Ritual Zero Proof Non-Alcoholic Whiskey - 750ml

I tried to give Ritual a chance. I emailed them twice never getting back a response. After spending 20 years in the wine & liquor industry, this concoction has "zero" resemblance to whiskey. Save your money and try another brand. When you first open the bottle, the nose resembles strong Apple Cider Vinegar. When you drink this, it has an intense taste of apple cider vinegar on the tongue. Wine folks would say "A nose of apple cider vinegar leaps from the glass to welcome you with a sour burn on the tongue!" While there are some overlapping compounds between Whiskey & Apple Cider Vinegar, the overall flavor profiles of apple cider vinegar and whiskey are distinctly different due to their unique production methods and ingredients. I mean they are, in a way, both fermented products however their fermentation process is night and day different. Whiskey : corn, barley, wheat. The base grains are fermented into something that resembles beer. Next it is put into a still of some type, finally it is aged in oak (real oak and not oak chips if you are lucky these days). Apple Cider Vinegar : apples were fermented to create an alcoholic beverage of around 5% alcohol by volume. Then a secondary fermentation called acetic acid fermentation which turns the ethanol (stuff that makes you feel funny) to acetic acid, which gives vinegar its characteristic sour flavor. I mean do the people at this company even have some type of palate? Or, were they raised on mountain dew and hot wings and developed their own unique opinion of what things taste like? Did they mix this stuff up and it originally tasted like whiskey but then it spoiled somehow? Open a bottle of wine. Let it sit. It magically turns to vinegar. Did this stuff go through some unexpected fermentation? Did they make a whole bunch of the stuff and are just trying to dump it on the market. Happens all the time in the wine and liquor industry. Strike one : this stuff is not worth your time, money, or palate. It is junk with a fancy marketing campaign. Strike two : you buy a bottle from Amazon and you realize that it is non-refundable. Strike three : the company does not have any interest in developing a relationship with you as a long term customer. Proof is that they don't respond to emails. Would you guys like some sales tips on how to treat your customers? I charge a flat rate of $250 hour as an experienced consultant. Feel free to contact me. Here's something for free : don't make a product that smells like apple cider and call it whiskey. That is total nonsense. But there you have it folks : the proof that with the right marketing campaign you can even sell "alternative" whiskey although it screams of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Amazon boinked my first submission for this positive review, so I am trying again. I wrote better for my tastes than Seedlip and Kin products, which I have also purchased and reviewed separately. I paid special attention to the negative reviews before buying. I was looking for low sugar/calorie alternatives to replace whiskey based drinks. I like peaty islay type scotches so I don't mind the hints of tobacco/smoke, but can see why some would not like it. Even so, it wasn't quite that strong or smoky, especially when mixed. I would not try the suggested recipe for the "old fashion" that came with the bottle - it would be unbalanced and too sweet. I liked the "new fashion" recipe from a website about "zero proof cocktails" with a few changes: 2 oz Ritual, 1/4 oz simple syrup (I used 3 drops of maple syrup for the extra thickness instead), 3-4 dashes angostura bitters, 3-4 dashes walnut bitters, 3-4 dashes orange bitters, shake and pour over ice. This uses much less syrup and more bitters. This product is not for the whiskey drinker wanting the alcohol and alcohol burn sensation. It's for people who like old fashions/manhattans and like the subties of different bitters and sugars that could be used, but who don't want the alcohol content. It's never going to be an actual old fashion without the whiskey, but you can get a nice drink with some of the same flavors and nose.

I don't do reviews. Normally do read reviews. Got excited to get this for a friend and jumped too soon. I didn't have super high hopes, but what I thought was realistic hope. This might work in a cocktail as a mixer, but for what or how, I really don't know. Took one sip straight and not sure what it tasted like, but wasn't whiskey. Smelled so bad had to dump the rest and wash the cup. Soooo, not trying to slam these folks, I'm sure they worked hard on this, but I don't know how it could be remotely called whiskey, maybe old fruit water? I actually feel bad writing this, but save your 30 bucks. It may be friend shaped, but not friend.

So, like many of you, and upon the advice of someone whose opinion I should know is suspect because he, like me, is a bit bent, I decided I would jump in feet first and try replacing my ritual with this Ritual. I don't know exactly how to describe the flavor, but anyone who remotely thinks this tastes like any whisky - good or bad - should be covid tested. My immediate thought was that the wonderful makers of Jaegermeister went into their Wolfenbuettel cellar, found some discarded botanicals, decided that the adage of "waste-not, want-not" needed to be, in good German fashion, strictly adhered to and ...voila... a new Ritual was born. I do not necessarily dislike the flavor, as others reviews note, but a whisky supplant it is not. Drinking it neat did leave an aftertaste (and only an aftertaste...think lingering) of a peaty Scotch. The "burn" is a back of the throat scratchiness that is more needle-like than anything a good high-proof whisky produces. Please note is that it is even worse if you put ice cubes into it and/or water it down. (Although if you put the ice cubes in your mouth first, that might make it more palatable...) I did not make any "mixes" with it as I do not enjoy those, so I can't comment there with any authority. Rather, I did discover that the warmer this concoction is, the better it tastes. It was excellent added into a cup of chamomile tea, and I would think that diluting it in a 3:1 ratio of hot water to Ritual would be tasty, too. Frankly, it reminded me of some diet/cleansing herbal teas I have consumed in the past, which are often injected with some of the botanicals used to produce this concoction. Buy it if you want to experience it for yourself, however...at the end of the day...this is some really expensive herbal tea concentrate...

Alright, to get it out of the way... I do not drink cocktails. I cannot attest to this drinks performance in cocktails. I drink Bourbon straight on the rocks. If you drink Bourbon neat, and have any hopes that this will kinda sorta maybe come close to satisfying that desire for a glass of Bourbon without the alcohol... DON'T! Give it up. This will not satisfy your taste for Bourbon. A faint hint of some of the tastes are there... but this will be wholly unfulfilling. Read on though! Where this product shines, and why I give it 4 stars, is it's ability to blend with Bourbon unobtrusively. Do you want to drink at a party with friends, but have to drive later and want to significantly reduce your alcohol intake? Mix this 2:1 with a decent Bourbon. Note I say decent. Don't waste money mixing this with top good whiskey. Nope, yeah need a solid but affordable choice. I like Evan Williams. Mix this 2:1 (only 1 part actual whiskey) and it is actually drinkable. The mouth feel of alcohol is there (though you can tell it's weak). The taste of Ritual does go with a traditional Bourbon. The peppercorn supplements the alcohol burn. You will tell that you aren't drinking 80 proof, don't get me wrong. But give it a try, keep an open mind, and it's actually not bad. You can reduce your alcohol significantly (buy 2/3rds) and still have a few drinks with friends. Watch your intake carefully, only having 3 or 4 of these, give yourself plenty of time after the last drink, and you can be the DD for your group. I do repeat, do not expect to drink this neat with no additive and feel like it approaches anything close to drinking Bourbon. It really does not. The flavors are there, but they're soft. The peppercorn tries to imitate the mouth burn of alcohol. It almost pulls it off some, too, but you can tell it's artificial. Plus it's... well it's just watery. I don't think there is a way to make an imitation whiskey not seem watery. I still believe this has redeeming qualities. You want to significantly reduce alcohol intake, but have not need to completely eliminate it? This is for you!

After being a big whisky drinker for most of my 20’s then not having a drop of it for over 15 years to stay sharp and healthy, I have a very low bar. I’ve been really impressed with how far craft beer has come from brewdog NA and brooklyn NA which I randomly tried and loved. I had high hopes for this product, I imagined it would taste like jack Daniel’s or some similar whisky or bourbon. I have tried one other NA whisky out of curiosity in the last two weeks. That one was surprisingly decent. So I ordered this excited to try different blends from different makers. Friends, this is as honest as I can be about this: this was truly, TRULY, horrendous. I honestly would give a five star for like, ANYTHING CLOSE to a whisky flavor because it would be enjoyable to mix up drinks, have some fun with it. I’m a huge third wave coffee guy etc etc… I was looking forward to diving into mixed drinks again. The flavor: it tastes like cherry sucretes and cough syrup. Seriously. I mean it smells like a whiff of vinegar and acidic cherry flavoring, has the consistency of motor oil or cough syrup, truly uncomfortable to hold in your mouth it’s like taking a shot of vegetable oil. The flavor… my lord. I cannot believe this, but I legit tried it straight, on the rocks, and then mixed into a strong water old fashioned on the rocks. I had to spit them all out, and I dumped the glass. The only way I can describe this is horrendous and I am so disappointed. I was truly excited for this experience. It is WILDLY EXPENSIVE, it really hurt to pull the trigger on this bottle because of how much of a rip off the price is, but I was excited because their language and branding made me think these folks get it, they are gonna make something great… so disappointed. I have a stupidly expensive bottle of vinegar cough syrup with the consistency of Motoroil and uncooked egg whites that cost me an incredible amount of money. 95% of the bottle is untouched, and I cannot believe I am doing this but I’m pouring it down the drain, watching my money vanish. How can you do this to customers? Why are you gouging them? Why this price? And how can you agree as a team that this flavor is nailing it? Did you hire super tasters who like, have the ability to detect 1 micron of oaky bourbon flavor so this was approved? Honestly a little heartbreaking, I was excited that this would be fun.

I recently tried non-alcoholic whiskey, and I must say, my feelings about it are a bit mixed. On one hand, I appreciate the effort to provide a non-alcoholic alternative for those who prefer not to consume alcohol or for various reasons cannot do so. The idea of having a whiskey-like experience without the alcohol content is intriguing and appealing to many. However, when it comes to the taste, I have to admit that I found it a bit weird. While I understand that replicating the exact flavor of whiskey without alcohol is a challenging task, I had higher expectations for this product. The taste lacks the complexity and depth that I associate with traditional whiskey. It's not terrible, but it's not quite what I had hoped for. On a more positive note, the non-alcoholic whiskey does have a certain smokiness and oak-like flavor reminiscent of real whiskey, which is a plus. It might not be an exact replica, but it does provide some elements of the whiskey-drinking experience. Another advantage of non-alcoholic whiskey is that it allows people to enjoy the social aspect of drinking without the effects of alcohol. It's a suitable option for designated drivers or those who want to participate in toasts and gatherings without imbibing alcoholic beverages. Overall, while the concept of non-alcoholic whiskey is commendable, the taste fell short of my expectations. If you're looking for a true whiskey experience without the alcohol, it might not fully satisfy your palate. However, it could still serve as a decent alternative for social occasions or for those looking for a milder whiskey-like flavor.

If you do not want alcohol this works