Rochester Mulled Berry Punch - Holland and Barrett at £4.99
This one really divided opinion among the taste testers! Some found it to be as authentic as the glühwein found in German Christmas markets, both pleasantly sweet and just spicy enough. They found it to have good depth, a full body and a very slight bitterness in the after taste, further enhancing its closeness to the expected flavour. However, others compared it to the childhood classic of warm Ribena – not always synonymous with happy memories! They found it to be far too sugary with a slight taste of prunes. Either way, we would definitely recommend having a warm mince pie ready to pair with this Berry Punch!
Average score – 3/5
Vegetarian and vegan friendly. Full bodied, moderate to long finish, deep ruby red in colour. Gives mixed berry, spice and earthy aromas and is clove spiced and sugary to the taste. Tasters also commented on the berry flavours – dark fruit and blackcurrant.
Deluxe Non-Alcoholic Mulled Punch - Lidl at £1.99
Although fairly unoffensive in flavour, no one was blown away by this wine. Many tasters said it was just like a warmed-up fruit cordial and lacked enough spice to really be compared to a mulled wine. The tart after-taste is not unpleasant, and goes some way to make the experience a little more ‘grown-up’ than cordial. It was certainly thinner than the Rochester Punch and probably as is to be expected for £1.99.
Average score – 1.5/5
Vegetarian and vegan friendly. Light to medium bodied, moderate finish, light red in colour. Gives light spiced and floral aromas and is fruity to the taste. Tasters said they picked up cinnamon and cranberry as the dominant flavours.
Glögg, mulled fruit drink - IKEA at £2.95
IKEA has knocked it out of the park with this one. Not only does it have the spiced and lightly sugary taste you would expect, but also a tart after taste which doesn’t hang around for too long. The cherry and clove syrupy flavour gives it a rounded finish, making it a very pleasant drink. The bottle suggests pairing a warm cup of the Glögg with a ginger biscuit, which tasters felt would have cut through the bitter after taste perfectly.
Average score – 4/5
Vegetarian and vegan friendly. Light bodied, short finish, light red in colour. Gives aromas of vanilla, spice and berries and has a spicy sugary taste with hints of cinnamon and clove.
