Gamer Soda Grape

   Three Gamer Soda flavors down… one to go!  Since this particular Gamer Soda doesn’t have a flavor listed on it, yet the packaging is purple, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that it’s grape.  I am the connoisseur of grape flavored sodas between the two of us, and I look forward to trying this installment from Gamer.  You can read all about my history with grape sodas in some of the many links I’m posting in this article.  Enough chit chat… time for business!

   This has a cheap grocery store brand grape soda smell.  Now if you’ve read those articles I told you about, then you’d know that sentence is a compliment.  For those of you who are too lazy to read the articles, that first sentence means that it has a strong, recognizable, definite, grape odor.  Gamer Soda surprises me most every time when it comes to the punch of the aroma that escapes the bottle, shame on me for doubting.   Let’s find out if the flavor matches.

   The first thing I noticed is that my stomach is VERY empty.  I really need to eat something after I finish this review.  Secondly I’m really impressed with the amount of flavor I’m getting here.  It has that “artificial grape” taste (again, read the articles…), but with a very clean finish.  Gamer Soda Grape seems to have the best of both worlds, excluding the sodium benzoate of course.   You get just the right amount of grape flavoring without all of the heaviness a non-brand grape soda would carry with it.  If I do say so myself, Gamer Soda Grape is the first refreshing grape soda I’ve ever had.  There’s really not much more to say.  I don’t even have a funny story to go with this, so here’s an amusing word… Wolpertinger.

~A

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Gamer Soda)

Twist is actually half Wolpertinger... which makes him 100% Wolpertinger

Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock Soda

   As promised I’m going to try something a little different today with the review today.  In front of me is the head of a dog.  I don’t know if the dog’s name is Fentiman, or if Fentiman is a particularly unattractive person who happens to look like a dog.  It doesn’t matter who/what Fentiman is.  What does matter is that I have a bottle of his Dandelion & Burdock soda in front of me, given to us by Dustin H.  Since I haven’t the slightest idea of what this could taste like, I thought it might be fun to do the review without trying the soda… then taste the soda and give the real review.   Care to play?  Yes, let’s.

***Faux Review:

Ok let’s take some time to smell the roses…er… dandelions, and open this beautiful bottle up.  Wow, the smell isn’t quite as strong as I thought it’d be, but what I do smell has a fruity scent to it.  The closest thing I can describe the smell to is mixed berry yogurt, Yoplait of course.  Ok, enough smelling… time to drink!

Hmm… that’s a hard flavor to describe (especially when I haven’t tasted it yet, tee hee).  While I definitely still taste the berries I initially smelled, I also get kind of an earthy flavor hitting me in the spot my tonsils used to reside.  I like this, but I don’t think I’d drink it every day.  The sweetness is just about perfect, but I wish there was a bit more fizz to this.  I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I’m glad I ended up giving it a try.  Speaking of trying new things…

Faux Verdict – Buy a Pack***

   Ok, how was that?  Hopefully it’s fairly accurate, but we’re about to find out for realsies.  Let’s open this bad boy up.

   Ok it definitely does have a fruity smell, but much closer to a combination of cherries and grape Robitussin.  I can smell the slight amount of alcohol in this.  Just a heads up, it is fermented, and has less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.  I decided to drink this because it was given to us by a fan, but it technically doesn’t meet all of our standards for a soda we’d normally review.  Enough chatter, let’s take a swig.

   That is a peculiar flavor, and I don’t really taste much sugar at all.  Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock starts off with a flavor comparable to cough syrup, which transforms into… well, cough syrup.  It’s obviously not thick like cough syrup so I guess that’s a plus.  Oh no!  Someone has put a gun to my head, and is making me describe it in one sentence!  It tastes like cough syrup soda without the vapory feeling cough syrup gives your mouth.  Fwew!  He’s gone… thanks for all your help!  Oh, another thing.   It also has a bit of a black licorice finish to it, but it’s so slight I reluctantly added it only after Twist made me.  One positive comment I will say about Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock is that you don’t have to search for the flavor… unlike my previous experience with Dry Soda Co. Lavender.  Sadly though, it seems that this really isn’t up my alley… and that’s fine.  If you’re a big fan of the ‘Tussin maybe you should give it a try.  I for one like a little ‘Tussin.

~A

Twist got soooooo WASTED!

Gamer Soda Orange

   Gamer soda is back in our hands, and this time it has the flavor of oranges.  As you may know we’ve already tried two of the Gamer soda flavors… cherry and citrus.  I’m a fan of orange soda, so I’m quite interested to see how well this clear concoction delivers.   Let’s open it shall we?

   The smell is most definitely orange.  It’s not a chemically smelling orange either; in fact it smells like the fine mist that occurs when you squeeze an orange peel.   For now I’m going to file that in the “Yay” book.  Drinkin’ time.

   Well that’s odd.  The smell definitely has a more lingering orange experience to it than the taste.  Gamer Orange doesn’t have a diet taste to it, but the mouth feel is that of a diet drink.  What I mean by that is it doesn’t sit heavy in your mouth like say a Sunkist Orange Soda would.  A light mouth feel is fine and dandy (like sour candy) but this is just a bit too light for me.  Picture one of those people who own a pet parrot, but are really too close to it.  You know the people I’m talking about, they allow the birds head into their mouth so it can pick at their teeth.  Now picture a parrot of your choosing picking at the teeth of its owner, who we will now call Raphael.  This particular parrot accidentally dropped a candy orange slice on the back of the Raphael’s tongue (no questions on how he got one, parrots are crafty creatures), but then being greedy the parrot immediately picked the orange slice back up again.  This only teased Raphael’s taste buds to the fantastic flavor of orange he could be experiencing had he not raised a greedy parrot.  That is what Gamer Orange tastes like… without the taste of parrot feathers of course.  The beverage taunts you with what it could be if the flavor only lasted a little longer.  Sure you have a decent aftertaste, and in a lot of cases that would be enough for me, but not in this one.  After this rant you might think that I’d rate this beverage lower, but the orange flavor they tease you with really is tasty… like crackers.

~A

**Update!**

We received an e-mail from Gamer Soda explaining the way the flavor hits your tongue!

Considering your parrot analogy, when you sweeten with real (cane) sugar, the flavor comes & goes quicker because it doesn’t coat your mouth like syrup. HFCS has been commercially used for so long now that most consumers have gotten used to it’s yuckiness. You can really tell the difference when comparing side-by-side, and if you ever compare the 2 at room temperature, there’s a huge difference (not that you’d drink a soda at room temperature…this almost qualifies as a sin). The cane sugar soda tastes fine, but the HFCS can barely be tolerated. Lastly, cane sugar sodas don’t need nearly the same carbonation, because you don’t have to trick your taste buds like you do when using corn syrup. As they say, you get what you pay for!

Thanks to Gamer Soda for showing an interest in the site, and helping teach us all a little bit more about soda.

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Gamer Soda)

After one too many oranges I can get Twist to clean my teeth

Topo Chico Lime

   I’m a bit late posting this, but today’s drink is actually last Friday’s drink.  Last Friday’s drink was Topo Chico Lime Flavor.  If you happened to listen to the Popcast from last Friday, and you’re missing some good stuff if you didn’t, you already know how this review ends up.  Actually I’m going to break format today and turn this into a rant.  First off, let’s get the review portion of this out of the way…

   Topo Chico Lime Flavor has somewhat of a lime smell, but it’s really only to taunt you.  After consuming this you’ll immediately learn that it is basically seltzer water with the hintiest hints of lime.  That’s it, review over, check the end for the rating.  Sorry if that wasn’t all your dreams lead you to believe it would be, but I’m tired.

   Tired you say?  Yes, I’m tired of the lack of good lime flavored beverages.  I’m not talking Key Lime, or Cherry Limeade, or that made up “Lymon” nonsense… I’m talking LIME.  You know lime; he’s lemon’s overlooked, but equally awesome brother.  Lime is one of my favorite flavors, but soda companies seem to mute it, over sweeten it, or pair it with another flavor when they make a soda out of it.  I want to find an AWESOME lime soda.  I want to find a lime soda that hits you in the mouth with how tart it is, then rocks you back to sleep with some sweetness.  It should be refreshing on a hot day, and have a light mouth/stomach feel to it.  While I’m making demands, it should also use cane sugar for sweetener.  Actual limes should be used in the beverage itself, and you should be able to taste them.  Topo Chico uses lime essential oils in this “lime flavored” beverage.  I’m pretty sure they aren’t all that “essential” to the limes that are missing them, because they hold none of the flavor.  So this is my challenge to you soda manufacturers, jerks, and jerkettes… find me a good lime flavored soda.  By finding one you will be helping me see that our friend the lime isn’t being overlooked.  For smurfs sake they make passion flower flavored soda!  Now make me some lime soda; you’ll be improving the lives of so many if you do.  Oh yeah, one more thing…

~A

Twist the Iguana has more lime flavor than this

Zuberfizz Grape Soda

  Oh Zuberfizz, how you perplex us.  One minute I can be enjoying a delicious beverage from your factory, and the next I can open a different drink of the same flavor only to find it watery.  In front of me I have a bottle of Zuberfizz Grape Soda, and since I’m such a “Grape” guy, it’s my job to review it.  I already know Mike’s call on this beverage… he claimed that it was watery.  He also made that claim before we knew that Zuberfizz Soda was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde.  Now that we know that there are both, I have to hope this is one of the good ones.  If in fact it is watery, I have to hold it against them.  Hopefully, like Hot Lips did, they will explain why some of their beverages don’t quite match up to others.  Let’s open this up.

  Well some good news is the fact that it smells like a grape jolly rancher.  I really do hope that means the flavor is strong as well.  I always enjoy it when the cool refreshing cloud escapes from the neck of the bottle… if only it were the color of the beverage it was fleeing.   Time to drink.

  How sad, it’s watery.  While there is a decent amount of grape flavoring, it has no real bite.  It’s a smooth soda, but I’m not sure I like that for a grape flavored beverage.  I want to be able to feel this punch me in the back of the throat.  While I like that they use real cane sugar, this tastes to me like watered down grape soda that’s trying to hide behind its sugar.  What I mean by that is since there is no bite for the sweetness to compete with; it makes the drink seem too sweet.  It’s not a gross flavor by any means, but I can’t recommend you buy this when there is better tasting, cheaper, grape sodas out there.  Could this be a watery batch… sure, but until I taste a better one.

~A

Twist hid my camera, so I had to take a weird angle shot with my phone

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Zuberfizz)

OKF Sparkling Fresh Grape

   Have you ever seen a clear can?  Well I hadn’t either until I picked up OKF Sparkling Fresh Grape.  Technically the can in question isn’t aluminum, but plastic… much like the lower half of a 20 oz bottle.  It’s really more of a can/bottle hybrid, but the important thing is that it’s in front of me.  If you listen to our Popcast you already know how we feel about this drink, and that I won’t have any problem reviewing it again in text form.  Here’s a fun fact that OKF Sparkling Fresh Grape taught us… the word Raisin is French for Grape.  Who knew?  The French I guess.  Whelp, it's time to open the canotle… botan… cattle… can/bottle.  (You really can’t combine the words that well)

   The drink has a fresh smelling grape juice aroma, which makes sense since it’s one of the six listed ingredients (even though it is only 1% of the total beverage).  It even smells a little sweet, so we’re off to a good start here.  Let’s drink.

   Just as we described on the Popcast, that while this drink is lightly flavored, it’s just the right amount for what it is.  I really think the cane sugar helps bring out the grape juice flavoring, and that’s honestly what puts it over the top for me flavor wise.  The carbonation is also light, making this just fizzy enough to separate itself from flavored water, but light enough to still be refreshing.  Fortunately the taste matches the light grape juice smell, with just a touch more sweetness added to it.  Now, I could easily drink more than the 8.3 oz that come in this bottle, but having such a small portion really makes it seem like a reward instead of a drink.  All in all, OKF Sparkling Grape is a pleasant beverage by all aspects; it’s healthy, all natural, light, sweet, and comes in a cool container.  With all that said…

~A

Twist finally made it over to Mike's house... and proceeded to eat all of his Zelda collectibles

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

Gamer Soda Cherry

   Remember Crystal Pepsi?  As a child I was amazed that Pepsi could be clear, and still have the same flavor as its original counterpart.  My mind literally exploded out of my ears when I learned that there could be a clear, non citrus flavored beverage.  How far science had taken us in the 10 short years I’d been alive.  I wax poetically on Crystal Pepsi because in front of me sits a clear cherry flavored beverage called Gamer Soda.  This cherry flavored Gamer Soda was sent to us by the fine folks at Gamer Soda, and to back up our end of the bargain we’re gonna review it.  By all accounts this beverage is right up our alley.  We both enjoy video games, and obviously we both enjoy soda.  The bottle art has a red hue to it so that it might represent the cherry flavoring, and the nutritional information is listed clearly at the top of the bottle… almost like a status bar in a video game.  The logo for Gamer Soda is somewhat witty as they use what looks to be a generic console controller as the “M” in the word Gamer.  All in all the appearance is nice, not over the top, but still original enough to maybe catch your eye.

   I open the bottle expecting a very light cherry odor to come out of the top of the bottle.  To my surprise the cherry scent comes rolling out at a much higher abundance than I imagined.  It’s not at a Cherry Crush level of scent, but it’s still stronger than you’d think.  Let’s drink this.

   Light is the first word that comes to my mind.  That’s not the flavor description, but the actual mouth feel of the soda is light.  This isn’t as heavy of a drink like something you might experience in an IBC Black Cherry, which I am also a fan of.  While I do normally associate a heavier taste with cherry flavored beverages, the fact that this one isn’t quite at powerful actually works for it.  I consume heavier beverages with less frequency than those that sit more lightly in my stomach, and I think the lack of coloring is helping that cause.  What I’m trying, and failing to say is this, it seems that the fine folks at Gamer Soda have reached a very good place when it comes to the amount of flavor, and how rich the beverage is.  Coupled with the fact that they use both Vitamin B, and cane sugar in their product and you get a good soda that you’ll be going back to.  After trying cherry I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to reviewing the Grape flavored Gamer Soda.  We said it best during the Popcast when it came down to giving it a score, so if you want the full explanation you’ll have to listen.  For now you’ll just get this…

~A

Faux Fact:  Twist can turn invisible

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Gamer Soda)

Safeway Select - French Berry Lemonade

   I hold in my hand 11oz of Safeway Select – French Berry Lemonade.  The term Safeway Select seems kind of like an oxymoron to me.  Seriously, how could anything be a “Select” brand when it comes from Safeway?  Dan the Fan brought this to me, and I was immediately intrigued by the aspect of drinking carbonated lemonade.  I’ve recently, in the past 3 years or so, started appreciating lemonade much more than I did in my youth.  This lemonade, lucky me, has strawberry infused with it.  As I look at the ingredient label on this oddly shaped bottle, I’m pleased with what I read.  This soda contains carbonated water, sugar, natural lemon flavor, natural strawberry flavor, citric acid, and grape skin extract for color.  That’s a top notch ingredient list, especially when you notice the lack of sodium benzoate.  The label has a French stylization to it, which makes me think I’m about to drink something fancy… that is until I look up and see the word Safeway.  Enough rambling, time to open this up.

   I wish this had a normal bottle cap on it, not one of those bottle caps with the longer sides.  This has a very sweet smell that seems to lean toward the strawberry side.  Let’s take a walk on the strawberry side, shall we?

   Impressive amount of fizz here in this first sip… hopefully that holds up.  It starts off with the same tongue tingling sensation that a flavored sparkling water does, but fortunately this actually has the flavor to back it up.  The flavor itself isn’t over powering, but I’m definitely enjoying it.  The lemon flavor gives way to the strawberry, much as its odor did.  Even though the strawberry flavoring is the more prevalent of the two, the lemon is still tasted in the later stages of the drinking process.  I found the aftertaste to be pleasant as well; in fact it’s a little sweet.  I’m very impressed with this Safeway Select – French Berry Lemonade.  It has a very light mouth feel, an enjoyable flavor, and top notch ingredients.

~A

Faux Fact:  All iguanas are of French origin

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.

Sunkist Float

   One of our first reviews was for A&W Float in a bottle.  Mike hated that drink, and when I asked why he told me it tasted of rancid milk.  I scoffed at him as I took my first few sips, then realized he was right.  The taste of overdue milk had invaded my mouth, it was ruining everything about my day.  Now over two years later I have its sister in front of me… Sunkist Float in a bottle.  This was given to us by a fan named Abel A, so I thank you Abel A.  Now I’m a fan of Sunkist Orange Soda, it’s one of the better generic brands out there if you ask me.  If this ruins my taste for Sunkist, so help me there will be blood.  Time to crack it open, and take a whiff.

   Sigh… it smells of rancid milk, and oranges.  In a tone only Eeyore could replicate “Let’s drink.”

   Right off the bat I get the taste, and texture, of melted orange sherbet, and nothing else.  There is no real carbonation to be found here, although I know it’s there by looking on the label.  Looking at the label I also see that this is Sugar sweetened, well I learned something new.  Now, this isn’t anything you’re going to want to drink for refreshment; this is strictly a standalone beverage in my opinion.  I am happy to say that so far there is no sign of a spoiled milk flavor creeping up on me.  As you might suspect, Sunkist Float is a very sweet drink, but not overly so.  In trying to create a Float in a Bottle, I give them a C+.  I think if they carbonated it a bit more, and removed a bit of the thick texture it’d be a good beverage.  Overall Sunkist Float isn’t a bad drink, nor is it a great drink.  This is something you’ll see one day in a convenience store, and maybe you’ll buy it if you’re feeling wacky.  I’ll tell you right now that I’ll never buy this again.  That’s not meant to scare you off, I’m just guessing the experience won’t pull you back for more.

~A

Faux Fact: Iguanas eat over 4,500 lbs of oranges a day.

Deerfield Sweet Strawberry Cream

   I haven’t had many Strawberry Cream Sodas, in fact I’ve only had one… and it was delicious.  What I have in front of me is given to us by Dan the Fan, and it as you may have guessed is a strawberry cream soda.  It’s a Deerfield Trading Co. Strawberry Cream soda to be exact, a brand we’ve tasted/loved before, and it's time to review it.

   Upon opening this almost smells like strawberry soda with a bit of fruit punch mixed in.  There really is nothing amazing about the scent, so let’s upend and move on.

   The flavor is good, but it seems watery.  I really wanted to have my taste buds blown away by what should be a naturally powerful strawberry flavor.  To me this tastes like they took generic strawberry punch and... Wait a second, how about we do this in story form? 

   You’re at your High School Dance, and you’re feeling a bit thirsty.  Dressed to the nines you walk over to the concession booth, hand Ms. Grundy a nickel, and get yourself a delicious strawberry punch.  Just after you started on your strawberry punch Veronica/Reggie comes over and asks you to dance.  Being a gentlemen/lady you oblige them and wander out on the dance floor forgetting your strawberry punch, and instead dream you’re dancing with Nancy/Chuck.  If Veronica/Reggie could climb inside your head they would be heartbroken… HEARTBROKEN!  You consider yourself a horrible person, but then think “if Moose can find happiness with Midge, don’t I deserve to be happy too?”  As the song comes to a close you make eyes with Veronica/Reggie hoping they don’t see the dreams behind them.  Wandering back to your table, nursing a now bruised foot, you sit down to enjoy your strawberry punch.  Sadly though, all the ice has melted, and it’s once vibrant red is now a shade lighter.  You take a sip, and you are awash with disappointment as what was once delicious is now average at best.

~A

Twist always rooted for Big Ethel

Nu-Grape

   This week’s review, which you already know if you listen to the Popcast, is Nu-Grape.  If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m the resident Grape Soda reviewer.  Since my title is as such, I must now review Nu-Grape.  Let us begin.

   This is the some of the worst bottle art I’ve seen in a long time, and I realize I bring up bad bottle art more often than not.  It’s like they didn’t even try.  I’m all for simplistic art, in many cases it works better than highly detailed art.  Sadly though a yellow background and three simple stars will never catch my eye, or convince me to purchase something.  Time to open this up.

   The initial smell is that of a standard grape soda, even the chemical scent wafting out of the mouth of the bottle doesn’t scare me away.  While I usually try to stay away from chemicals in my soda, grape soda is the exception.  I’m sure I’ve explained that somewhere on the site before, but let’s just leave it at that for now.  Bottom’s up!

   This tastes like a standard grape soda, with a little more sugar in it than I’m used to.   You can definitely taste the chemicals, but something doesn’t quick sit right with me.  Maybe it’s the nail polish taste I occasionally get from it, maybe it’s the fact that I’d enjoy this flavor more as a Popsicle, or maybe it’s the fact that the label is now all over my hands.  My hands are covered in label ink now; someone must have taken the cheap route when making this label.  I will say that the design is way more interesting with a few smears here and there though.  This can’t really be blamed on Nu-Grape; it probably is the fault of the bottler.  I won’t list their name here incase I’m incorrect.  The long of the short of it is this… this is a basic grape soda.  It’s not overly special, it’s not overly gross.  The perfect situation for drinking it is this.  You’re out in the middle of New Mexico on some lonesome road.  You notice you’re running out of gas and stop at what seems to be an oasis of a gas station.  It looks like it hasn’t been touched by human hands in over 50 years, but that’s ok, all you need is gas.  After filling up you shamble inside out of the heat for just a bit to get something cool to drink.  The wooden floor echoes beneath your boot, as you wander over to the drink section.  This isn’t an ordinary drink section though, it’s just a big wooden box filled to the brim with ice.  In this ice sits one bottle.  Through the smearing label you can see that it reads “Nu-Grape.” So being thirst you buy a bottle.

~A

Twist doesn't like being at Mike's... hence his absence

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

Zuberfizz: Key Lime Cream Soda

   I’m getting married soon, sorry ladies, and this past Christmas my best man bought me 8 random sodas, a keg of Virgil’s Root Beer, and a large metal bucket to ice said sodas in.  Couple that with the fact that I’ve known him for 12 or 13 years, and you now know why he’s my best man.   One of the sodas he gave me is Zuberfizz:  Key Lime Cream Soda.  Now having tried another Key Lime soda in the past, I can already tell you I’m excited.  What makes this an even more exciting moment is the fact that Zuberfizz uses sugar instead of HFCS in their sweetening process. 

Twist prefers Dum Dums to Saf-T-Pops

   I’m incredibly thirsty right now, which doesn’t happen very often when I’m about to review a soda.  The label isn’t helping the situation either.  “Classic Draft Soda” is written in a basic black font on the top of the label.  I’m sure they didn’t think anyone was going to care about that part of the label, but it’s making my mouth water.  Something about the phrase “Classic Draft Soda” just sounds so amazingly good to me.  The rest of the label is done in a classic 1940’s western style, which I think would look cool on a shirt.  The bottle cap is even awesome, the classic look they went with here is really winning me over.  Enough chatter, let’s open this up.

   Ever go to the bank, drive up or walk-in… it doesn’t matter.  If you have a totally awesome bank, or doctor, there will usually be a point where you can get a sucker.  They are usually multicolored, and in a bowl of some sort.  Me personally, I always go for the lime green suckers because I’m a sucker for lime. (Har, Har, Har)  This smells just like a lime green bank sucker, that’s all I’m going to say because I want to drink it now.

   It has a great Key Lime taste, a little tart, refreshing… I will already recommend you try this if you find it.  The cream soda aspect of it is certainly there in the mouth feel of this Zuberfizz concoction.  It’s a very creamy aftertaste with little carbonation.  You would think there would be more carbonation since the bottle proclaims “Feel the Fizz” but alas there is not.  It’s not too sweet, it’s just right in most aspects of flavor.  The aftertaste is that of green bank suckers, so the smell is dead on when compared to the flavor.  It leaves a little bit of a film on the back of my throat, that’s the down side to this drink.  If I could perfect this soda, I would make the finish a bit cleaner than it is already. 

A “Twist’s Choice” Recipient

Sjampie

   I asked a friend of mine who lives in the Netherlands to suggest a drink for me to review.  His response was the Dutch beverage Sjampie.  Fortunately he’s the kind of guy that will pick me up an extra bottle, and then take the effort to get it to me.  Thanks K!  Enough chatter, time to review me some Sjampie.

   Before I go any further I feel obligated to give you the correct pronunciation of Sjampie.  It’s pronounced  Shahmp-ee.  That’s not exactly how I would say it, mostly because Sh-jamp-ee is so much more fun to say.  Moving along.  The bottle art is quite plain; it has a few yellow/green bubbles adoring the top and bottom of the beverage, but nothing all that elaborate.  The name of the beverage, Sjampie, sits on the neck of the bottle, while Corvo (which I can only assume the manufacturer) rests on the base.  In-between the two brands read the words “Limonadegazeuse Sjampie”.  This, from my best guess, is the flavor I’m about to consume.  While I associate Limon with lemon/lime, the color of the soda is brown… which leaves me a bit perplexed. 

   Silly me, I tried to twist off a foreign cap forgetting they usually need a bottle opener, time to get my flip-flops. (My mom purchased me some flip-flops with a bottle opener on the bottom… she’s the best)  Wow… upon opening it I get the smell of egg-nog cola, with maybe with a just a hint of chocolate.  I know there is no possible way for that to be the flavor, but needless to say my curiosity keeps going up the longer I hold this bottle in my possession.  Let’s Drink.

   It has the essence of a cola, the bite, the color… but it also seems to have a citrus flavor hiding within.  This is remarkably hard to attach a flavor to it.  It’s almost like a lemon cola with something else going on inside of it.  There is very light carbonation, but that seems to work with Sjampie.  In fact the smell, taste, and light carbonation of Sjampie make it seem like a drink that would normally house alcohol.  The flavor is not overpowering, in fact it’s quite mellow; almost like a flat, slightly watered down RC cola with a handful of lemons dropped inside of it.  I will say that it leaves a film on my teeth, much like drinking a warm Coke would.  Ok… the word “Limonadegazeuse” on the side of the bottle is mocking me… therefore I must look up what it means.  **Time Passes** Oddly enough as one word I couldn’t find a translation, but when I separate them into “Limon” and “Gazeuse” I get Lemonade – Soda Water.  This is a very rough Dutch translation of course, but I’m happy that I was able to at least guess the flavor. 

Twist is 1/128th Dutch

Sangria Señorial

   If you’ve listened to the Popcast you already know what I’m going to say about Sangria Señorial.  If you haven’t, then get ready for a written review that will drive you to drinking… soda that is.  Ok, so here’s the skinny.  A fan of the show, Dan Dubs, gave us a bottle of Sangria Señorial to review.  Neither of us have ever had normal Sangria so we weren’t sure what to expect, so take my review with a grain of salt in this case.

   Looking at the bottle it seems like a classy beverage.  Sure, it could be a lot classier looking if it was placed in a glass bottle, but who am I to complain… oh yeah!  I have to immediately assume that this will have at least a grape taste to it based on the fancy logo, coupled with the fact that Sangria is basically “wine punch”.  Time to drink.

   Upon opening the bottle I can’t really smell anything.  Unfortunately I have to share this with Mike, so I must pour it in a glass.  Wow, apparently letting it breath opens up a whole new side to this beverage.  I now get the distinct smell of acetone wafting off the top of it.  If I could stop after smelling it I would, but as you know we do this for the big bucks, so here we go.  Alright, it’s not half bad for a beverage.  It has a very robust flavor, much like a "grown up" grape juice/soda.  It has a full body, and the odor dissipates the more you drink it.  I’m sure the odor doesn’t go away, but it’s like your taste buds are telling your nose that it’s ok to consume it.  There is a hint of tartness in it, and just enough sweet to battle it back.  Holding it up to the light it has a color much like a merlot.  This is certainly something, which if poured in the right glass, would look like a fantastic beverage to be drinking.  I can’t say that the flavor is addicting, but it’s unique, and certainly grows on you. 

 ~A

Twist had the day off... rough life being an iguana.

Romano's Creamy Strawberry

   My up and down relationship with the drinks from our friends at Romano’s Italian Soda is well documented on this site.  Today’s installment is one I’ve honestly been putting off, Romano’s Italian Soda Creamy Strawberry.  I was just recently was turned onto strawberry soda.  I can’t say that I love it, but it’s a solid flavor… I’m sure the rest of the world is glad I approve of it.  My only qualm with strawberry soda is the fact that it’s usually a bit too sweet for my complete liking.  Since Romano’s punched me in the face with their Sour Apple (in a good way) I thought their strawberry soda would be so sweet I’d be turned to sugar.

   Looking at the color of Romano’s Creamy Strawberry I feel a bit better about my decision to try it.  The only way I can describe it is pink bordering on red.  I like the color of this soda a lot actually; it has a fresh look to it.  I don’t know why, but I just feel that when I drink this I’ll be transported to a garden in spring time.   It’s time to delve down a little further.

   I must say that I’m quite intoxicated by the strawberry smell coming out of the mouth of this bottle.   It’s such a rich odor, there is no doubt that you’re about to enjoy the taste of strawberries.  I was neutral about trying this soda before, now I’m actually craving my first taste.  Let’s drink.

Creamy strawberry soda, the label says it all.  This is without a doubt the best Romano’s soda I’ve tried to date.  Think of drinking your basic strawberry soda, now instead of that bite you get at the end of it… you know the one that kind of hurts your throat a bit?  Instead of that bite you get a smooth cream all the way through the drink.  The lack of bite doesn’t take away from the flavor either.  Romano’s Italian Soda has a solid strawberry essence through, and through.  It’s a sweet drink, and while I got onto them for not making Blackberry tarter, I’m ok with this one being as sweet as it is since it’s labeled as a “creamy” beverage.  The aftertaste is just as delicious as the drink itself.  It doesn’t stick in your mouth; it’s moderately light and pretty refreshing.  While I don’t think I’ve had enough strawberry sodas to consider myself a connoisseur of them, this is the best strawberry soda I’ve ever had. 

~A

Twist was actually the inspiration for the song "Strawberry Fields Forever"

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Romano's)

Reed's Natural Energy Elixir

   My apologies for putting this review up so late after we completed the Popcast.  We try and have them up within a few days after recording, but with the holidays, and all, I got behind.  Wait a second… why am I apologizing?  I’m a Jerk!  Today I hold in my hand a beverage with an erupting volcano on the front, Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir.  I’ll tell you right now that I’m excited to drink this for a couple of reasons.  Reason one is that it’s from Reed’s, and they very rarely steer us in the wrong direction.  The second reason is that this beverage holds the title of an elixir.  I wish there were more elixirs on the market.

   Since this is an energy drink you would assume it has a chemical taste.  Well had you listened to the Popcast you’d know that it does not, and that can be attributed to its long list of natural ingredients.  Here’s the list that they put on the side of the can, with each of their benefits.

Ginger – powerful antioxidant, increases metabolism, elevates mood, improves digestion and nutrition absorption.

Green Tea – rich in epigallacatechin gallate (EGCG) a powerful antioxidant, a natural source of caffeine, lowers bad cholesterol.

Ginseng – a powerful adaptogen that counters stress and increases endurance.

Goji – Himalayan longevity secret with powerful antioxidants, counters aging, and increases resistance to disease.

Açaí – a rainforest super fruit packed with antioxidants, energy, and nutrition

Camu Camu – a rainforest super fruit with the highest concentration of vitamin C on any plant, antioxidant, mood balancing, antidepressant.

Jiaogulan – called the immortality herb, a powerful adaptogen that increases the body’s resistance to stress.

L-Theanine – an amino acid that creates a sense of relaxation and alertness similar to meditation.

B Vitamins – essential nutrients that help counteract stressful living.

   With this being my second can of Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir, I am sure I will achieve strenght, and immortality with the above ingredients.  I will overpower Mike (since he foolishly only had one can) and become the lone Soda Jerk.  Being a Soda Jerk is a lot like being a Highlander… except real.  Let’s move on shall we.

   After I crack open the top, I immediately get the strong smell of ginger, with a hint of honey.  It’s not exactly an inviting odor to me, but it doesn’t scare me away either.  It is nice to have such a powerful aroma coming off the top of a drink though; it means that each sip will more than likely be flavorful.  Let’s drink.

   As stated earlier, this drink doesn’t have the chemical taste of other energy beverages.  In fact if you look at the ingredient list as you drink, you can pick out the individual flavors.  You can taste the honey, the lemon/lime… this elixir has a complicated set of flavors if you look for it.  Ginger root is still the strongest flavor in the can, and it’s pretty well documented that I don’t like the burning sensation ginger produces when consumed, and Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir is a culprit as well.  I will say that it doesn’t have the burn of a ginger beer, and it’s tolerable by my own standards.  Since we judge all beverages the same, I will say that as sodas go it’s just alright.  On a second note, this drink does work well at giving you energy.  I don't feel jittery after trying it, just much more aware of what's going on around me.  The score won’t reflect how good of an energy drink it is, and let me tell you it’s a good one.  

~A

Twist has enjoyed 5 cans so far... there can be only one!

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Reed's)

Hot Lips Black Raspberry Soda

   Today’s installment is for Hot Lips Black Raspberry Soda.  We’ve reviewed a couple of Hot Lips sodas before.  One was the delightful Pear Soda, and the other was the less delightful Strawberry.  I say less delightful because the lemon juice was overpowering in the flavor of the Strawberry soda. 

   Since I really enjoy the ingredient list on the side of Hot Lips brand soda I will list it here.

Carbonated Water, Black Raspberries grown in Willamette Valley, OR, Can Sugar, Organic Lemon Juice

   As I push my nose closer to the opening of the bottle I notice that the beverage has a light, but healthy raspberry smell.  I really enjoy raspberries, as previously stated, so I now look forward to what I’m about to experience.

   Upon initial taste I notice very little carbonation, and have to remind myself that the bottle lists this beverage as “lightly carbonated”.  There is a slight raspberry tartness to it, as well as a noticeable sweetness.  Thankfully the sweetness is not overpowering, allowing the natural flavor of the berry to be tasted.  Fortunately for this beverage, the lemon juice listed on the ingredients does not overpower, unlike its strawberry counterpart.  I just got a black raspberry seed lodged in my tooth.  Normally I wouldn’t like this sensation, but in this case you know the Hot Lips Company is serious when they write that their sodas are made of natural ingredients.  While I wouldn’t reach for this beverage to be refreshed, it does a fairly good job of quenching a thirst.  (Sound like Déjà vu?) I would have to suggest that it be enjoyed by itself, as I personally don’t think its natural flavor would play well with others.  Much like the strawberry, this beverage is for a select audience, but if I saw it listed at a restaurant I would order it off the menu just to impress those that I’m with.  For those who think soda is bad for you… pick up any Hot Lips soda to be proven wrong.

Twist thinks he has "hot lips"... just play along

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Hot Lips)