Post #791288 by Bam Bam on Mon, Nov 19, 2018 6:20 PM

Experiments concluded. Time to catalogue the results. Starting with the Mai Tai mix, since I have admittedly have not yet had a proper Jet Pilot to compare the bottled mix to.

First thing I noted with mild annoyance is that there is no pull tab on the cap seals. Not a big deal. Knifes are a thing, after all. Love the graphics on the seal, by the way.

The bottle was shaken, per instructions, to re-incorporate the solids that had settled to the bottom. Pouring some out, it still didn't want to completely come together. Tasting the mix by itself, the first thing I noticed is the sweetness, not just in the level of sugar, but in flavor. I was expecting much more tartness, though that may be an artifact of the mix's juices being aged for two years. There is also an underlying bitterness, like lime pith.

Alright, let's make some Mai Tais, circa 2016.

Mai Tai #1 - Per the bottle's instructions:
3 oz BGR Mai Tai Mix
1.5 oz PA State Store stock rum (50/50 blend of Appleton Signature and Rhum Barbancourt)

Results: It certainly looks the part. Garnished per instructions with mint and a lime wedge. The ratio between mix and spirits, however, seems off. Normally when I make a Vic's-style Mai Tai I end up with 3 oz rum to 2 oz mixers, but this is turned on it's head! Consequentially, I can barely taste the rum, and get an overwhelming syrup flavor. Surprisingly, not much almond flavor, and a bitter pith-y chemical after-taste. let's try again.

Mai Tai #2 - My normal ratio
2 oz BGR Mai Tai Mix
3 oz rum blend

Results: All I taste is rum, water, and a hint of sugar. Oh, and there's still that bitter pith aftertaste. I noted that there was barely any citrus flavor coming through, in either version tried so far. Let's rectify that.

Mai Tai #3
2.5 oz BGR Mai Tai Mix
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz rum blend

Results: The addition of fresh lime instantly changes the character of the drink. The acidity cuts through the sweetness of the mix easily, and on a whole the flavor is more balanced. There is still not enough orgeat flavor for my taste, though I tend to favor it heavily in my scratch-mixed Mai Tais. There is still that pith-y aftertaste, which I am going to ascribe to the fact that this bottle of sugar and juices has been ageing for long past its intended use range.

Speaking of juices, looking at the ingredients, I noticed something a little strange.

This mix includes orange juice as well as lime juice. I think that explains to some degree the foam I was getting after shaking, and also perhaps that old, expired citrus bitterness.

Conclusion: This is in no way a substitute for a fresh-mixed Mai Tai. I think even when this bottle was new it would not have stood up to fresh-ingredient based mixology. I feel like overall it is just plain lacking in flavor, even when used at "full strength" as in test #1. A valiant effort, I think, on the part of BGR, to make the Mai Tai more accessible, but there's just no substitute for freshness.