Overwhelming day old wet campfire smoke

Watery | Wet ash | Visceral reaction to spit it out

Wet oak | Wet ash | Mouthcoating and sticks with you for minutes

ARKAY is a company who produces non-alcoholic “spirits,” which are also known as flavored drinks. The company’s slogan is “Don’t drink and drive unless it’s ARKAY,” with a nod to promote responsible drinking. While non-alcoholic beer and spirits certainly have their place in the market, unfortunately in the case of ARKAY, the actual liquid in the bottle is nearly undrinkable.

The entire sip produces a rancid reaction starting with the nose that in no way, shape, or form represents what a bourbon - even a bottom shelf bourbon - smells like. This carries through the rest of the palate and finish, with both creating a visceral reaction to want to immediately spit it out. Wondering if this was meant for more of a mocktail application, I whipped up a quick ginger and ARKAY and a ginger and Four Roses bourbon to compare. Unfortunately the ginger ale couldn’t mask the base flavor of the ARKAY and the quick-mixed drink wasn’t appealing.

While the bottle states to refrigerate after opening, I have a hard time imagining that consumers would want to make space in their fridge for this bottle after trying it.