Cherry B Cherry Wine

Intro

I seem to recall this little drink from my mid twenties, which was some cough cough years ago. I’m always on the look out for something different or new but certainly wasn’t looking for something old. Well actually it was my son who made the discovery on a quest for something different for his girlfriend. If I recall correctly it was Newcastle Amber, which was my drinking preference all those years ago, so I was intrigued to see this pop it’s head up. It is made by those clever people who also make Babycham, which is another drink I haven’t heard much of lately.

Cherry B

The five inch high stubby bottle, which holds the dark red liquid, is a typical olde worlde type bottle, being that it is simple green glass with a few knobbles on it. The label on the front of the bottle is basically gold with a thick red swirl travelling from bottom left to top right. This swirl contains the wording Cherry B, and above it is a picture of……………………….cherries. It’s all really not too impressive, or it might be a direct ploy to seem a bit retro on behalf of the manufacturers. The four bottles come in one of those cardboard carry cases with a similar design to that of the bottle.

Each bottle has a gold crown cap so a bottle opener will be required should you decide to partake of a little sample. My son reckons he paid £2.99 for the four bottle pack which makes each 113ml stubby 75p which I think may just be a little steep.

The taste

Well to start with it certainly smells of cherries as soon as you manage to remove the crown top. There is a slight hiss when doing this. If you are drinking straight from the stubby bottle you will obviously be unaware of the colour, otherwise you will see a very dark red once the contents have been placed in a wine glass. During the pouring it seems lighter but on completion it probably is closer described as a dark reddish purple or I guess if you wish dark cherry. After the initial hit of cherry aroma a little sip will perhaps be all some will sample. The reason for this is that it is really quite sweet and although I do have a sweet tooth I prefer my wine a little drier. The evidence of there being cherries is overwhelming too, and it did take a couple of small sips for me to truly get my head round what I was tasting. Apart from the consistency it almost tasted like a cordial it was that sweet. Deciding whether it is too sweet is obviously up to the individual, but for me the 113ml was adequate. It was by no means unpleasant and it did definitely have an alcoholic kick too it as well but the sweetness was way too much for even me.

Summary

Overall I’d have to be honest and say that I was not particularly taken by it. I did like the strong taste of cherry and the hint of alcohol but the sweetness was its downfall. I can see how this might easily become a favourite with those of the fairer sex, the small bottle might even be considered trendy in certain parts. It is perhaps though the price tag which is the most off putting part of the saga. 75p for this small bottle does not seem value for money to me. I can’t really put my hand up and recommend it, but then I can’t justify not recommending it either, since it was I guess overall quite pleasant and would suit a different palette to mine. If you have £3 to spare and fancy taking a bit of a chance then good luck to you, you might well enjoy it more than I did.