Seagram's Raspberry Ginger Ale

   I’m a lazy person by nature.  These two holiday weeks off were not planned… it was more along the lines of an excuse I made up.  With that said, I still procrastinated greatly to write my first review of the New Year.  I’m sure once I get back into a rhythm I’ll be good to go but this first one was pushed back 2 or 3 times.  I have a fridge full of new drinks but the soda picked for today’s review is seasonal so it goes before the rest.  What I have in front of me is Seagram’s Raspberry Ginger Ale, given to me by D-Dub.  Now, I love raspberry flavored things as I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before.  I also have a joy for ginger.  I’m sure the last sentence can be taken many ways(several of them ringing true for me) but what I’m speaking of is ginger ale.  The side of the can does note that the raspberry flavoring inside is one of a natural origin.  Yay.  Reading the side of the can I notice that the green you would normally find adorning the aluminum of this can has been replaced with a much more festive raspberry pink.  Of course I noticed that way before I read the side of the can but I needed some sort of segue.  With the descriptive stuff out of the way we can now begin!

   As soon as I opened the can I heard a police siren outside.  Hopefully I’m not breaking some sort of federal law since I *insert funny here*.  The scent wafting from the mouth of the can is certainly that of raspberry.  The first thing I thought of when I inhaled it was that it reminded me of a scent you might find in a flavored water.  Hopefully Seagram’s Raspberry Ginger Ale has much more flavor than a bottle of Clearly Canadian.  I didn’t mean to name drop Clearly Canadian, it was just the first flavored water that came to mind.  On to the consumption!

Thought 1:  I like both regular ginger ale and green tea ginger ale better.

Thought 2:  While listed as natural the raspberry flavoring tastes a bit fake.

Thought 3:  The initial taste is good, the ride in the middle is ok but the finish has something to be desired. 

   Those are the first three thoughts that entered my head when I first consumed this.  The carbonation in this beverage is stronger than most but you don’t really feel that until after you swallow.  I hold raspberry flavored items to a very high level.  Remember when “Blue Raspberry” candy came out in the mid 90’s and everyone freaked out?  People were so very happy to have blue raspberry candy where it once was not.  Being a fan of raspberry I thought “how very odd for it to be blue… oh well let’s try this brand new blue raspberry SweetTart.”  Disappointment hit me hard in the face.  So while people were jumping off buildings out of the excitement that was new blue raspberry flavored candy, I sat home and cried for five straight years.  FIVE STRAIGHT YEARS!  That’s how hard I judge raspberry flavoring.  Now with that said I can at least tell that this is supposed to be raspberry flavored.  It’s just not what I would suggest a raspberry enthusiast try first thing after they woke up from a coma.  Finally, the HFCS really makes an impact on this beverage.  The finish of Seagram’s Raspberry Ginger Ale has a very sticky mouthfeel, much like Sprite.  This might be something they could fix if they sweetened with sugar instead.  Ah well… that’s just a crazy dream I suppose.  With all that said I did finish the drink and it wasn’t  that bad of an experience.  I just won’t be drinking one of these again anytime soon.

~A

The can is almost camouflaged on that fantastic maroon couch.  Twist is not.

Henry Weinhard's Orange Cream

   Good ol’ Henry Weinhard is back in my grasp, except this time he’s the flavor of dreams…icles.  That’s right the same Henry Weinhard that makes Henry Weinhard’s Black Cherry Cream Soda also makes Henry Weinhard’s Orange Cream.  Who’d have guessed?!  The ingredients on the side say that this beverage has a “blend of select oranges, mandarins, and real vanilla”.  Well that’s good enough for me… oh wait.  The added “complexity and character” comes from “a blend of lemon, lime, Chinese ginger, nutmeg, lemon grass, and angelica root”.  This is some pretty fancy-dancy orange cream soda.  Way to many words, not enough drinking.  It’s time to move on

   The orange cream aroma is not a shy one.  Once I opened the bottle my nostrils were treated with a barrage of orange and vanilla.  Pretend its April Fools’ Day but you’re heading off to bed.  You’ve manage to go all day without getting tricked.  Sure enough before you head up the stairs your doorbell rings.  “Well who could that be?” you ask aloud, only to be answered by the meow of your cat.  You cry a little inside thinking of what might have happened if, JUST IF, you had talked to the girl at the gas pump.  Maybe you wouldn’t be so lonely.  Maybe Snugglepuff would like her new mommy for once.  Maybe you’re going a little crazy.  Opening the door you look around for who might have come calling for you.  The black night sky greets you, and nothing more.  “Heh,” you chuckle to yourself, “I guess I did get fooled after all.”  Before you can turn around you hear a rustling in your bushes.  You squint your eyes making out the faint outline of a man.  POW! A peeled orange hits you square on the nose; your nostrils now filled with the scurvy fighting juice.  Before you can react to the citrus onslaught, the guy that didn’t bring oranges runs up to you and rubs vanilla scented potpourri all over your face.  “THAT’S NOT EVEN A TRICK!” you yell into the night upon uncaring ears. 

   That is what I imagined when I first opened this bottle.  I never do my pointless rants during the smell portion of the review, so I figured I’d mix it up a little.  Anyway, I should probably drink this now.

   This, my fellow jerks, is excellent orange cream soda.  The orange has the citrus tart you want to find in an orange soda but there’s a bonus this time that your normal orange soda doesn’t have.  As long as you swish this around you don’t lose the great orange flavor, which would be a good flavor for a soda all by itself.  The moment you stop the smooth vanilla begins to dissipate the once tart orange.  Eventually the orange is overtaken by the vanilla giving Henry Weinhard’s Orange Cream a delightfully smooth finish.  The mouth feel changes so much from initial sip to finish I’m a little bit amazed.  The aftertaste you’re left with is that of the smooth vanilla, the orange is almost nowhere to be found until you burp.  I know that’s a bit crass, but the duality of this beverage is very unique.  To be honest with you I was a little hesitant to try this because I was slightly let down by the black cherry cream soda.  Henry Weinhard did not disappoint this go around though.  This is honestly the best orange cream soda I’ve had to date.

~A

You can almost see the resemblance

Colombiana

   Dan W. gave me this very exotically named drink that I will be reviewing today.  The name of the beverage at hand today is Colombiana, so I could be taking a trip to Mexico, Brazil, Chile, or so many other fanciful places.  Let’s see what the side of the can says.  Looks like that it was bottled by the find folks at Brooklyn Bottling of Milton, NY.  Oh, how very exotic!  This is defined on the can as a Kola Flavored Soda… which I can only assume is flavored like kola champagne (similar to cream soda).  The can is brightly colored with everyone’s favorite primary colors.  Accompanying the name of the soda are two phrases in Spanish.  “La que tomamos en casa”, which according to Google roughly translates into “The one you take home.”   The other phrase is “la nuestra”, which again according to Google translates into “ours”.   Sadly the ingredients aren’t nearly as interesting.  They are just a collection of chemicals that make up this sugary drink.  Alright, it’s time to stop reading… me, not you.  I’m going to stop reading the can while you continue to read this review. 

   Yup, this smells like Big Red/Cream Soda/Kola Champagne.  If Colombiana has half the following that Inca Kola does then I’m probably in for a barrage (2 people) of criticism.  Let’s take a sip shall we?

   While you might think of cream soda when you first try this, if you study it for just a moment you’ll find you’re just enough off base to be called out.  The flavor starts off like a lighter version of Big Red with the slightest of hints of tea.  The fizz Colombiana hits you with has more of a punch than a cream soda, and that sets it apart from your basic Kola Champagne.  What you’re left with after drinking this is a lighter version of the flavor you started with.  To put that into a more comprehendible sentence:  The aftertaste is true to the taste.  To be honest I liked this more than your typical kola champagne but it still tastes like your basic sugary drink to me.  There is nothing that truly sets Colombiana apart from the soda herd.  So, if you see a red, yellow, and blue can that catches your eye, then give it a go.  If not, then don’t go crazy looking for it.

~A

The eagle and Twist had a staring contest.  Do you need to even ask who won?

Walgreens Strawberry Cherry Escape

   Sometimes I get lazy when selecting a soda.  Sometimes I don’t want to go searching for the most unique thing out there on the market.  This was one of those times, thus the reason today’s review is Walgreens Strawberry Cherry Escape.  Chances are if you have a friendly neighborhood Walgreens in your area you’ll be able to find this flavor.  I really don’t feel all that bad for reviewing this soda because it’s probably more easily obtained than many of the others we review.  With that said I don’t have high expectations for it.  I blame my biased thoughts about Walgreens Strawberry Cherry Escape on the fact that I think I’m slowly becoming a soda snob.  Hopefully this drink helps bring me back to my roots.

   As I crack open this 20oz bottle I start to get a familiar feeling.  Yes I’ve opened many a 20oz bottle but that’s not what I’m feeling.  Putting my nose to the bottle I get both of the scents written on the label with strawberry winning the tug of war with my nostrils.  That’s truly an odd thing to picture.  Any who, it’s time to consume.

   Light carbonation, fruity flavor, not too overly sweet… not too shabby.  The taste is much like the scent which makes it nice that my nose didn’t play any tricks on me.  There’s nothing overly special about this soda but I’m starting to realize what that familiar feeling is I was feeling earlier.  I don’t know if it’s the generic packaging of this soda or the basic red coloring but something about this is sending me back to my childhood. 

   When I look at a bottle of Walgreens Strawberry Cherry Escape I immediately get the mental image of a kid in the 1980’s who we’ll call Luke.  Luke is having a party and everything is going well.  His best buds are there… and heck even a few girls are there but they aren’t quite old enough to realize they aren’t gross yet.  Luke and company have consumed all the Pepsi purchased for the party but they still need more to drink.  “We’re thirsty, Mom!”  Luke says.  “Well why don’t you get some of those extra drinks in the garage?” she replies.  Luke then begins to make the trek to the garage.  He squeezes past the car, and tiptoes his way around the tools sitting on the wall.  He’s wearing his favorite Thundercats t-shirt so he doesn’t want to get any grease on it.  After making his way around to the corner of the garage he spies the sodas his mother has mentioned.  There they sit, on top of what can only be described as half a cardboard box.  This is the usual place the sodas are kept and the evidence of can indentations only proves this further.  Luke grabs a couple of the 2 liter bottles, reveling for just a moment in the warmth that they give him.  Once again he squeezes past the car, the tools, and all the other junk in the garage.  It’s a bit harder this go around since the two bottles are a bit much for him to hold onto at this young age.  As he makes his way back inside, with no thanks to any of the other partygoers, he places the bottles on the countertop so his mother can open them.  She does indeed open the bottles and pours the warm liquid onto the cubed ice, melting it instantly.  This fake recollection of memory is why Mike wants you to buy a pack of Walgreens Strawberry Cherry Escape.  I on the other hand think that while this memory could be accurate, the taste of this beverage is average.

Look at it... how exotic!

Henry Weinhard's Black Cherry Cream Soda

   A citizen of the Carbo-Nation suggested that we try out Henry Weinhard’s Root Beer.  Well no such luck as they were out of root beer when my good friend Dustin arrived as a location that sells Henry Wienhard products.  Thankfully Dustin was able to procure some Henry Weinhard’s Black Cherry Cream Soda!  The label has a nice old timey feel to it, and the literature on the front of the bottle makes it seem like they use high quality ingredients.  Let’s check it out!  It seems that the flavoring they use is high quality as they include the all natural flavors of black cherries, black raspberry, and bourbon vanilla.  Deeee-lish!  Once you look past the flavoring though you get HFCS and sodium benzoate, bringing this soda a little bit closer to the realm of “nothing special”.  Hopefully the top notch natural flavors will push it to the top of the heap.  Let’s see what Henry has to offer.

   Wow, this is one of the most delicious smelling sodas I’ve had the chance to inhale in a long time.  The odor is rich combination of vanilla and cherry.  It does worry me a bit because it likens itself to sno-cone syrup in that it seems concentrated to the point of being overly sweet.  This will either work very well for Ol’ Henry Weinhard, or be his undoing.

   Well that’s a little disappointing.  The hype the odor created only set me up for sadness.  Don’t get me wrong, this will end up being a positive verdict for Ol’ H.W.  If they had been able to make the taste as rich as the smell… we’d probably be talking about a serious top soda contender.  I’ve whined enough, so  it’s now time for the actual review.  You’re initially greeted with a punch of black cherry, which is a pleasant way to start.  The “punch” lingers for a bit, and then cross dissolves (I work in television, so forgive the lingo) to the vanilla cream promised in the soda’s name.  I originally described the vanilla cream as “smooth” but realized I’d be lying as the finish on this drink isn’t as smooth as you might predict… and I think I know why. 

   While I’ve had drinks that felt much more syrupy in my mouth, this definitely lines the inside of it much like the smell of fast food lingers in your car hours after you’ve taken the bags out.  The aroma just sits there like a heavy cloud of sadness in your car, waiting for the next potential passenger to enter your car and be instantly depressed by the death gas your fries have created.  The HFCS is going to be the bane of Ol’ Henry Weinhard.  If they’d just replace the HFCS in this soda with sugar we’d be talking about a potentially amazing beverage.  I think the longer I drink this the more average it tastes… so I’m going to stop now before I go away from my initial score.

~A

Twist was unable to review this weeks beverage as he is part of the Weinhard family... not the soda making Weinhards, but a completely different unassociated Weinhard.

Postobon Manzana

   If Pepto-Bismol was a soda it would look like this.  Dan “The Fan” W gave us this very pink can of Postobon, which is apparently an apple flavored soda.  Looking at the label shows that Postobon is a myriad of chemicals.  With that said, I do like apple flavored soda and I am one of the few people that likes Pepto-Bismol… so color me ready to drink.  While I’m not sure what color “ready” is, I’m pretty sure in this case it’s pink.

  This has no smell.  Wait, wait, I can faintly smell apples and now the odor is getting stronger.  It was like the apple smell was Nessie keeping her head underwater until she thought it was safe to come up, avoiding the stares of tourists.  Now as she emerges the apple smell gets stronger and stronger.   That would be so very awesome if the Loch Ness Monster smelled of apples.  Since I’ve now somehow tied another thing I like into this beverage I’d say it’s time to drink.

  That, my friends, is no apple soda.  This is some kind of cotton candy/apple hybrid.  Have you ever had apple cotton candy?  Of course you haven’t.  The only time you get the flavor of cotton candy and apples together is after a long day at the state fair… after one too many rides on the Zipper.  I did it again.  I incorporated my favorite carnival ride into this review.  I don’t really want to drink this anymore, it’s so sickly sweet.  It’s not so gross that I think no one will like it, I’m sure there will be people out there who disagree with me whole heartedly.  What I’m saying is that I’m done with Postobon and for some reason I have Bonnie Pink’s song Cotton Candy stuck in my head.

~A

Twist used to operate the Gravitron

Saranac Root Beer

   A citizen of the Carbo-Nation suggested a while back that we search out and try some Saranac Root Beer.  Well guess what, “Person reading the Saranac – Root Beer Review”, we got some!  The Saranac brewery (est. in 1888) is located in New York and, much like other beer breweries, they have a root beer for us non-alcohol drinkers.  This root beer sits in an unassuming bottle with a classy looking maroon and gold label.  Oddly enough it reminds me of the Cheers logo.  Sadly, after looking at the ingredients I see that this is both sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and includes sodium benzoate.  These are two chemicals no Soda Jerk wants to see; regardless, let’s open her up!

   It has a very nice root beery smell… to put a description on it I’d say it smells like a high end A&W root beer.  Now that the shortest part of the review is over: On to the consumption!

   This is a good root beer.  The end.  Done. 

   No, no, I’m only kidding.  There are plenty of words to follow.  It has the initial mouth feel of an IBC root beer but oddly enough it’s not quite as heavy.  The amount of carbonation attacks your tongue with every swallow in a quick but hard hitting fashion.  The finish is so quick that I’m not going to mention it… other than mentioning that I won’t mention it, that is.  This has more bite than any root beer I’ve had to date; it’s not smooth at all.  When I first saw this bottle I thought I’d be drinking a generic root beer that didn’t set itself apart from any other root beer in a brown bottle.  I’m happy to say that I was very wrong.  If you put this in a root beer line up I’d easily tell it apart from the others.  Wow, I can’t get over how harsh (in a good way) this attacks the back of my throat.  It’s like you fell asleep with your mouth open and there’s this guy who thinks he’s funny, right?  But in reality he’s just a guy you happened to sit next to on the first day of class and unfortunately for you, you accidentally laughed at one of his pointless jokes so now you’re “best buds”.  No matter how many times you tell him to buzz off he stays around making the same level of horrible joke... staring at you, waiting for you to laugh like you did the first time.  What an idiot…Oh yeah I was talking about something!  It’s like he dropped a pinch of pop-rocks onto your tonsils.  You’d be surprised at first, but it’d be tasty enough that you’d repeat his stupid prank, placing more pop-rocks onto your tonsils, fueling his fire… making him stronger… never being rid of the constant staring… the staring.

~A

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by the Saranac Brewery)

Faux Fact:  Iguana's can't feel pain when it's caused by root beer.

Inca Kola

   Inca Kola.  “The Golden Kola” aka “The Golden Carbonated Beverage” aka Inca Kola, sits in front of me in a golden can, wrapped in aluminum… wrapped in a mystery.  This can seems to be full of chemicals, which is something I’m pretty sure the Incan’s didn’t use a lot of in their original kola… if in fact they did make kola.  The drink buy date is in 2011, almost as if they doubt you’ll be around in 2012 to drink it… eerie, but not really.  The unknown must become known, let us open this golden can.

   I assumed it would smell like a cola… ahem sorry… kola, but it doesn’t.  Inca Kola smells of cream soda and bubble gum.  The “Golden Kola” has the aroma of “The Red Wonder”… Big Red.  Not being a huge fan of Big Red, it’s not looking good for Inca Kola.  Time to drink.

   Good news, everybody!  It doesn’t taste like Big Red.  The bubble gum you smell translates into the taste of the beverage, except it also includes a hint of ginger.  “Does Inca Kola have ginger in it?” you ask.  No.  No it does not.  In fact this tastes like a generic mystery beverage.  It’s a hodge-podge of chemicals made to be a sugary drink with nothing that sets it apart from the pack.  Get it?  The pack.  A six pack of soda.  Eh? Eh?  Awwww, you don’t get it!  If you see Inca Kola though…

~A

Back home, Twist is known at the Golden Iguana... I asked him why but he said it was embarrassing.

Mug Root Beer

   Well true to our word we really will review any soda if given to us for free by our fans.  Today’s review is Mug Root Beer, given to us by one Double R.  I really think that he meant for this review to be difficult.  Anyone can review an odd drink, pointing out what makes it unique… but a mainstream root beer that most everyone has tasted could be much more difficult.  Mug of course is one of the three big name root beer brands out there, the other two being Barq’s, and of course A&W.  I have a co-worker that refers to Mug as “the working man’s root beer”, or the “blue collar” root beer.  I really enjoy thinking of it that way, and the bulldog on the front of the can offering me a frosty glass of root beer seems to give off the feel of a “blue collar” kind of guy.  Speaking of the can art, it looks as if I’m picking up a frosty mug overflowing with suds.  Nice touch Pepsi… I mean Mug.  Enough with the chatter, let’s crack it open.

   I’m realizing now that I’ve never truly smelled Mug Root Beer… and upon doing so I realize that its root beer smell really isn’t that strong.  I kind of thought all the chemicals inside of it would have increased the aroma, but I’ve been wrong before… ONE TIME.  Time for some drinkin’.

   To be honest with you, and I always am, I haven’t had a Mug Root Beer in a while.  This tastes much more watery than I remember.  Mug doesn’t have the “bite” of Barq’s, or the creamy taste of A&W.  In fact it has a muted, less impressive version of the characteristics that make the other two root beers loved by so many.  A positive attribute of Mug how clean the taste is for a mainstream root beer.  There are definitely cleaner tasting root beers out there, but this one does pretty well compared to its A&W Rival.  As you might expect this is a very safe drink.  By safe I mean that you pretty much know what it’s going to taste like when you pick up a can for the first time.  It’s going to taste like boring root beer.  Now I recognize that I’ve probably become a root beer snob over the past two years, and I’m sure that’s affecting this review.  If you love Mug Root Beer and don’t understand why I’m not rating it higher, go out and try some Virgil’s, Boylan’s, or Bundaberg Root Beer and tell me they aren’t heads, tails, slugs, and snails better than Mug.  Until then I’m sticking with this…

~A

Faux Fact: Twist was the original mascot for Mug, but he asked for too much money

IBC Tangerine Cream Soda

   It’s not Orange Cream, it’s Tangerine Cream.  It’s not Orange Cream, it’s Tangerine Cream. It’s not Orange Cream, it’s Tangerine Cream.  I’m going to have to repeat that mantra to myself as I consume this IBC Tangerine Cream Soda.  Something tells me though that it won’t make a bit of difference, hopefully they’ll prove me wrong.  I enjoy the IBC brand, and I’d like to add another horse to their stable of sodas I would purchase.  Here goes nothing.

   Hey guess what?  This smells a lot like orange cream soda, only a bit lighter in the ‘orange’ part.  The creaminess is definitely noticeable in the aroma, which makes me believe this will be very sweet.  Too bad there is no way we could find out if it is too sweet… oh wait, I have an idea!

   Drinking this was a great way to figure out the sweetness of IBC Tangerine Cream Soda!  I’m a genius!  Well I would be a genius if I had trusted that IBC knew what they were doing when they place the words Tangerine Cream Soda on their bottle.  This does taste differently enough from orange for me to make that apology.  Could someone trick you into believing it was orange cream soda?  I’m sure they could, but what kind of lame trick is that.  “We replaced Don’s orange cream soda with new IBC Tangerine Cream Soda… let’s see if he notices.”  Don might notice, but you’re not going to get a face full of knuckles for your prank.  Don would more than likely thank you for slightly broadening his horizons on the soda frontier.  The cream actually overpowers the tangerine flavoring they’ve chemically added to this soda.  If that were switched I’d give it a higher score, but since IBC didn’t travel into the future and read this review they’re stuck with…

~A

Twist is allergic to Tangerine flavoring... hence the reason he looks so green

Bubble Up

   This bottle of Bubble Up was given to us by Abel A, and oddly enough I’ve been kind of excited to try it.  I’m aware that it’s probably a 7up rip off, but the name of the soda is so campy that I’m drawn to it.  The labeling isn’t particularly awesome, it involves *gasp!* a lemon and a lime.  The label shows that this is full of chemicals, much like some of its mainstream brethren.  The label also shows that this is produced under the authority of The Dad’s Root Beer Company, oh joy!  Just so it’s clear where my bias might stand… of the three lemon/lime sodas my favorite is 7up, followed by Sierra Mist, and trailing far behind them is Sprite.

   Taking a whiff I’m a bit surprised at the fact that lime seems to be the obviously more powerful flavor in Bubble Up… maybe I’ve written it off too soon.  Time for drinkin’.

   Before I go into the flavor aspect, I have to say that this is way less carbonated than I thought it would be.  I see bubbles clinging all over the sides of the bottle, but it has no bite to it what-so-ever.  Swishing Bubble Up around in your mouth thoroughly gets you the sharpness in mouth feel you should have received when you first opened it.   As for the flavor of the three most common lemon/lime beverages it might compare to, Sprite is your winner there.  I wouldn’t label Bubble Up as a lemon-lime soda though.  If this were a race, the lime flavored horse would be about a lime flavored horse length ahead of the lemon flavored horse.  A more honest flavor would be lime-lemon, but that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue as well.  If they wanted to face lawsuit I guess they could say it had a Lymon flavor.  I can’t tell you how many times Mike and I reference bank lollipops when talking to one another about soda flavors, but the lime in this does taste lightly of lime bank sucker.  Bubble Up isn’t particularly different in any way, but if you see it and it’s cheaper than the mainstream.

~A

Twist enjoys a free Bubble Up with a bowl of rainbow stew.

Big Pineapple

   I’ve had this Big Pineapple in my fridge for a while now.  We’ve done at least two sodas from all of the sample packs we’ve been mailed, so it’s time to get to a few fan given sodas.  As you could probably guess, this was given to us by a fan… so a big thanks to Kyle R.  The other pineapple sodas I’ve tried remind me of that relative you only see at the yearly family reunion.  He’s probably nice, and you may share a few words, but next year you’re gonna be asking your mom his name again.  For those of you who didn’t get that awesome analogy… pineapple soda is ok, but I haven’t had one that just blew me out of the water.

   The color of this soda is a bright yellow, which is fun, and it matches the splash yellow label as well.  While Big Peach had a realistic looking peach on the label, this has an obviously drawn pineapple.  It’s an ok looking pineapple, as pineapples go, but I wish it was bigger.  They could really stylize the fruit on their labels, and make the art pop a little more.  It's time to open this up for a sniff, or maybe even two.

   This smells like sugar first, and then pineapple… but at least it smells like the fruit it’s labeled with.  In fact I might go so far as to say that it smells like a pineapple upside down cake.  Here’s the part where I’d like to inform you that I’m going to drink the beverage now.  I wish I had some catch phrase I could use like “It’s drinkin’ time”, but that reminds me too much of “It’s clobberin’ time”.  If any of you think of a cool catch phrase for me to use, do tell.  Chug-a-lug!

   It has an initial bite that I didn’t expect, but that quickly dissolves into a muted pineapple taste.  To tell you the truth this isn’t nearly as strong I was expecting it to be.  When it first hits your mouth, it’s bubbly, a little tangy, and enjoyable, followed by the muted pineapple.  The second, third, and fourth times are a repeat of the first.   This fifth time though, something different happened.  It’s like the muted pineapple taste was building upon itself in my mouth.  It was no longer a weak taste, but one that was flavored how I initially thought it would be.  I’ll tell you right now though, this is the best pineapple soda I’ve had… then again I don’t think I’ve had more than three.  This could potentially quench your thirst, but I'd say it works better as a stand alone "treat".  Sadly there is nothing that truly sets it apart from the other few pineapple sodas I’ve tested.  I will say though that after drinking this I’m much more excited to find a truly awesome pineapple soda.

~A

Twist's best friend used to be a pineapple

Moxie

   Well here we are at review 100.  First off thanks for your readership as we moved from our humble beginnings on livejournal, to the multi-million dollar corporation we are today.  Oh wait… we haven’t made a dime, but we’re millionaires at heart.  Today’s beverage was the most suggested beverage when we asked our readers what the 100th review should be… Moxie.  If you listened to the Popcast you'd know that.

   Moxie is one of the oldest sodas out there, some say THE oldest.  Really it’s very close between Moxie, Vernor’s Ginger Soda, and Hire’s Root Beer.  Looking upon the label I can tell you right away that this is no longer the original formula.  Replaced with chemicals I assume, with one exception that reads “Gentian Root Extractives”.  I’m pretty sure that one ingredient is going to give off a very unique flavor.  Before I go any further I just want to mention how much I enjoy the label art of Moxie.  The label is a man in a business suit pointing at you… it’s amazing.

   Upon opening up the bottle, with a rather bland cap I might add, it smells like it’s going to be one of the most awesome, unique root beers you’ve ever had.  I would even go so far as to say that it smells like a root beer/cola mix.  Let’s drink.

   The initial taste of moxie is great!  It has that root beer cola flavor you thought you would taste after smelling it.  It’s cool, refreshing, unique… something you could really see yourself buying from here on out.  “To Hell with Coke!” you’d say “I’m a Moxie Man now!”  Then something would go wrong in your mouth.  That sweet root beer/cola taste would fade away as the Moxie started its journey down your gullet.  What was once good, would now be replaced with evil.  The taste of pennies, dirt, and un-sweetened envelope glue now dance upon your tongue.  Your first reaction is to drink some more.  “This can’t be the aftertaste,” you’d say, “More Moxie should fix this right up.”  It won’t.  Sure, as long as the liquid stays in your mouth you avoid the horrible aftertaste, but who’s going to walk around with Moxie constantly swishing around their teeth.  While I don’t agree with pouring sodas over ice, this (ironically our 100th review) is a soda which must be.  Fortunately, pouring Moxie over ice cuts the horrible after taste in half.  It’s like watching your favorite sports team do really well against someone they weren’t supposed to beat, only in the 2nd half to have your entire team break their legs.  This is such a historic drink, with such a unique flavor that I have to recommend you try it.  So there you have it, one of the oldest sodas available, and our 100th review.  The next milestone is probably 250, so be patient, and keep reading.  Thanks!

 ~A 

Thank goodness Twist's taste buds aren't real

Doc Zola

   Today’s review is that of Doc Zola, what I first perceived as a Dr. Pepper knock off and nothing more.  If you’ve listened to Popcast Episode 1, also available on iTunes, you’d know that I no longer feel any ill will toward this product anymore. 

   Initially I was thinking to myself, “Oh look another soda trying to be Dr. Pepper.  This is going to be a disappointment.”  Texans are proud that Dr. Pepper hails from this state, and anyone trying to out do them at their own game is usually looked down upon.  Thankfully Doc Zola didn’t fall into the Dr. Pepper rip-off category.  The bottle art includes a Tiki god looking character, which I will assume is Doc Zola.  Maybe Doc Zola is short for Witch Doctor Zola, then again maybe not.  Either way, the bottle art and the colors used are very nice.  Then again, I’m a sucker for shades of maroon coupled with white.

   Looking over the bottle a bit more we found that it included Vitamins C, E, B6, and B12.  While a bottle of Doc Zola won’t cover you for an entire days need of Vitamin C, it will give you 25% of your daily value.  This is one of the things that impressed me most.  For every good though, there is a bad.  The use of HFCS, and Sodium Benzoate are never smiled upon by the Jerks, and Doc Zola uses both. 

   Once I opened the bottle I did notice that it smelled a lot like Dr. Pepper, but it wasn’t until I tasted it that I no longer cared about the similarities.  Doc Zola does have a Dr. Pepper base for the taste it gives you.  Soon after taking a drink though, you will realize that something more is there.  First you will taste a sweet hint of cherry, a very pleasant surprise.  Following the cherry is where the Dr. Pepper flavoring hits your tongue, but that’s not where it finishes.  As you complete the drink you just took you’ll notice the flavor of cinnamon greeting you… and that’s where Doc Zola shines.  The addition of the cherry is nice, and something Dr. Pepper failed on even in Cherry Dr. Pepper.  The cinnamon though, is fantastic, and what sets this drink apart from being a rip-off of an already popular brand.  Again with the good there is always a flip side.  Doc Zola seems to lose it’s carbonation a little faster than other drinks.  If you chug it down you won’t even notice.  If you’re like me and like to slowly enjoy it, then you’ll notice that aspect at the end.

~A

Did you know Twist has a Ph.D. in love?

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Pipeline Brands)

Big Peach

   I’m a little nervous about this review of Big Peach Soda.  The reasoning behind my nervousness is the fact that I’m not a huge fan of Big Red soda at all.  Big Red, for those of you who don’t know, is “America’s #1 Red Soda” per their website.  It has a very unique flavor, but not one I’m fond of.  It’s a bit too “candy/cream soda” for me.

   I found out about Big Peach from a co-worker of mine.  I saw him drinking it probably 2 years ago and asked what it was.  When he told me it was from the Big Red line of sodas I dismissed ever trying it.  Well that must have been before my soda reviewing days, because now it sits in front of me thanks to that very same co-worker.  A large reason of why it sits in front of me is because of his answer to a question I asked.  “Does it taste anything like Peach-O’s?”  To explain another unknown product, Peach-O’s are gummy (delicious) peach rings… and if you like peach flavored things; you’ll love Peach-O’s.  Anywho, long story short, he said that Big Peach tasted a bit like Peach-O’s, which was good enough for me.

   Immediately I'm not impressed with their bottle art.  I don't mind the font, the color, or the splash of peach juice, but the actually peach is bothering me.  Why make it realistic looking?  Why not go for a more pop-art looking peach.  To me it detracts from what could be inside; add that to the fact that the peach looks kind of gross as well.  On the bright side, things are looking up now because upon opening the bottle I get the very familiar smell of Peach-O’s.  Hopefully the taste will coincide with what my olfactory glands have already told me.  (I just wanted to use the word “olfactory”, but the statement still rings true.)

   Ya know what?  I like this.  When you first drink your mouth is flooded with peach flavoring, not unlike biting into a peach.  After the flavor greets your mouth, it slowly exits at a great rate.  Pretend you’re in a conversation with someone you don’t particularly like… then one of their friends steps up, and begins to converse with said “hated person”.  Even though they were in the middle of telling you a story, you decide to slink away… but you can’t just turn and leave.  You have to slowly back up, until you are no longer in their circle of horrible conversation.  That’s what Big Peach flavor does in your mouth; it leaves at just the right speed, and time.  The amount of fizz in Big Peach is at a pretty good level as well, it’s just bubbly enough.  My fiancée, who isn’t a big fan of soda, even enjoys this.  She compares the flavoring to that of a jolly rancher.  The setbacks of this beverage are the fact that it’s made with chemicals (including our old friend Sodium Benzoate), the fact that my stomach burns a little after drinking it, and the bottle art.  This beverage does make me wish for more peach flavored sodas though.  Hopefully in my soda searching endeavors I’ll find one.

 ~A

Oddly enough "Big Peach" was Twist's nickname in college.

Frostie Blue Cream Soda

   Whenever I travel to College Station I always make a point to stop at one of my favorite farmer’s markets, DiIorio Farms.  They have a good fruit, and vegetable selection, but I usually go for the cane sugar sweetened sodas they sell.  Usually I pick up something different every time I go, but once I stumbled onto Frostie Orange Soda I never really wavered… until now.  You see this isn’t a review on Frostie Orange Soda (you’d know that if you read the title), but this review is written only because of my experience with the Frostie brand.  I picked up a Frostie Orange Soda once on a whim.  The first sips tasted like cardboard, but as the orange soda disappeared the taste kept improving to the point of awesome!  This coupled with the fact that I enjoyed the “Frostie Face” on the label made Frostie Orange Soda a great pick up for me.

   Well the last time through I brought my fiancée, and asked her to pick out a soda for me to review.  Thankfully she picked out Frostie Blue Cream Soda.  So here I am, about to try my second Frostie beverage, and you’re here to read all about it. 

   Frostie Blue Cream Soda is a very nice shade of blue, so I’m glad they opted for the clear bottle.  Sadly though the “Frostie Face” as I’ve now dubbed him is absent from the labeling.  It doesn’t have a very strong odor upon opening either… which I think is a bit of a letdown.  The faint odor you do get is a bubble gum smell, which seems to be synonymous with Blue Cream Soda.  Frostie Blue Cream Soda is very smooth, with very little carbonation attacking your tongue.  This may be a plus or minus for you, but I like a little fizz.  The easy way out of this review, which I will now take, is that it tastes like bubble gum and cream soda mixed together.  Since I only have one other blue cream soda to compare this too I will mention that the Frostie Blue Cream Soda is a bit too sweet for my liking; the sugar is coating my mouth.  I have to say that I prefer the Spicewood Blue Crème Soda to this one due to Frostie’s overly sweet flavoring.

 ~A

Twist can't get the sugar off of his tongue!

Dr. Pepper Cherry

   Being from Texas, I love Dr. Pepper (Especially Dublin Dr. Pepper).  Dr. Pepper is a staple soda here in the Lone  Star State, as it was invented here.  I also like cherry flavoring in soda, so normally you’d think that Dr. Pepper Cherry would be something I’d be all over.  Let me tell you in four words why I’m skeptical:  Dr. Pepper Red Fusion.  Red Fusion came out in 2002 and lasted a whole 2 years.  They never came out and said what flavored Red Fusion, but I always assumed it had a cherry base.  Sadly though, Red Fusion tasted like flat Dr. Pepper.  So excuse me if I don’t get all excited when I try this Dr. Pepper Cherry.  I will tell you one positive thing right off the bat about it though… I got this for free!  Thanks to reader D.W. (Not the caped crusader that graced The Disney Afternoon toon block) but a cool guy nonetheless. 

   Looking at this can, I can’t avoid thinking that Dr. Pepper is trying to seduce me.  It’s a black can, which isn’t something that’s very common right now (I can only think of Coke Zero off the top of my head).  At the top of the can in lowercase is the phrase “amazingly smooth”.  I seriously doubt that I’m going to be amazed at how smooth this tastes, but let’s give it a shot.  Oh before I continue, you know this is full of chemicals right?  I didn’t bother going into the ingredients list because they would just depress you.

    The aroma wafting (ok maybe wafting is a bit strong) out of the can smells just like Dr. Pepper… with a tiny, tiny amount of cherry in it.  Time for drinkin’.  The first sip I take puts one thought into my mind… normal Dr. Pepper is better than this.  I will never favor this over Dr. Pepper.  Ok, that was technically two thoughts, but let’s continue anyway.  While somewhat smooth it’s not “amazingly smooth”, but no one here is surprised by that.  Actually, when it first hits your tongue you get a nice bubbly sensation.  To put it somewhat bluntly it tastes like a slightly weaker Dr. Pepper with a little bit of a cherry taste to it.  I will say that this tastes better than Red Fusion did though.  I’ve harped on this drink more than it deserves, but I’m disappointed.  In my opinion you could make this a lot better by ramping up the cherry flavoring, and using sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.  I don’t say that because I prefer sugar, (I do prefer sugar, but I didn’t say that because I did… stay with me here.) but because sugar adds a crispness to soda that HFCS does not.  All in all, this is about what I expected… which saddens me.

As you can see by his expression, Twist was not seduced.

Spicewood Blue Creme Soda

   This next beverage comes from a co-worker of ours; it is one Spicewood Blue Crème Soda.Now I’ve never tried a blue crème soda before.Red, yes.Sparkling, yes.Blue, no.He says he got this at a gas station near his house, so who knows... maybe it’ll be near you too.The label art really seems quite random on this bottle; nothing is quite lined up right. Three types of font are represented in the drink name alone. There’s a pitcher of, what I can only guess is, vanilla spilling out.The words “Blue Crème” are even excreting some sort of liquid as well.Just for good measure there are some random bubbles in the bottom left corner.I don’t think I need to say this, but I will just as well.This drink is artificially flavored.GASP!Let’s drink.

   Upon opening it I smell a very nice vanilla fragrance, kind of how red crème soda smells in comparison to a normal one.Bottoms up.My first thought while drinking this is that it’s a lot smoother than I thought it would be, surprisingly smooth even.I know that crème soda isn’t known for having a strong bite, but the fact that this was from a gas station store, is from a brand I’ve never heard of, and is blue... some part of me saw it being a bit harsher on the throat.Other than that it tastes like crème soda... I really wish there was more I could milk out of this.I don’t have an A&W cream soda nearby to compare it too, but if this is to be considered the “off brand” I’d definitely give it a try.One more thing before I give up on trying to tell you what cream/crème soda tastes like.The Spicewood Blue Crème Soda isn’t overly sweet.I mention this because a lot of people don’t like crème soda due to its overly sweet taste.While sweeter tasting than many cola’s, Spicewood Blue Crème Soda stays right where it needs to on the range o’ sweetness.

~A

Safeway Grape Soda

   This may be my last generic grape soda for a while... as much as I love them I’m kind of tired of reviewing them so often.Who knows, maybe I’ll move onto orange.Anywho, today’s entry is Safeway Grape Soda (purchased at Kroger).This is another free drink from a co-worker, which I love getting.If I knew all the drinks I’d get for free by just reviewing them, I might have reviewed electronics instead.

   The can art is simplistic, which is always a plus with me.I’m not really fond of the fact that the Safeway name is clearly visible on the can, I’d much rather them title it something besides “grape” and remove the store label.The ingredients are chemicals, which is why I’m not going to even bother listing them.Something I did learn though is that it takes Red Dye 40, and Blue Dye 1 to make this particular shade of purple.Here goes the test.

   First off there is way too much burn for me in this drink.I can feel it on the roof of my mouth, my tongue, and even under my tongue.I’m all for a little kick with my drinks, but this is too much.When an “All Natural” drink has some burn, I usually savor it... unlike a “chemical” drink where I just associate the burn with chemicals.Grape sodas should have some sort of smooth taste to them; this one has way too much tingle.Past the actual feel of the drink, it’s your generic grape soda.It’s a little weaker on the grape flavor, but that may be because your mouth is more concentrated on the previously mentioned feel.Safeway Grape Soda isn’t a bad grape soda, I’ve just had several better.If given the opportunity, just get Grapette.

~A

Hill Country Fare - Pineapple Soda

Sticking with the class of store brand sodas we move on from HEB brand grape to HEB brand pineapple soda.  The packaging is much of that like the grape, with the difference being a color scheme change. 

Upon first taste of this soda it gives you a crisp pineapple taste, with a little too much carbonation burn following it.  Although it doesn't taste as syrupy as pineapple juice, it does coat your mouth in a pineapple blanket after each sip.  Of course there isn't any real fruit juice in each can, since it's produced by a store. (it would be nice to see a store brand soda do such a thing though)

Overall it delivers exactly what you'd think a store brand pineapple flavored soda would.  It's a bit too sweet for me to consider making it a regular drink of mine.  If I'm thirsty and happen to have anything else in my fridge, I can see myself drinking the other most of the time. 

On an amusing note, the following is printed on the side of the can:

WE HOPE YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH THIS PRODUCT.  IF NOT, WE WILL CHEERFULLY REFUND YOUR MONEY.

Maybe it's just me, but I find humour in picturing someone returning this single can of pineapple soda.  The 1950's style store clerk behind the counter smiles at them, then gets 40 cents, and hands it to the customer... never breaking gaze.

~A