Sprite LeBron’s Mix

There are two entities on this earth I trust to make a delicious special edition soda, the video game industry and basketball players.  Fortunately today’s entry is from the latter.  Sprite LeBron’s Mix is basketball’s own LeBron James’ own personal mix of Sprite.  I didn’t catch any commercials for this, but I picture him in a lab coat with goggles holding test tubes or something at the Sprite laboratories.  

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Twist also took his talents to Miami before returning home. He was arrested.

All of that potentially imagined lab work resulted in a “Lemon-Lime Soda” that is “Natural cherry and orange flavored with other natural flavors”.  The word natural is so nice they worked it in twice.  Let’s see what else is in the bottle.  Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, and a dash of sodium benzoate for luck.  Man, LeBron really knows his stuff.  If only Hotlips or Swamp Pop had gotten a hold of his soda making prowess.  Enough chit chat, time for reviewing.

Immediately this smells better than regular Sprite.  The orange aroma jumps out immediately and attacks the ol’ olfactory gland.   I’m having a harder time finding the cherry.  Hey!  You in the back with the sophomoric mind.  Quit snickering.  Anywho, I’m having a harder time finding the cherry, but hopefully it’ll be there in taste.  Let’s find out.

Oddly enough I taste more of the cherry than I do the orange.  Both of these tastes, as natural as they may be, seem artificial to me though.  That’s not to say this isn’t good.  Sprite LeBron’s Mix is better than original Sprite yet worse than Sprite Remix.  Of course there are a lot of sodas worse than Sprite Remix.  The guy that gave this to me said he felt it tasted like Surge cut with Sprite.  I can definitely see where he came to that conclusion, but I’d need to taste more orange to completely agree.  

The carbonation level seems to be on par with Sprite, perhaps a little too carbonated.  The syrupy mouthfeel of Sprite is lessened to some degree, which is nice.  All in all though this tastes like cherry Sprite with some orange and smells like orange sprite with some cherry.  The more I drink it though the less natural it tastes so I’m going to stop now.

~A

This soda was given to me by Wrastlin’ Jakito

Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters

Wow, my posting schedule isn’t very consistent at the moment is it?  Perhaps I need some bitters to get me back to being healthy in my writing.  Thankfully I used the term “bitters” to seamlessly transition to the name of the soda I’m reviewing today.  Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters is what’s in the fancy green bottle in front of me and I’m looking forward to kicking off (13 days late) 2015 with this review.  

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Twist is bitter about bitters

Bundaberge Lemon Lime Bitters is a collection of cane sugar, spices, lemon juice, lime juice, and a few other ingredients not excluding some bitters.  In fact the front of the label says it’s made with aromatic bitters...which we all know are the best kind for soda.  Of course, we know that.  Now we should all nod knowingly at one another to confirm that we know that.  After a quick pause in this knowledge we’ll continue the review.

So, scary thing.  When I opened this bottle it didn’t fizz at all yet the first ingredient is carbonated water.  The aroma that flows out is that of lemon lime with a definite backer of unidentified spices.  I’d be excited to move forward with this review, but part of me thinks the soda is flat and I’m not sure I want my first review of 2015 to be a dud.  Sigh, oh well.

Good news everyone, this soda isn’t flat.  It’s a very small, neat fizz, but it’s definitely there.  The carbonation seems to add just enough texture that each sip is fun to experience.  Thankfully the lemon lime flavor is present as well.  That last sentence understated the lemon lime flavor quite a bit so let me try again.

I’ve had a lot of sodas and lemon lime is usually one of the more boring ones to review.  Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters doesn’t fall into the boring category as it is a top 3 all time lemon lime soda.  It’s incredibly easy to discern the lemon flavor from the lime.  Normally when these two brothers are together people just assume they’re conjoined twins and call them lymon.  Not in this bottle they aren’t.

Lemon and Lime each have their own distinct flavor and it harmonizes well.  Each burst of citrus I’ve consumed is wrapped up in the bitters that Bundaberg has added.  Of course this does make the drink lean toward bitter a tad, but the 40g of sugar offset that quite nicely.  Instead of focusing on the bitter aspect of it I find myself trying to pick out all the spices used in the creation of this soda.

The spice aspect is something I haven’t experienced with a lemon lime soda before.  Well, perhaps I have but I just can’t remember it at the moment.  Either way it adds another level to an already good soda.  You have lemon, lime, and then a full cast of supporting characters that make the play even better.  Sure if only one of them were on stage you’d question the director, but the way they work together is wonderful.

The only weakness I can identify is the way it feels after I take a sip.  I would think a beverage like this would have a drier mouth feel, but it’s not.  Instead each sip ends with a bit of a syrupy feel (not too heavy though) that scuffs the overall experience.

With all that said, Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters is a fantastic soda that I would recommend anyone try.  For those that like lemon lime, or fancy sodas, or spiced sodas, or citrus sodas in general… this one is for you.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Quinabeer

George Prince flexes his impressive biceps on a can of Quinabeer.  I don’t know who George Prince is though.  My brief search led me to more picture of the young Prince George than I cared to look at.  Quinabeer is made by Cawy and other than having a “body builder” on it’s label it resides in a red can.  Now Coca Cola has done a pretty fantastic job of making me associate red and white cans with Coke, so I immediately assume that Quinabeer is a sort of cola.  It probably isn’t, but that’s what 32 years of marketing has done to my brain.  Let’s find out what it really tastes like, together.  Except for those of you who already know.  You be quiet.

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George Prince once claimed a victory over Twist. Perhaps this is why you've never heard of him.

Well this smells like orange soda.  I no longer have any clue regarding Quinabeer.  The scent did make me salivate though, so good on them.

If Big Red had orange flavoring it would taste like this.  A coupling of orange and bubble gum, Quinabeer is truly unlike anything I’ve tried to date and that’s getting harder and harder to do.   Both of these flavors have equal billing in the program and neither outshines the other.  This balance is met with a rather raucous carbonation that sizzles at the end of each sip.  I’m usually not a fan of bubble gum flavored sodas, but the citrus cuts into it enough that I can forgive it.

Now for the bad.  Quinabeer leaves a very syrupy feel in my mouth.  Its flavor just kind of hangs about like a kid who graduated still lurking around his high school.  Sure, maybe he was a great guy when he was a senior, but now it’s just kind of creepy and you wish he’d go away.

Creepy guy aside, Quinabeer does have a combination like I’ve never seen but the flavors involved are just alright.  I’m not going to tell my friends that I tried Quinabeer.  Don’t get me wrong, I consider all of you my friends… but you understand… right?  The fact that the entire time I typed this paragraph my mouth was occupied by the syrupy ghost of George Prince has me questioning my initial ranking.  Ah well, better luck next time.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Cockta

I took November off, so sue me.  Please don’t sue me.  So how should I start December you ask?  You didn’t ask… you probably stopped visiting the site once a review didn’t appear after four weeks.  “Soda Jerks?”  You said, “More like Soda… Jerks!”  Then you high fived the nearest human.  To answer my own question, I think I’m gonna try that old Slovenia favorite, Cockta!  

Cockta originates in Slovenia as stated earlier and was born in the 1950’s.  They wanted to make a familiar drink using local herbs, but original when compared to foreign beverages.  Since I can’t read any of the writing on this bottle I’m just ignorantly assuming this is Slovenian Coke.  

Well dang it.  I didn’t get any Cockta rewards points under my cap.  Nor am I getting any sort of Coke aroma coming out of the bottle.  In fact it smells a bit more syrupy root beer with an odd flowery scent.  Color my tongue interested.

That’s unique alright, but my mind is trying to decide if it likes it or loves it.  Cola flavored Dimetapp.  That’s what Cockta tastes like.  It has an initial cola taste but once I swish it around  in my mouth and consume it an oddly familiar grape mouth feel rises to the top.  

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Twist has rosehips as well, but he won't let me photograph them.

Even though I used “grape” to describe the mouth feel it’s not an primary flavor of Cockta.  Yes, there are hints of a grape soda in each sip, but I’d be wrong to lead you to believe the taste was grape.  I’m going to have to see what’s in this… give me a moment to research.

Rosehip!  That’s what’s causing my pallet to struggle.  It also uses lemon and orange in the makings.  According to the website they use the same 11 types of herbs that originally created the first bottles of Cockta.  They also don’t use HFCS and it’s caffeine free.

All of this creates a really unique soda.  It’s a fruit flavored cola with rosehips.  Now that I know some of the ingredients it makes a little more sense to me.  It still doesn’t completely explain why it tastes like Dimetapp Cola, but who cares.  

It’s a little syrupy and hangs onto my teeth a bit longer than I’d like, though this could be due to the fact that it was delivered to me via plane and is about 6 months old.  With that said I’ll keep the mouth feel critiques away from the score.

Cockta is a lot for my brain to wrap around.  Why did I pick this for my return to soda reviewing?  Perhaps it’s just showing me how new I still am to the soda game.  Perhaps it’s revving up my tastebuds to be on their best game.  Either way I’m glad I had it and I’m glad to be back.  

~A

This bottle was supplied to me by my friend Jibbity D

Cawy Lemon Lime

Welcome to “Plain-cans-ville”.  This can of Cawy Lemon Lime, much like it’s Watermelon soda, looks like something you’d see in a sitcom vending machine.  It’s made by Cawy and the flavor is lemon lime.  That’s all the label wants you to know.  Oh, and there’s some snowflakes of some sort as well… perhaps they’re stars.  Who knows?  

If I judged books by their covers I’d say this is going to be insanely generic although I’m happy to see the ingredients include extract of lemon and lime oils.  Perhaps this one ingredient will push this from generic to recomendable.  That’s quite the important leap in rating.  Let’s find out together shall we, as we always do… because we’re a team you and I.

A stronger than expected lemon lime scent (heavier on the lemon) pops out of the mouth of the can.  Aside from being strong the aroma itself is nothing special.  I’m ok with “regular aromas” though because they’re more likely to lead to average or good drinks than they are bad.  Either my expectations will be met or they’ll be exceeded.  C’mon, buddy.  Let’s you and me find out together.  Team us!

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You're a syrupy aftertaste!  No, you are!

Two things.  Thing one is the fact that this is more lime based in terms of flavor than it is lemon.  Does that make it a Lime Lemon drink?  Thing two is the fact that there’s something off about the taste of this, but i can’t put my finger on it.  Perhaps “Thing two” will go away the more I consume as my palette gets used to the flavor.  

Cawy Lemon Lime does have a decent amount of flavor to it.  Thankfully this flavor is pretty good and in my opinion better than Sprite, but not quite as good as 7Up if we’re going to compare.  The lime taste I’m getting is fairly sweet and candy like while the lemon seems to be on par with other limon sodas.

As I hoped “Thing two” is pretty much fading away although I think I figured it out.  Some drinks have syrupy aftertastes that linger after each sip.  Cawy Lemon Lime gives you this experience right off the bat.  The first thing I taste is that syrupy aftertaste and it lingers throughout the entire duration of my sip.  On the plus side the more I drink the less I notice it as it builds upon itself to the point where everything tastes kind of syrupy candy limey.  That’s the kind of review you get here folks.  What does Cawy Lemon Lime taste like?  Well it’s kind of syrupy candy limey.  Good night, everybody!

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Boylan Orange

Good ol’ reliable Boylan Bottling Co.  Some of the first sodas we reviewed on this site were Boylan, but then I stopped.  I stopped because I knew Boylan would always be there for me if I needed to review something good, but couldn’t find anything odd.  It’s the same reason I don’t do a lot of Jones Soda either.  I think over the past 5 years I’ve reviewed most every Boylan though.  I’m sure there’s a few I’ve yet to conquer, but my love of Boylan has been a slow burn.  That fuse has finally led me to Boylan Orange.  

Wanna know what’s in Boylan Orange?  Me too.  Carbonated Water, cane sugar, mandarin and tangerine oils, natural orange flavors, citric acid, ester gum, yellow 6, and sodium benzoate.  Aside from those last two ingredients, that’s a respectable cast of characters for the Boylan Orange Show.  Every play has a couple of kids dressed like trees and talking to each other, so we may be able to let the last two slide if we don’t find ourselves sneaking out by intermission.

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Perfection

A strong orange odor, or odorange, lifts out of the mouth of the bottle.  A natural orange scent paired with that of orange candy is what my nose notices, or nosetices.  Now that I’ve created the two newest words in the English language I feel I’ve accomplished enough to go on.

Boylan Orange tastes a bit more tangerine than orange to me, but that’s completely acceptable as tangerine is the sweeter of the two citrus and has a very similar flavor.  These two flavors are backed by tightly packed miniature bubbles that sprint quickly across the stage without hardly anyone noticing until they're almost out of view.  The carbonation lift at the end of each sip gives my throat just enough harshness to make me smile.  After all an orange soda should cause a little burn, at least in my book.  

Fun fact:  Most orange sodas have a cardboard aftertaste to me.  Honestly though, I don’t know why I taste cardboard in so many of them.  I really wish I knew what made my taste buds react that way.  Thankfully Boylan Orange doesn’t succumb to this nearly as much as others do.  I’m looking at you Frostie!

All in all Boylan Orange is a very good orange soda though I’ve found two detractors during my drinking of it.  As I’ve consumed this entire bottle the sweet flavor has built upon itself to be cloyingly sweet by my last few sips.  This same build up created a somewhat syrupy mouthfeel by the end as well.  So it’s very good, but it’s not perfection.  Who is though besides Twist?

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Nesbitt's Honey Lemonade

I like lemonade.  Who doesn’t?  Don’t answer that because I would judge you harshly.  I also like soda.  Who doesn’t?  None of you because you’re reading this site.  I seriously doubt my prose are impressive enough to pull people (if you can call them that) that hate soda.  So since I like both lemonade and soda you know I love it when a carbonated lemonade finds its way in front of me.  Today that beverage is called Nesbitt’s Honey Lemonade and their logo is fantastic!  It’s the kind of logo I would proudly wear.  A circular logo that half lemon and half honey comb.  Genius!  

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Twist is disappointed, but you didn't hear it from me.

Looking at the ingredients I see this is sadly sweetened with HFCS, but also includes honey!  It’s listed right there next to Yellow #5 so you know it must be an important ingredient.  Yellow #5 and Honey working together as they always should.  OK, so I wish this was a little more natural of a drink.  Perhaps the flavor will make me forget my wish.

Impressively enough the aroma that comes off the bottle is indeed a mixture of lemon and honey.  The honey rides in on the tart scent of the lemon.  He’s waving wildly to make sure I notice him and see the neat trick he’s doing, but I knew he was there from aroma alone.

That is the finest (in the minimal sense) carbonation level I think I’ve ever encountered.  Such a miniscule amount of fizz, barely enough to even register as a mouth feel.  Like a feather tickling an elephant it is.  I understand they didn’t want to take away from the fact that it’s a lemonade, but c’mon.

As for the flavor I see why the honey was trying to get my attention earlier.  If I didn’t know about him it would be easy to just think this was a sweet lemonade.  Thankfully he waved at me so I can appreciate the mild honey flavor I get with every sip.  Average is how I would rate the lemonade portion of this soda.  It’s not all that flavorful and you could replicate it by purchasing numerous other products.  

Now that I’m at the bottom of the bottle I’m finding that the honey flavor stacks on itself a little bit.  It’s not enough for me to rethink the rating of this beverage, but it’s a neat thing to look forward too.  All in all this is a fun concept that ended up being a passable soda.

~A

Surge

A mere four ounces assures me that I’m not dreaming.  The label is exactly as I remember it over 15 years ago, but there’s a 16 where the 12 should be.  That difference of four tells me that I live in a reality in which you can buy Surge.  That’s right Carbo-Nation, if you haven’t heard you can buy Surge once more.  Brought to life in 1997 and put to sleep in 2003 Surge has been given breath.  It’s currently exclusive to Amazon as of this review.  When I found out I shrieked in excitement and purchase a 12 pack simultaneously.  Surge was one of the first sodas I NEEDED to drink.  All of the Coke and Pepsi memories of my childhood blend together into a mush.  Surge is attached to a handful of memories I can still recall.  

There was a time that I enjoyed pairing Surge with powdered donuts.  Sadly I do not have such donuts in front of me now, but I will pair them once again.  I don’t know why I liked this pairing, but it worked like gangbusters...although I’m guessing most people don’t even know what gangbusters is.  

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Mark one off the bucket list for Twist

No matter how I try to downplay it I know I’ve already over hyped this beverage in my mind.  They got me.  Coke got me right by the childhood.  That sounded more illegal than I intended it to.  It’s 1:30 in the morning and I’m exhausted, but I must review this caffineated beverage for 15 year old Aaron.  He has minimal worries.  He doesn’t hold a job, have a kid, or make payments on a house.  15 year old Aaron stays up late and plays video games.  Let’s raise a glass to 15 year old Aaron!

The orange and lime scent rush past my nostrils.  32 year old Aaron has a feeling that Surge tasted really generic all those years ago, but 15 year old Aaron doesn’t care.  He and his friends drank this buy the case.  32 year old Aaron is pretty sure that his younger self just fell into the media trap that Coke created.  15 year old Aaron couldn’t care less and takes a swig.

32 year old Aaron goes to bed because he knows that 15 year old Aaron has won.  The first sip brings back a wash of memories.  Old man Aaron thought this would taste generic, but he was wrong.  It tastes like Surge.  The bursts of orange and lime combine to create a insanely refreshing soda.  Lime eventually wins out, which is how it should be for any drink that contains lime.  

Carbonation levels are just fine.  The bubbles are fierce but small, packing an excellent amount of punch to the tongue and throat.  Oddly they are only felt near the finish of the beverage which creates a nice duality in terms of mouth feel.  I really need to stop drinking this because it’ll probably keep me up all… SHUT UP OLD MAN AND DRINK YOUR SURGE..ok.

Surprisingly, Surge isn’t nearly as syrupy as I thought it would be.  There is of course somewhat of a syrupy mouthfeel, but it’s less that you’d experience with a Sprite.  The finish is the glaring weak point to this beverage.  The aforementioned syrupy feel combined with the dying lime and orange flavors create a sadness in my mouth.  What goes in with a party finishes with a whimper.  Leaving with a whine isn’t something a soda called Surge should do.  

Turning off the nostalgia for a moment, Surge really impressed me in terms of flavors and feel.  It played to one of my favorite tastes, lime, and it kept the same sensations going throughout all 16 ounces.  Honestly, if I could change one thing about this re-release it would be the can.  I wish they’d put it in 12 ounce cans, but 15 year old Aaron has never seen a 16 ounce can so he’s pretty ecstatic.

~A

This soda was purchased off of Amazon.com

Plantation Style Mint Julep

I’m reviewing Plantation Style Mint Julep today and I have some questions right off the bat.  Why did you name your drink that?  Wouldn’t Mint Julep Soda have worked out just fine?  Is your line of drinks named Plantation Style?  If so, why is your line of drinks named Plantation Style?  Are there other Plantation Style beverages out there?  You realize the imagery this portrays right?  A bunch of folks sitting on the porch of their plantation enjoying mint juleps while looking out across their land at other folks not enjoying mint juleps.  Yes, I’m aware not all plantations are those in the South during the Civil War era… but when you pair it with a flavor like mint julep then it most certainly is.

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Twist invented the mint julep

Anywho… stupid name aside.  Time to review this Plantation Style Mint Julep soda which has been sweetened with cane sugar.  Right off the bat the most amusing ingredient I see is “flavor”.  They don’t even differentiate between natural or artificial.  I just picture a guy dumping a big barrel with the word “flavor” on it into a vat.  “Did you add that flavor, Johnny?”  “Sure did, Car!”  “Good, don’t want to rob people of flavor.”

This smells like mouthwash, ACT to be precise.  It’s not surprising that it smells like mouthwash being that “mint” is in the name of the drink, but it’s still off putting.  Perhaps the flavor will be refreshing.

Yeah, that’s pretty refreshing.  A light mint soda accented by a citrus burst throughout.  The mint used appears to be spearmint which is complemented easily by the light fizzy carbonation.  Even though there is an overall light mouth-feel about the soda it finishes heavier than I thought it would. It’s not terribly noticeable, but given the light tastes used within I wouldn’t expect it to be there at all.  

They did a good job on making it seem like mint is a normal flavor for a soda.  While odd, it’s not so overpowering that I’m reminded of that with each sip.  The citrus taste, which favors lime, also does well to mask the oddity of mint soda.  With all that said this still really isn’t my thing.  The aftertaste and mouthfeel that I’m left with after each sip would keep me from buying multiples of this soda.  I still suggest seeking out a bottle for yourself, but one is probably enough.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Phancy Soda Chanh Vietnamese Sparkling Limeade

Sparkling limeade.  Those two words together make me so very happy.  So of course I grabbed a can of Phancy Soda Chanh Vietnamese Sparkling Limeade when I saw it.  The green color of the can coupled with the fun flower-esque designs grabbed my attention as well.  

The fact that it’s made with real lime juice is an added bonus.  In fact, here’s the ingredient list:  Purified sparkling water, pure cane sugar, natural lime juice concentrate, natural lime extract, natural flavors, citric acid.  My brain is hyping this up to be the most refreshing, most delicious limeade I’ve ever had.  The only way it can fail is if the flavor is watered down.

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Twist is wishing he hadn't removed his salivary glands.

The scent doesn’t seem like it belongs to a watered down beverage.  It smells as strong as any limeade I’ve had which just gets me to salivating even further.  Like some Pavlovian dog my mouth waters at the opening of the can.  I can wait no longer.

I LOVE THIS AND EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.  This is almost exactly what my mouth wanted to drink.  The sour, bitter, sweetness of lime is easily identified making for an incredibly realistic flavor.  Why shouldn’t it be?  They used actual lime juice which is what absolutely MAKES this beverage.  Yes, the carbonation is fun and makes for a lighter mouth feel, but it would be nothing if it backed up a watery attempt at limeade.  

Each sip reaffirms my love of this soda.  Phancy Soda Chanh Vietnamese Sparkling Limeade is truly limeade soda in as pure a form as I can imagine.  There’s not a sugary candy lime flavor, there’s not a syrupy sweetness, there’s not a cartoon lime, none of this is to be found.  This is limeade soda.  If you don’t like limeade, you don’t like this soda.  It’s that easy.  

The only downside I’m finding is that it’s causing additional saliva to build within my mouth.  Sadly that keeps the soda from being all that refreshing in the long run.  This additional saliva is causing me to smack my lips to try and reduce this sensation.  It’s a little on the gross side biologically, but I’m hardly bothered by it due to my love of the flavor.

I’ll tell you right now that I love this soda more than most anyone out there.  I love limeade, a lot of people don’t.  Like I said before if you don’t like limeade then you won’t like this soda.  If you like limeade then buy all of this you can find.  

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Bibita Aranciata

I have no idea what’s in store for me.  In front of me sits a bottle of Bibita Aranciata which has a woman making kissy faces at a glass of, what I can only presume is, Bibita Aranciata.  I think Paoletti makes this beverage as it’s another word on the label.  The ingredients suggest that this is a carbonated orange juice type beverage which would explain the amount of sediment I see floating in the bottle.  When in Italy…

It certainly does have a citrusy scent, or would that be a scintrus?  New words aside the aroma that arrived at my nostrils was somewhat inviting.  I’m looking forward to my carbonated OJ in hopes that its better than Orangina.  That’s not to say Orangina was bad, I’d just like this to be better.

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One of Twist's middle names is Paoletti... no relation.

It’s tingly on my lips and has a brisk citrus taste.  The carbonation is small, but fierce which helps with the sharpness of the orange flavor.  Oddly enough it doesn’t remind me at all of a sparkling orange juice.  It’s more in line with a citrus soda that happens to have orange juice in it.  This allows the flavor to be crisp, light, and somewhat refreshing.  

Upon taking a larger swig the orange juice flavor seems to also have a grapefruit side-kick as there is just a touch of bitterness to each sip.  Now by reading the ingredients we know that there isn’t any grapefruit in here.  I’m just telling you what I taste.  

On another surprising level I didn’t even notice the copious amounts of sediment I saw earlier.  I figured at the very least they would alter the mouth feel, but alas they did not.  So I guess I became a little smarter today.  Bibita Aranciata is a sparkling citrus beverage from Italy and one I would recommend you try.

~A

This beverage was purchased from World Market

Squirt with Sugar

Let’s address the elephant in the room first.  The title of this review is really odd, but it fits the format of other common sodas I’ve reviewed that were sweetened with sugar.  Moving on.  So you wanna Squirt with sugar do ya?  Well I’ve got the bottle for you!  Seriously, look at that bottle.  Appreciate the corkscrew base and gaze upon the simplicity of the label.  This is one of the best soda bottles I’ve seen in a long time.  

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Twist later married this bottle of Squirt.  Shortly thereafter a murder investigation began as the bottle had been drained of all life.

The beverage inside is obviously Squirt which is a citrus soda that favors the grapefruit.  I picked this up because of the interesting design and because I think a citrus soda has more to gain being sweetened with sugar.  Citrus sodas are some of the most refreshing out there and removing the syrupy feel of HFCS could really boost that refreshment factor.  I can’t wait to find out.

A mostly grapefruit aroma leaves the mouth of the bottle upon opening.  There’s a vague citrus smell as well, but grapefruit is clearly the key player.

Crisp, clean, cool.  Squirt made me write out words that you’d see in a 90’s advertisement.  My first sip brought in a punch of citrus taste that was tart but not overly so.  Oddly enough I liken the flavor to Sprite if grapefruit were the third ingredient.  Oh, and if Sprite were good.  SICK BURN! YEAH HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND! WOOOO!

The carbonation levels backing this taste were perfect as well.  Small groups of bubbles rush about my mouth making sure all corners have felt their fizzy wrath.  Once they vanish over the horizon it’s within a minute that my mouth resets and is ready to take another sip and experience it as if it were my first.  Like I said… crisp, clean, cool.  Oh yeah, it’s also very refreshing.  Let me just shoehorn that fact in here as well.  Speaking of...when’s the last time you used a shoehorn?

With all this good there is some bad.  Since grapefruit is the flavor at hand get ready for a little bit of bitter with each of your gulps.  It’s not really a big deal, but some might be put off a little bit by it.  Since it does taste a lot like Sprite you may be underwhelmed by your experience.  Even though I liked it I will say that it’s similarity to the lymon beverage did bring me down a bit.  Still a pretty great soda though.

~A

JOIA Grapefruit Chamomile and Cardamom

Sometimes JOIA frustrates me with their flavors.  They’re always well paired, but they challenge me to the point where I can’t honestly win.  Today’s flavor combination is Grapefruit, Chamomile, and Cardamom.  What?  Of course I know what grapefruit tastes like and surely I’ve had chamomile tea, but combine all that with cardamom and I don’t even know what to expect.  I’m going to try something today.  I’m not going to mention any of the flavors listed on the label when reviewing this drink.  Should be easy for chamomile and cardamom… not sure I can do it without talking about grapefruit.  Let’s find out.  Oh yeah, JOIA is an all natural beverage for those of you interested in that.

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Twist as he appeared during his brief stint with A-Ha

The scent is that of an overly citrus tangerine.  There’s a bit of flowery backing to the aroma, but it takes a good huffing to even notice it.

A dry citrus sensation slams into my taste buds.  The taste borders on bitter, but there is a sweetness that pulls it back from the edge.  Even though the bitter taste is a bit off putting, there’s something that has me wanting to drink it again once I set the bottle down.  The carbonation level is on the lighter side, which works well with the bitter/tart tastes of the soda.  An abundance of bubbles would just cause an attack on your mouth.   

Perhaps my normal person taste buds need work, but as far as I’m concern there might as well only be one ingredient in this soda.  The other two listed ingredients just don’t seem to be altering the flavor.  Perhaps it’s too subtle for a mortal.

If you were looking for a soda that really nailed the taste of a Citrus x Paradisi then look no further.  JOIA has that flavor down pat and bottled it.  As an added bonus it’s quite refreshing, although this is a 80 degree day beverage not a 90 degree day beverage.  All in all I’m rather pleased with this offering from the folks at JOIA and can’t wait to try a few more of their sodas.

~A

Xyience Xenergy Pineapple

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Twist felt flat today, but his thighs looked GREAT!

Today’s Xyience experiment is pineapple flavored.  Technically this can of Xenergy is +Lemonade, whatever that means, in addition to being pineapple flavored.  I’m honestly not sure what to expect here, but I’m rolling with it.  Like all the other Xyience products that we’ve reviewed it’s sugar free and has zero calories.  They’ve been hit or miss so far in the flavor department so it will be interesting to see what side of the fence pineapple lemonade falls.

As the can cracks open the faint aroma that arrives is more lemonade than pineapple.  In fact I’d be amazed if I could identify this as pineapple flavored based on the scent alone.  Hopefully the taste doesn’t leave that much to mystery.

The initial taste I get is the tart bite of a lemon.  Slowly it washes away and transforms into the pineapple lemonade we were promised.  Truthfully it’s lemonade pineapple as the real star of the show cannot be mistaken.  Throughout the entire gulp the lemon teases the tip of my tongue with a tingle of sour.  This leaves the rest of my mouth awash with an average tasting lemonade.  It’s on par with Minute Maid lemonade, which to me is on the weaker side of the big name brands.  

Xyience Xenergy Pineapple is a very refreshing beverage.  Something I would happily reach for on a sweltering day.  It goes down smoothly which makes it easy to return for another sip.  The lack of sugar isn’t overly noticeable and the flavor while pleasant isn’t memorable.  All in all it’s a good energy drink, but an average tasting beverage.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by Xyience

JOIA Lime Hibiscus and Clove

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One of Twist's middle names is "Poppin"

Oh JOIA, how your flavors challenge me.  It seems to always be three flavors with one of them being normal, one being different, and a final one that’s just odd.  Today’s feature is JOIA Lime Hibiscus and Clove.  Lime, good old lime.  I like lime soda it’s usually pretty tasty.  Clove is in here too?  Ok, I’ve had a couple of clove flavored items in my life.  I also used to push them into apples for Christmas decorations.  What’s this?  Hibiscus?  That’s a flower.  While I’ve had a few sodas with hibiscus included, that’s still not enough for my mind to make this a regular flavor of soda...natural ingredients or not.

What am I supposed to do, take a sip and say “oh man the hibiscus in this is poppin’?”  Perhaps if my tastebuds were smarter.  I like to think I still have the common man’s taste buds.  I don’t use words like “node” when describing a scent.  Then again I could probably improve at my descriptions, but that’s for another time.  For now my job is to drink JOIA Lime Hibiscus and Clove.

For being a lime soda it does have somewhat of a flowery aroma.  The clove is also easily identified with each sniff I take.  In fact the lime seems to be riding in the middle of back seat on the hump with his sisters to either side of him.

OH MAN THAT HIBISCUS IS POPPIN’!  It’s not, but I can at least discern the hibiscus flavor from the clove and lime.   While the lime gave off the lightest scent it has taken full command of the taste.  He might be riding in the middle of the back seat, but he’s got control of the radio.  After the initial burst of lime the sweet hibiscus and clove briefly swing by and make a polite appearance.  Quickly saying their goodbyes the girls saunter off allowing their brash younger brother to continue talking.  It’s quite the delicate flavor experience, but their story is told particularly well.

The carbonation is only strong enough to keep this soda from seeming flat.  Microscopically small bubbles rush down the back of my throat with each gulp; just creating a friendly reminder of their existence.

So there you have it.  JOIA Lime Hibiscus and Clove is really a lime soda plus.  The added flavors sweeten the experience and briefly refreshed my palate.  Even though I’m a huge fan of most any lime soda it was nice to have a bit of intermission built in to each sip.  

~A

JOIA Orange Jasmine and Nutmeg

So I’ve been sent several soda samples this year and fortunately the JOIA line was one of them.  The flavors I’ve had thus far were quite good and they don’t use any artificial ingredients either.  Today’s bottle of JOIA is of the Orange, Jasmine, and Nutmeg flavored variety.  The ingredients list each of the flavors titled plus a few extras like Monk Fruit, which is actually on the rise when it comes to soda making.  I’m not quite sure what this family of flavors will be like when combined, but I'm willing to bet it’ll be tasty.  

Twist has dated someone with all the listed names in this beverage.  Nutmeg was his favorite.

A delightful natural orange aroma rushes to the mouth of the bottle.  The nutmeg is also prevalent enough to make itself known with ease.  These two flavors don’t completely mask the jasmine, but they’re definitely the stars of this aromatic show.

A citrus kick right to the back of my throat is how I start my journey with this soda.  The orange and nutmeg once again working in tandem.  The nutmeg keeps the orange from tasting too acidic, creating a bitter flavor in the middle of my sip.  As the two power players work with one another the jasmine lilts in the background, creating a subtle sweetness.  Ultimately the orange is the most dominant of the three and has the final say as my gulp comes to an end.

Proving just as important is the small, but sharp bubbles experienced with each taste.  They keep the beverage alive and fun; stopping the orange/nutmeg combination from just sitting in your stomach as orange juice can sometimes do.  

All in all, JOIA Orange Jasmine and Nutmeg is a solid beverage.  All three of the flavors play their parts well, the ingredient list is fantastic, and it’s not just another fruit soda.  The bitter taste will not be pleasing to some, myself included, but it’s not so strong that you can’t enjoy the soda.  Pick up a few and share them with your friends, let them decide.

~A

Honest Fizz Orange Pop

So far Honest Fizz is one for two in my book.  Their Professor Fizz stevia sweetened soda wasn’t all that great, but Lemon Limey had promise.  So let’s follow that same citrus vine as it takes us to today’s soda, Honest Fizz Orange Pop.  Now many of the orange sodas I’ve reviewed have been chock full of sugar, so today’s installment of a stevia sweetened orange soda will be a first for me.  Will it be dry but still flavored appropriately like Lemon Limey, or will the stevia take over and make me wish I was eating orange rind instead? 

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When Twist was a boy he called his father Orange Pop, but then the change occurred.

The scent seems safe enough.  I’ve opened enough cans of Sunkist Orange to know what a “by the book” orange soda smells like and Orange Pop is just another chapter in said book.  Hopefully the flavor has studied the curriculum.  It’s a loose reference to the previous sentence, but it works well enough for me.  Moving on.

Much like Lemon Limey, the mouth feel of this soda is indeed a little dry but it works.  There’s not a burst of sugary taste, there’s not a film coating my mouth, and there’s not any of the terrible aftertaste that stevia is known for.  Honest Fizz Orange Pop is like orange soda graduated from college, bought a town home, and adopted a dog.  It has its life in order and no longer has time for the crazy parties it used to throw back at Berkeley.  That’s right, orange soda went to Berkeley.  Sure, he’ll let loose and play with his dog, but he’s focused on giving you an orange flavored soda without all the nonsense.  Some of his friends may not like him anymore because of what he’s become, but Honest Fizz Orange Pop won’t have a hard time making new friends.

The carbonation levels are a little high which is probably masking some of the stevia taste and as the liquid inside heats up a little it’s becoming harder to hide.  Even with the stevia taste showing through a little, I’m ok with mature orange soda.  I may not visit him as often, but he’s still an ok guy.  So I like my orange sodas sugary, there’s nothing wrong with that.  I can still appreciate what Honest Fizz has done here.  This is a legitimate zero calorie orange soda and if that’s your thing then you won’t be disappointed.

~A

This soda was supplied to us by Honest Fizz

Honest Fizz Lemon Limey

Ok, so I wasn’t thrilled with Honest Fizz Professor Fizz.  Did you really expect me to fall head over heels for a stevia sweetened Dr Pepper clone?  I have a feeling today will be a better day for Honest Fizz  when I review Lemon Limey.  The lemon lime flavor combination is tried and true, but I also believe it lends itself to be sweetened by stevia.  There’s only a handful of ways to find out if I’m right; I’m picking the way that continues this review.

The scent is faint, but I’m able to discern lime right off the bat.  That’s always a good sign in my book as the lime (in my opinion) is the flavor that usually gets left behind when talking about lemon/lime beverages.  Perhaps Honest Fizz Lemon Limey will end up teaching a class on how to properly flavor a citrus soda.

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Twist embodies lemon lime.

That’s not half bad.  Much like I expected, the stevia doesn’t offend as it might in one of the brown sodas (cola, Dr Pepper, root beer).  In fact it gives Lemon Limey a bit of a dry sensation you might expect from a fancier beverage.  The taste is quite similar to a well flavored sparkling water.  Personally I’d choose Honest Fizz Lemon Limey over most any sparkling water based on its flavor. 

The carbonation is light, but noticeable.  It’s like I’m drinking fancy Sprite except Honest Fizz does a better job emphasizing the two flavors in an individual manner.  With that said it’s not flavor-full.  Yes, I’m aware that “flavorful” is the word I was looking for, but I wanted to stress that Lemon Limey had flavor, it just wasn’t full of it. 

Certainly this soda has a market, but I don’t believe I’m in it.  I’m not looking for soda with zero calories sweetened with stevia leaves, if I were though I’d pick up a can of Honest Fizz Lemon Limey.  As I stated before, this soda isn’t bitter, it’s dry.  The flavor doesn’t make me crave more.  This just isn’t my thing, but I can certainly respect the job they did in creating it. 

If you prefer diet sodas or you need to have a sugarless soda for one reason or another, then I highly recommend trying Honest Fizz Lemon Limey.  On the other hand, if neither of those things are for you then maybe you should pick up a bottle to double check.

~A

This soda was supplied to us by Honest Fizz

Route 66 Lime Soda

You can either read 500 something reviews or this next sentence to catch up.  I like lime soda.  So when I was presented the funds (from you) to buy my own sodas of course I picked a lime flavored one.  Route 66 Lime Soda to be exact.  The bottle even says “Chosen by Soda jerks Every Time”.  If that’s not some sort of sign I don’t know what is.  The ingredient list is mostly chemical, but this is sweetened with “real” cane sugar so it has that going for it.  Above the ingredients is what I assume to be a “stopping point” on Route 66.  Today’s stopping point is the Chain of Rocks Bridge.  It’s over 5353 feet long and was constructed in 1929.  I’d tell you more about it, but I don’t want to spoil the ending.  What I do want to do is taste this anti-freeze green soda.

Route 66 Lime Soda smells of lime candy with a hint of cleaning product.  Preferably it will taste like lime candy and the cleaning product aroma will just add a needed kick to the mouth feel.  Bottoms up!

There’s more of a bitter taste to this soda than I anticipated.  Needless to say it cuts down on the potential to be candy sweet, but in doing so keeps the flavor more in the natural realm.  With that said, this is definitely not lime juice soda.  The sugar just takes a moment to get up and running before it can chase the mild bitterness away.  A bit of a syrupy texture is left on my teeth as I continue to consume this soda.  It’s not all that bothersome, but I’d rather do without it.  All in all I’m finding Route 66 Lime Soda to be rather average.  It tastes alright, but even as a lime lover I’d rather an average [insert fruit here] soda over this one. 

Caught somewhere between trying to be candy and trying to taste like lime, Route 66 Lime Soda just ends up being forgettably good.  If you just want a lime soda and you see this, then grab a bottle.  If you want a fruit flavored soda then just go for what looks best in your cup holder.

~A

This soda was brought to us by YOU!  The donations you supplied were used to purchase it!

Swamp Pop Satsuma Fizz

So I put forth a poll last night on which Swamp Pop flavor to drink next.  The results were overwhelmingly in favor of Satsuma Fizz.  100% of voters picked the beverage so it must be good.  Technically the folks at Pops 66 were the only ones to vote, but doggone it they did and I’m going to listen to them.  A Satsuma, if you are unaware, is a little sweet orange.  I’m actually quite surprised I’ve never had a Satsuma soda before as I think the flavor would translate rather nicely.  There is only one somewhat odd ingredient in this soda and that is Beta Carotene.  It’s not really going to affect anything, I just thought it was interesting.  Onward!

Satsuma Fizz was Twist's name when he was hustlin' pool.  If you were scammed by a Satsuma Fizz though it was probably a different iguana.

Ooohwee, it’s a tart little orange soda judging by the scent.  Thankfully there is also a sweet aroma mixed in, but it really does seem like the citrus side of Satsuma will be the one to shine.

That is truly a realistic tasting orange soda.  The natural sweetness of the titled ingredient is quite prevalent, but not so much that you’d mistake this for sugary nonsense.  So many orange sodas are sugary nonsense making Swamp Pop the newest member of the sparsely populated “unique orange soda” clique.  Hopefully RootJack doesn’t bother him too much.

A burst of tart orange takes over my mouth just short of it feeling like I’m biting into the fruit itself.  Only once the sharp yet light carbonation gets out of the way do you experience any sort of taste resembling candy.  Well timed, this happens at the end of each sip, allowing my taste buds to go on a pleasant journey each time I draw the bottle to my mouth.  This might be the shortest review I’ve written on a soda I really enjoy.  I won’t over complicate what is a simple enjoyment with more words.  Well, maybe four more.

~A

This soda was supplied to us by Swamp Pop