tonic, and there is some combination there that produces an almost floral flavour, but overall it is not for me. The dryness is not a pleasant one and despite the fact that it’s an all natural drink, the feeling I am left with in my mouth is quite chemical-like.

Overall

For me, Buzzbee’s have sacrificed far too much in taste to attain their healthier, all natural tonic. It pretty much ruined the G&T and if it leaves me wondering what else I can add to make it drinkable, you have to wonder what the point is. I’m afraid I can’t recommend this at all.

Buzzbee’s Botanical Tonic is available online

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All reviews are of the author’s personal collection, bought and paid for by the author, unless otherwise stated.