Buckfast vs Wincarnis
These are the two best-known British tonic wines, and both trace their recipes to the 1880s and 1890s. They taste quite different, though, and only one of them contains caffeine.
In short
Buckfast is a caffeinated red tonic wine at 15% ABV with a dark fruit and vanilla profile. Wincarnis is a 14% malt and botanical tonic wine with no declared caffeine, closer in style to a cream sherry.
| Buckfast Tonic Wine | Wincarnis Tonic Wine | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Tonic wine | Tonic wine |
| Country | United Kingdom (Devon, England) | United Kingdom (Norfolk, England) |
| Producer | Buckfast Abbey (Benedictine community), Buckfastleigh, Devon | Broadland Wineries (Broadland Drinks), Norfolk, for Ian Macleod Distillers |
| Strength | 15% ABV | 14% ABV |
| Caffeine | 300 mg per litre (about 38 mg per 125 ml glass) | Not published by the producer |
| Sweetness | Sweet | Sweet |
| Bottle sizes | 750 ml, 350 ml, 50 ml | 750 ml |
| UK availability | Widely available | Specialist retailers |
| Style and flavour | Sweet and full-bodied, with dark dried fruit and a faintly medicinal, bittersweet herbal undertone. The texture is rounded rather than sharp, and a soft vanilla note carries through to the finish, which the producer itself singles out. | Rich and sweet in the manner of a cream sherry, with a malty, almost biscuity depth. Warm spice from cardamom and cassia sits over a gently bitter, herbal finish that points to the gentian and mugwort in the recipe. |
Which should you choose?
- Choose Buckfast if you want the classic caffeinated tonic wine, with dark fruit, a soft vanilla finish and a bit more strength.
- Choose Wincarnis if you prefer a malty, spiced, herbal style without declared caffeine, or want something to mix with gin, or with stout and milk in the Jamaican way.
Read the full profiles of Buckfast Tonic Wine and Wincarnis Tonic Wine, including sources.