You had to have seen this one coming, right? I mean, it was in the previous picture…
So, assuming you’ve read the previous review and know how I came to be a fan of Ale-8-One, let’s talk about about the differences to look for when comparing regular and diet sodas. Apart from the obvious taste difference between sugar and a sugar substitute, there’s typically a good difference in the body of the soda. Aspartame, Stevia, and Monkfruit typically have very little body, whereas Sucralose matches the body of sugar decently enough. Sucralose and aspartame match the mouthfeel of regular soda decently, but Stevia and Monkfruit usually react with the carbonation differently. In some cases, that reaction gives the soda a creamier, smoother feel.
Oh god I haven’t even talked once in this intro about the actual soda. OK, Ale-8-One has been around since 1926, and it’s often referred to colloquially as “A Late One”. I would be lying if I said I didn’t call the soda Ale 8 for a while, but I was a foolish child, who could blame me? Time for the actual review!
Place of Acquirement: Kroger, Gahanna, OH
Drinking Vessel/Portion: 12oz glass bottle, green
AROMATICS: 8.5/10
Strong ginger! Off-hand, the scent feels a bit stronger than the diet version.
FIRST SIP: 8.5/10
I mean, what can I say? It’s good.
TASTE: 9/10
Ale-8-One hits the mark for me on ginger ale, there’s no doubt about that. It balances the sweetness and ginger to perfection. Other ginger ales/ginger beers are likely one of two things: 1. too spicy, or 2. not sweet enough. Ale-8-One has just enough spice to keep you interested (a smidge less than Vernors).
AFTERTASTE: 7.5/10
Simple, stays sweet, loses a little flavor.
MOUTHFEEL: 7.5/10
Standard mouthfeel, pleasant, ginger isn’t spicy.
DEPTH OF FLAVOR: 8/10
It’s a standard ginger ale flavor, but I do feel like on the regular version you get just a hint of a citrus-y taste with it.
SWEETNESS: 8/10
I would rate this as being a tad sweeter than a standard soda, but not in a negative way. Definitely does not feel sickly sweet at all.
FLAVOR(S) TASTED: Ginger, “ginger ale flavor”, maybe just a little teeny tiny bit of citrus?
LAST SIP: 8/10
Both carbonation and flavor kept well.
OVERALL RATING: 9/10
If you hadn’t already caught this drift, I am definitely biased towards this soda. I’ve loved it for years. I took bottles of it to Canada, and it was the first item ever purchased from a store in my tiny town (by me). Maybe my glasses are too rose-colored on this soda, but I do think that it is fantastic.
Unsurprisingly, the regular version edges out the diet version. While I still give the folks at Ale-8-One a ton of credit for the diet version, the regular is just excellent. This is my ginger ale of preference, and it will be for the foreseeable future.
