Irn Bru Winter Bru (Home Bargains) By @Cinabar

It was Burns Night last night, so what is more Scottish than Irn Bru? Ok, whisky is right up there, along with Tunnock’s Teacakes, but when I spotted a winter edition of Irn Bru I decided to lean into the theme.

This is Irn Bru Winter Bru, a seasonal variant mixed with ginger and cinnamon. Regular readers will already know I am very easily won over by warming spices, so this immediately had my attention.

I cracked open the can and poured the bright orange fizz into a glass. The aroma was fairly mild and, if I am honest, mostly just standard Irn Bru. On the first sip it was clear this was not regular Irn Bru, but it also was not particularly spicy. There was a hint of ginger lingering at the back of the flavour, with the cinnamon kept very gentle.

The spice level never really ramped up and something about it kept niggling at me. The overall taste reminded me of Irn Bru mixed with cola. Maybe this is how I have finally realised that part of why I like cola is the subtle spice notes underneath. Hard to say. Will I miss this when the limited edition disappears? Probably not. It was pleasant enough, but it was not the cinnamon hit of a winter drink I had hoped for. That said, it did wash down my Burns Night dinner nicely.

Next year, though, I really should commit properly and get a haggis. Or, failing that, just stick with the Tunnock’s Teacakes.