Sentia Gaba Black, Botanical Non Alcoholic Spirits, Award Winning, Vegan, Gluten Free and GM Free, Spiced Pepper Warmth taste, Up to 20 drinks 16.9 fl oz (500ml) - Perfect for Mocktails, Mix with Ginger or Cola

I tried two different versions. Black and Red. I had no issues with the flavors although they were not something I could imagine developing a craving for. Mix ‘em with some ginger beer or whatever you like and they are not vile nor exciting.Feel/effects? This is where the product disappoints. I was unable to detect *any* change at all. So it was. $40 bottle of slightly odd tasting fruit juice. Add the fact that the black version seemed to have some odd looking sludge/residue that stuck to the bottle inside and wasn’t visible right away until I poured enough of it out. It didn’t seem to be a contaminant just some dried juice? lolEveryone’s chemistry is different but this was not for me. I have tried other products that make similar claims and enjoyed them. Maybe when the magic molecule is approved I’ll give it another whirl. Great concept, just no delivery for me.The order sat in the Amazon queue for about 2 months before it shipped.

So, i was hyped for Sentia when i read about it, and when i saw it finally hit the US i had to have some. I wanted it for all the ingredients in it, its actually an amazing combination of things that are good for sleep and calming. Went with the Black seeing as how the other one tastes of perfume from the reviews. Sipped some out of a shot glass after it chilled for a bit.Firstly, it smells good. Kind of like cinnamon chocolate. Second, it does not look like the bulk of the pictures make it look. It is not "Black". Its kind of a chocolate brown. I would say it kind of looks like a good Worcestershire sauce. Same consistency, same color. So if you're expecting it to look like black coffee, it does not.So, theres a lot of back and forth between how it tastes. Some say its got a lot of tasting notes, defining it like a good whiskey. Some people say its outright disgusting. Its... different. Its not outright vile, but its certainly not something worthy of a whole list of tasting notes. To me it tastes like if you took a fistfull of lightly smoked black pepper and dumped it into a can of decaf folgers.This stuff would make an EXCELLENT mixer for any sort of dark, bitter cocktail. It would be amazing in an espresso martini or something of that nature. Sentia says you can drink it on its own but i wouldnt recommend it. Definitely something to keep with your liquor next time you're mixing drinks.Now, for the experience. This will either make or break what you were hoping for.Sentia says, to simplify the literature, its mood altering similar to alcohol. People are buying it because they think its effectively a free ride on the inebriation train. These are people, probably alcoholics, who do not know how herbs and botanical extracts work. Think of it less as an "Alcohol replacement" and more of a "homoeopathic tincture" and you'll be in the right mindset for what you should expect. Its definitely will induce calming and help you relax, as a good tincture would. It gave me a little bit of a boozy head high, but only a little (I only had a shot glass, mind), and it faded into a mellow, feel good vibe. Its what i hoped it would be.So no, its not your get out of jail free card toward drunkeness. It is however an excellent calming tincture, and was definitely what i personally was hoping for with it. Something to help me sleep, something to have a little bit of after work and de stress. Effectively medicine, albeit pricey.Should you buy it? If you want a mixer to add an extra kick to your drinks, sure. If you want something to help you relax, definitely. If you want something to get intoxicated with because your car wont start without blowing into a built in breathalyzer because you have six DUIs, look elsewhere.

Sentia GABA drinks are marketed as giving you that “two drink” feeling without any alcohol (or the unpleasant side effects thereof). I did not expect it to perfectly imitate the sensation of having a glass of wine or two, but I did expect *some* sensation - and there was none. While GABA red doesn’t taste particularly bad (tart cherry mixed with potpourri would be my description) it has no discernible physical or mental sensation. In short, this is just an expensive, wonky-tasting herbal tea.

Figured I’d post this for both Red and Black so readers can decide for themselves.First off, if you’re looking for an alternative to alcohol’s mood elevation and relaxation effects, you will not recreate that high with anything other than alcohol (or harder drugs). If you want something that spices up a drink, gives your tastebuds a jolt and most importantly; no hangover, then this might be for you. I’ll list the traits in groups:Mood effects: Red is clearly the winner here providing a very mild sedative effect. It’s not a Valium or anything like that, but just a mild relaxation feeling. Black doesn’t seem to do anything (for me) as I was hoping it was going to provide an energy boost and focus effect that the website says.Taste: Black wins by a wide margin. It’s actually very tasty and combines with pretty much any mixer or can be drank on the rocks. Red tastes heavily medicinal (some have even said soap like). It definitely needs a mixer if you want to enjoy it.Overall, this is a great idea. You get to hold a drink that looks and feels like a cocktail without any negative effects. Your tastebuds get a little kick with each sip that tells your brain that this isn’t just soda, water or coffee.If you’re someone who comes home and has a couple drinks after work and doesn’t like what it does to your waistline or your brain then these can definitely take the place.

From all of the hype I expected something with a rather intense, herbaceous flavor and aroma, with a sort of peppery intensity to it. There is nothing "peppery" or anything else that stands out about it. In fact there is very little flavor at all and it is accompanied by an almost overwhelmingly nauseatingly sort of floral aftertaste and aroma. Extremely disappointing.