Spicefreak

Happy tuesday spice lovers and welcome to another review.

Today, we have something a little different for I am reviewing a product that’s entirely chilli free, the Dark and Stormy Jam made by Hollywood Cocktails.

But, they’re not a chilli free company, oh no. They are but one face of Decadent Preserves, a company known more for their Vampire Slayer chilli chutneys than their jams. When I tried all they had to offer at the whitby goth weekend, however, it was this jam that stood out above the rest.

And, as a ginger product, it still matches this blog’s theming. All things spice, not just chilli.

It’s got a fairly old fashioned looking label, with ornate gold bordering around most of the equally gold lettering, while the jam type sits atop a fake filing placard. This look provides very little to distinguish between the range besides text but really gives the feel of classic drinks and old school cinema that makes up all their branding for the Hollywood Cocktails line.

And closer inspection reveals yet more, with the little white dots running down the sides of the black label turning it into film reel.

The actual paper quality of their labels is far from perfect but the fairly minimal design that so excellently captures the concept of the entire range really does deserve credit.

But enough wowing over the design, it was the flavour that sold me on this jam. And what a delicious flavour that is.

The first thing you notice is the ginger. This is, after all, primarily a ginger jam. It’s strong but not overwhelming, golden and rooty, backed up by what tastes like a light brown sugar. Then comes the alcohol and yes, this jam does taste alcoholic but not in the way that vodka or vanilla essence might. It doesn’t have that horrible volatility about it or even the fermented taste you get in some traditional ginger beers.

But there’s more. While these three things make up the primary flavour, a hint of darkness, also stemming from the rum content, rounds out the taste superbly and really brings it all together. While, at the same time, the dash of lime provides just a touch of tart yet sweet marmalade-like bite, without altering the fact that this is a jam. Which is good because I can’t say I was ever a fan of ginger marmalade.

Consistency-wise, it’s thick yet drippy, as you should hopefully be able to see here:

But why show it on a spoon when I’m sure what you really want to see is how it spreads?

The jam is chunky enough to be lively, giving a bit of ginger bite to the occasional mouthful, yet not so much so as to prevent a good spread. You don’t use half a jar in one breakfast like with some brands I’ve had in the past.

I have nothing but love for this jam and, while I will probably never eat it in any way besides the two pictured above, I would definitely bake with it or shake it into drinks if I could keep it around long enough to do so.

And finally, almost a formality with such a product, I rate its

Heat

0.5/10

This ginger jam has more bite than a lot of others but still rarely provides enough for me to even notice. It doesn’t even compare to the vast majority of chilli products but why should it? This jam is about the flavour, not the burn.