We picked up this Nichols Vimto at our local supermarket out of the blue. Initially, we weren’t convinced to try this non-specific ‘fruit flavoured drink’, but the Internet revealed it’s a popular soft drink from the United Kingdom, containing the juice of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants (in a 3% concentration), flavoured with herbs and spices. It’s been on the market there for over 120 years – manufactured as a health tonic in cordial form, then decades later as a carbonated drink – and that’s worth trying.
The soft drink was a translucent blood-red colour with a sweet fruity nose and moderate carbonation. Served chilled, a berry flavour – distinguishable as being mostly red grape and blackcurrant with a hint of raspberry – came through at the head of each sip developing with a prominent sugary sweetness into the body before the carbonation cuts through briefly ahead of the return of the sweetness in the finish. A sweet fruitiness lingered lightly in the aftertaste. Overall, it’s a very sweet carbonated mix of grape and blackcurrant juice with the light tartness of raspberries – enjoyable but not something for quenching thirst.
This Nichols Vimto contained 330 ml. It was produced in Spain and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2018.