Devon is a county in the South West part of England. One of the most important industry in Devon apart from tourism is agriculture. Luscombe Drinks are mostly made of fruits & ingredients cultivated in this part of the United Kingdom. What's more, its not just cultivation, its organic cultivation. Esp., the apples, elder flower etc are from their own orchards. The get certain fruits from where they are manufactured at their best - Ginger from Brazil, Oranges & Lemon from Sicily, Pears from France etc.
The drinks are made in smaller batches without adding flavourings, additives, preservatives, colorants etc, and that causes subtle variation in the flavour. Their drinks come in 3 categories - Juices, Softdrinks & Ciders. I got try 5 of their soft drinks and here's what I feel about them.
Wild Elderflower Bubbly: The main ingredient here is Elderflower which is grown in their own orchards. The flavour is slightly on the sweeter side, reminding me much of the breezers of Pondicherry, India. Though the brand claims that it could be served on any occassion where champagne would be served, I found it much sweeter than champagne. In the after taste, the sweetness vanishes and the floral taste stays which is good. Apart from the flowers, it has a bit of Sicilian lemon, White wine vinegar and Cane sugar. Accompanying with corn puffs & crisps, this is perfect coz they bring down the sweetness of the drink.
Sicilian Lemonade: This was my most favourite of the 5. The perfect lemonade and its just awesome. Its pure bliss. Pretty much like, but more tangy than, the one I prepare back home! I add spices to my lemonade and whoever drinks it will always be surprised by the taste and try to figure out what I've added, though I never tell out loud my special spices!!! This is more spicy and tangy than my preparation. Apart from Sicilian Lemon juice, it also have Cane Sugar, Lemon oil and Madagascan Vanilla. This is the best ever drink when someone comes home after a long hot summer day!!! This one has no fizz at all and that's perfection...
St.Clements: The perfect citrus combo with Orange & Lemon. This was my husband's most favourite of the 5 and he finished the entire bottle the evening it arrived! It was perfect with the of sourness of the lime and the tangy-ness of the orange. The taste was sharp and the after taste was tangy as well. Apart from lime and lemon, it has Cane sugar and Lemon oil. Spicy snacks (not salty) would be perfect combo for this.
Blueberry crush: This is a mix of blueberry and cranberry juices. Apart from those, it also has Agave Syrup and rose water. The Agave syrup kinda overwhelmes the actual fruity flavours and tastes like diluted honey kinda flavour. It neither too sweet, not fruity. The after taste is a bit floral, might be because of the rose water in it. Overall, it is good, but not as mind blowing as the above 3!!!
Hot Ginger Beer: This is just awesome! Its a perfect combo of ginger & Sicilian lemon. It also has Cane sugar, yeast and a bit of fizz. The sweetness if less, the flavour is sharp and the while drinking both the flavours of ginger & lemon can be distinctly felt. The aftertaste is dry and is only of ginger and that's not overwhelming, but very rejuvenating! The fizz is mild and doesn't hurt the throat. A very very refreshing drink over all!
None of the soft drinks were too bubbly. Many a times, bubbly soft drinks make me burp and embarrass myself, however it wasn't the case here. Its more of a slight fizz than calling it bubbly! It isn't harsh on the throat as well. This is a great addition in parties where the non-drinkers get kinda left out! The bottles look stylish and that's also needed. There are so many people who don't drink alcohol coz of various reasons, who'd also like to attend parties and look stylish when friends have a bottle of beer in hand. This is a great option!
P.S: The product was gifted by the brand for review purposes, However the opinion is my own and this does not advertise the product.
