Hank's Orange Cream Soda

Without looking I can already tell you the last several sodas we’ve reviewed have all been root beer or cream soda based beverages.  I thought about bucking that trend today, but instead of shocking your brains too much I’ll ease out of the root beer/cream soda genre with a tall orange bottle of Hank’s Orange Cream Soda.  This fancy looking bottle contains a liquid that has two things going for it; the first is that it’s sweetened with cane sugar.  Secondly, Hank’s uses orange juice concentrate in the making of their orange cream soda… something I haven’t seen before.  I’m curious if this will be as smooth as other orange cream or “dreamsicle” sodas since actual orange juice is in play here.  Only in time will we find out. 

Either I’m getting weaker or these twist off caps are getting harder to remove.  Yeesh.  Hank’s OCS delivers in the scent department by giving my snout a tremendous amount of both orange and vanilla aroma.  The dogs wrestling behind me can’t even pry my attention away from this beverage.

Forget what that last guy said about this not being a smooth orange cream.  That last guy was crazy, as this is a very smooth soda.  There is an initial burn on the tip of my tongue created by the enclosed fizz, but quickly it disintegrates into a creamy citrus slide.  If someone were to ask me if I thought this had orange juice concentrate in it I’d probably say it didn’t.  The orange flavor doesn’t really attack your throat like it would in juice form.  Instead it appears in front of you wrapped up in just enough vanilla that you have a hard time figuring out if it’s the real thing or not.  The orange vanilla hug that happens in this bottle continues its embrace down my gullet.  The two flavors are inseparable and work in tandem throughout each sip. 

The finish of Hank’s OCS leaves something to be desired as it develops a somewhat “fake” taste near the end that only worsens until you take another swig, starting the experience back over again.  I’m a little weary of my final gulp seeing as I won’t have anything left to reset the taste.  Perhaps I’ll open this extra People Water I have lying around.  All in all Hank’s OCS is a tasty soda with some shortcomings here and there.  Shortcomings included this should still be in your fridge in multiples.

~A

Twist coined the word "gourmet"

JOIA Pineapple Coconut & Nutmeg

When ThirstMonger said this week’s beverage was going to be JOIA, I honestly had no idea what would be coming in the mail.  When I opened the box I found six oddly delightful flavored sodas that I honestly can’t wait to try.  Since my fridge is full of soda as it is, I took a chance and picked the best two sounding flavors that were to be chosen from when chilled.  Upon opening my ice box again Joia Pineapple Coconut & Nutmeg was the winner and I cannot wait to try it. 

JOIA lists itself as an all-natural soda which is very pleasing to both my eyes and my tongue.  Looking at the ingredient list I’m impressed even further as I see pure cane sugar, real pineapple juice concentrate, and natural flavors of pineapple, coconut, nutmeg, cocoa, etc.  There’s other ingredients that are equally natural that I’m leaving out, but these are the ones that I’ll be tasting so I figured them important enough to mention.  The JOIA bottle design is very tranquil and reminds me of something I might be handed on a beach vacationing somewhere.  I’m not big on beach vacations, but I am big on fancy tropical drinks… perhaps I was just given an easy way to induce enjoyment.  I picked JOIA Pineapple Coconut & Nutmeg because those three flavors just sound like that need to be together, like they’ve been buddies all along playing behind the school.  Hopefully my initial thoughts won’t lead me astray. 

A delightful aroma containing all three of the listed flavors oozes out of the mouth of the bottle.  It’s not an overpowering aroma, but it certainly isn’t playing around.  I suppose it’s time to follow the directions on the side of the bottle and “Drink Instinct”.

Just as I suspected the flavors act as if they are old chums, each complementing the other.  Pineapple comes in as the base, setting the stage for its friends.  Coconut comes out and tells a light joke to get everyone chuckling and nutmeg works the lights determining the mood of each sip.  If one were to be considered strongest of the three it would have to be pineapple, but nutmeg and coconut aren’t far behind.  The Nutmeg adds a somewhat bitter taste to each sip, but the undertone of sweet pineapple helps me forget it by the end of my swig.  The carbonation level of JOIA is a slight, sharp fizz that grazes all parts of my mouth.  It keeps my tongue interested and tells my hand to continue picking up the bottle.  I’m not hugely fond of pineapple sodas so some of my bias may show in the rating, but JOIA does a good job with the natural juices and flavors they have on their palette.  While I enjoyed JOIA Pineapple, Coconut, and Nutmeg I’m sure it won’t be my favorite of the JOIA brand.  I can’t wait to find out what that will be.

~A

Twist says "You'll enJOIA it." Then he cried tears of sorrow for such a pun.

Faygo Original Rock & Rye

Fun fact!  Well honestly it’s less fun and more fact.  We have never reviewed a Faygo beverage on the site.  Odd, huh?  So now that my fridge now has a smattering of Faygo products I figured it’d be a good time to try out a flavor that is a complete and total mystery to me, Faygo Original Rock & Rye.  The only “rock” slang I know is either ice or drug related so I’m pretty sure I’m way off on that one.  Rye is somewhat easily identified, but again not something I’ve ever experienced in a beverage.  The ingredient list doesn’t help much in clarifying the flavor either.  With a brief glance I learn that it’s sweetened with cane sugar and after that the ingredients just slide down a slope of chemical nonsense.  I must assume it is chemical nonsense because all they’ve allowed me to read is “artificial flavors”…oh and of course your friend and mine, potassium benzoate. 

Thankfully, beneath the name of the beverage the sentence “artificially flavored cream cola” is a road map for my brain, pointing me in the right direction.  I feel safe in calling this beverage burgundy in color and very appealing to the eye in terms of label art and overall appearance.  It’s a very classy looking bottle albeit simple.  Any wonders I have about the taste are easily ignored when I gaze at the container the soda resides in.  Smell time.

Faygo Original Rock & Rye is easily identified as a cream soda after a quick whiff.  There is also what some might consider a bubble gum aroma also present which turns me of a bit to the soda, but hopefully it won’t translate into the flavor.  It would be such a disappointment if this was just another bubble gum/cream soda.  Taste time.

I’m pleased to report that it’s not your standard bubble gum fare at all.  There is a cola flavor present in the early stages of my sip, but it vanishes quickly and transforms into something more akin to a red cream soda.  Throughout all of this a delightful artificial cherry taste can be enjoyed which will bring up zero similarities to cherry medicine.  It’s very well executed in my opinion. 

Now I’ve listed cola, cream, and cherry as players in this bottle of Faygo Original Rock & Rye, but to call this a cherry cream cola would be an absolute lie.  For one reason or another the flavors feel separated in the bottle which makes for a nice journey.  Dependable, recognizable cola greets you as you start your 2 second hike through your current sip.  He shows you the path you must take and points out the dangers ahead (Fire Tigers and the like).  Just as you’re feeling safe enough to travel on your own the cream gently shows you the exit.  As you approach the exit you look up and realize that cherry has been watching you all along.  You’re a little creeped out with that realization while simultaneously feeling a bit of joy.  The quick fizzing bubbles rush you out the door and you immediately want to see them all again. 

Unfortunately the end of your journey involves the dreaded velvety curtain of syrup that just coats your mouth to the point of wanting glass of water when it’s all said and done.  Faygo Original Rock and Rye isn’t a perfect beverage, but I have to appreciate the trip it takes me on with each sip.

~A

BONUS CONTENT FOR PAID MEMBERS ONLY...wait... we don't have paid members?  Oh well, here's some interesting info from Reader Jim.  Reader Jim, take it away.

Rock and rye pop was invented in Detroit by Anthony Wegener of A Wegener and Son Bottling works in 1885. Faygo did not invent the drink. The pop was reintroduced after the factory closed in the late 1950.s in 1973 in canned form. Under the approval of Mary Wegener the wife of the late Frank Wegener, whom was the son and former president of the company,. He passed in 1973. My family has cans from the Seventies with the label stating "WEGENER'S ORIGINAL 1885 ROCK AND RYE POP"

Twist will accept rye bread as currency

Hank's Premium Highland Berry Soda

Call us the Looney Tunes because we’re back in action… except hopefully this review will at least be as enjoyable as that movie.  If not you can just chalk it up to rust.  Don’t be shocked by the tone of my voice.  Check out my new beverage, beverage of choice.  Hank’s Premium Highland Berry Soda.  It’s not especially clear to me what “Highland” berries are, although I will say the words create a delightful picture of nature surrounded by nature in my head.  A quick look at the ingredients just show’s me that this is sweetened with HFCS and that natural/artificial flavors are present.  All I really have to go on is the deep red colouring of the soda which brings to mind thoughts of raspberry (not the fake blue kind), cherry, cranberry, and perhaps dewberry.  Smell test.

The aroma is faint, but the scent of cherries and cream can be distinguished with a strong huff of the bottle.  Since you all know that I’m a little lad who loves cherries and cream I won’t waste your time talking about it anymore.  Taste time.

Ok, so maybe it wasn’t cherries I smelled.  The slight vanilla taste is definitely present though, making this soda wonderfully smooth.  Best I can tell, Hank’s Premium Highland Berry Soda is a combination of cranberry, strawberry, raspberry, and I guess there’s some cherry in there… but then again my mind could be playing tricks on me.  The way these flavors are grouped together is quite delicate.  Normally there is a player on center stage hamming it up as the rest of the flavors sit as trees in the background.  Don’t worry about them though.  Their parents are still in the audience filming every last second of their tree-dom.  In the case of Hank’s Premium Highland Berry Soda all roles are equally important, even that of the cream.  This equal amount of stage time really makes me think about the individual flavors I could potentially be tasting.  Virtual high-fives to the folks at Hank’s for creating this balanced eco-system of flavor goodness.  The carbonation levels don’t even intrude on the flavor math that has obviously been done.  Light, fizzy, and borderline fun, the bubbles just serve as a wakeup call to the interior my mouth before the actual flavor steps into the room. 

For all that this soda does well it’s not perfect.  The use of HFCS weighs down the end result of each sip I enjoy.  The mouth feel isn’t the heaviest I’ve felt, but it does detract from an enjoyable experience.  On an individual level I’m also not going to gush on and on about the flavors of the berries used in this bottle.  Each berry flavor comes off as somewhat generic to me.  The quality of the ingredients could be improved and with that I think an amazing soda would emerge.  Even though I have some complaints I would still recommend purchasing this soda.  Are there problems with it?  Yes, but the taste is still wonderfully complex without needing an “educated” palate to see all that it has to offer.

~A

On Earth 2 Twist is from the Highlands of Scotland

Sidral Mundet Manzana Verde

We love apple soda.  Apple soda is something we love.  With that said when we first proclaimed our love for apple soda it was suggested that we try Sidral Mundet because we’d love it.  We tried it and we did not love it.  In fact we told folks to steer clear of it.  “You should have had it in the glass bottle!” they said in reply.  While not reviewed on this site, Mike did try it in a glass bottle and formulated the same opinion.  Today is round three and it was given to us by Abel A.  Sidral Mundet Manzana Verde (Green Apple) is what sits in front of me, in a glass bottle nonetheless.  Of all the apple flavored sodas green is my favorite, no… my favourite.  That’s right I love it so much that I have to use the British spelling to convey said love.  The soda itself is a delightful mint green and is very appealing to the eye.  Being a product of Mexico it is of course sweetened with sugar and will more than likely require a bottle opener.  Smell time.

It did require said opener and upon removing the cap a blast of green apple aroma shot out of the bottle.  My faith is building that I may perhaps enjoy this beverage called Manzana Verde… by Sidral Mundet.  Taste time.

This is so much better than regular Sidral Mundet.  The apple flavor is stronger and not watered down.  I can decipher that it’s a green apple soda and not just an apple soda that’s green.  The carbonation is very light and hardly noticeable unless I swish it a bit.  Only after doing so do I notice a hint of bubble brushing against my cheeks.  The mouth feel throughout it was pleasant until I reached the end of my journey and found it to be a bit syrupy.  Even with this somewhat syrupy finale I would still recommend Sidral Mundet Manzana Verde as a drink to grab if you’re in need of some serious refreshment.  Overall I’m very pleased with this beverage and will ultimately recommend you purchase multiples.  Its strong points are color, taste, and carbonation with its only weak point being mouth feel.  Manzana Verde is a very nice entry into the genre of green apple sodas.  If I see it in a convenience store I’m sure I’ll pick one up for the journey ahead and suggest you should too.  Oooh, maybe with some Zesty Salsa Tortilla Combos!

~A

They're having a "green off".  Twist will win.

Pepsi X

Ok, I know I’m late on this one, but according to the date on the can it’s still fine to open and consume this Pepsi X.  If you watched X Factor at all this is the Pepsi flavor that was attached to it and may still be; I have no idea if that is still a thing that exists.  I’m not even going to make X Factor jokes as I honestly couldn’t care less about their tie in.  I am glad Pepsi made a new flavor, the name is dumb (tie in or not), but I always appreciate a new flavor no matter the reason.  Speaking of that new flavor, Pepsi X is dragon fruit flavored cola.  Dragon fruit flavored cola sounds like a horrible idea to me as I can’t think of many fruits that would mix well with a cola flavor outside of cherry and possibly lemon/lime if you’re just into that sort of thing.  Well… maybe apple would to, but that’s about it.  Needless to say my expectations are low for this limited edition soda that all the other soda review sites were talking about 5 months ago.  Let’s give it the old smell test.

It mostly smells like Pepsi, mostly.  One note before I continue describing the aroma of Pepsi X.  My dog is eating his food behind me and it sounds like he’s enjoying the ever loving love out of it.  The noises he’s creating “wolfing” (ha!) down his food is almost making me jealous of his dog food.  Perhaps this jealousy of dog food will help sway Pepsi X’s flavor in my favor.  Back to the review.  It mostly smells like Pepsi, mostly.  There is a secondary player at work here, the dragon fruit of course and I’m surprised to see that it’s represented well enough to appear in the smell test.  I still don’t think it will mix well with the taste of cola, but at least the Pepsi people didn’t just slip in a drop of dragon fruit and call it a day.  Taste time.

That is a peculiar Pepsi flavor.  The very beginning and end of the taste I just experienced is most certainly cola, but the middle is a sweet hodgepodge of flower and spice.  Not being familiar with the actual flavor of dragon fruit I can’t honestly say if it tastes like one or not although I will say that the flavor I was greeted with doesn’t seem like one nature would make on her own.  A second and third sip reveals more and more levels of spice that my first sip didn’t.  It seems as if there’s some cinnamon or nutmeg flavoring throughout, but before I’m able to greet each of them properly a hardy smack to the face is delivered by artificial sweeteners.  The cola aftertaste I first experienced has dwindled down to what seems like a chemical cola bath of tastes.  I was incorrect in thinking that dragon fruit and cola couldn’t mix, they do mix quite well.  I’m just saying that Pepsi X is not the pinnacle of dragon fruit/cola friendship.  Hopefully someone will or maybe already has created a higher end dragon fruit/cola mix.  I’m sure things taste a bit better when their made to taste pleasant instead of promoting a television show.  Dang it… I brought up the tie in again.

~A

Twist was on Star Search, he was one of the many runners up to Sam Harris

Cool Mountain Peach

Peach soda is usually a pleasant experience for me, but there’s just something about this bottle of Cool Mountain Peach that seems really, really generic.  The liquid inside is the appropriate color (if not a little on the pink side) and the label works with this scheme as well.  Keeping in line with the Real Soda bottling ways there is a message on the bottle that says “Chief Long Neck” which I can only assume is the “Native American name” of this particular bottle of Cool Mountain Peach.  Made with pure cane sugar, filtered water, and a host of nonsense this soda is very much a grab bag in terms of if I’ll like it or not.  Smell time.

While the scent does resemble that of a peach, when I placed it to the nose of our cat she backed away in an unsure manner.  Perhaps she could also smell the potentially over-sweetened aroma even my mere human nose discerned.  Taste time.

Like the old saying goes, “Trust the cat’s nose to know what’s best”.  Ok, so that’s not really a saying, but it still rings true in the scenario that just played out before me.  Cool Mountain Peach, a terrific name for a classic country song or an indie band, tastes of overly sweetened peach tasting chemicals.  Peach is already a dangerously sweet flavor so you must be careful when adding any additional sugars.  In this case it seems they went a few hairs in the wrong direction and created a beverage that would be better if the peach flavor held more of the stage.  Man, I use that “play” analogy a lot, but it works in so many aspects.

The carbonation level is fine, but it doesn’t really add anything extra to the beverage other than the typical fizz one might expect.  Overall Cool Mountain Peach is an average soda with way too sweet a taste for what could have been done.  I understand that sodas are typically sweet, but in this case it feels like they missed out on some potentially great flavors by making it so.

~A

Cool Mountain Peach... more like Cool Mountain BLEACH!  That statement isn't true at all, it was just fun to type.

Sprecher Red Apple

I don’t know if there has been a bottle of Sprecher’s soda that I wasn’t excited to see.  Imagine my mind exploding as I found a bottle of Seasonal Sprecher Red Apple Soda for my taste buds to enjoy.  Sprecher makes some of the most flavorful sodas around and should be given a chance by all.  This particular flavor is sweetened with Glucose Syrup.  Is it made with corn?  We’ll never know, but we also can’t rule out a variety of other starches as well.  The crow on the label seems to be tempting me with two and three quarter’s worth of apples.  Where did that final quarter go?  Perhaps it disappeared in the making of this soda as it does have actual apple juice in the ingredients.  Smell time.

Well the smell test is back.  It’s good news, Sir.  You’ve tested positive for apple.  Sprecher Red Apple has the aroma of… get this… apple.  There’s a hint of “not apple” waving off in the distance, but it might as well not be there.  It’s the dust on the camera lens that most people look past.  Taste time.

The initial taste of Sprecher Red apple is bursting with red apple flavor.  There is also the noticeable sweetness of honey greeting every aspect of my mouth.  The carbonation is fun and almost could be described as fluffy.  Large foamy bubbles roll over my back teeth inviting them all to partake in the amazing party that’s about to be had.  Then you have to ment…

Nothing.  The drink ends prematurely.  All of the fun that you and your mouth were having ends abruptly.  It’s like someone broke into your house and stole your TV.  You can still see on the wall where the TV clearly was, but it’s not there anymore.  Where is the finish to this drink?  I want more of this beverage!  That’s why there’s three quarters of an apple on the label, because it’s three quarters of a soda.  So much is going right with the flavor, sweetness, fizz combination only to have it stop.  Now the positive side to this is that I wouldn’t be complaining if it were a bad beverage; I’d be thanking my lucky stars.  Sadly(?) this is a delicious apple filled treat and it’s ripped away from you all too soon.  You could have had a perfect score Sprecher Red Apple, but instead you’re just merely excellent.

~A

Twist told me a joke the other day.  Did you hear about the blueberry?  It was too....

Capt'n Eli's Strawberry Pop

Well friends it’s time once again for the adventures of Capt’n Eli and his faithful parrot Murphy.  This time those two scallywags are delivering an overabundance of strawberries from the neighboring town that’s apparently separated by a large body of water.  The neighboring town seems to have all the prime real estate when it comes to producing blueberries, strawberries, and root beer.  I’m also not really sure why they don’t give Eli and Murphy some lids for those barrels as you’d think they’d be easier to transport and there’d be less chance for spillage.  What are they going to make with those strawberries?  Well, Capt’n Eli’s Strawberry Pop of course.  This beverage should taste extra strawberry-y as it has both natural and artificial strawberry flavors.  Sweetened with cane sugar it’s sure to be a treat like the other Capt’n Eli beverages I’ve reviewed.

A rich, fulfilling strawberry aroma eases its way out of the bottle.  The scent is heavy and only tinges on artificial occasionally.  While the smell isn’t exactly drawing any maps for me I do hope that this strawberry pop doesn’t falter where so many others do by being too sweet.

Interesting first take.  I was reminded of pink cotton candy upon my first sip, but it wasn’t so sweet that my taste buds balked at it.  The strawberry flavor is there hidden behind a candy exterior.  Honestly this is a bit of a disappointment as I was looking to have a well done strawberry soda and I was greeted with sweetened, fizzy, liquid strawberry cotton candy.  I will still stick to my assessment that it isn’t overly sweet so that’s a plus.  There’s just too much artificial surrounding it.  It keeps the strawberry off the stage and places it to the side pulling the curtain.  Sure you see him every now and again, but honestly it seems like a mistake when he shows up. 

Capt’n Eli’s Strawberry Pop is one of those odd instances where the soda would be tastier if you didn’t know what flavor it was trying to be.  Since I know what the goal they wanted to achieve is (based on the label of a boy hauling fresh strawberries across a body of water) I’m left more disappointed than I would be if someone had just walked up to me and said “Hey try this fruity soda.”  On the positive side though the carbonation is really enjoyable and has kept me going back for more just to experience the sharp, almost pop-rockish, mouth-feel.  Another positive note is that Capt’ Eli’s Strawberry Pop doesn’t really linger in my mouth.   Yes, I can taste strawberry a good while after each gulp, but it’s not the syrupy curtain I reference so often.  Overall it’s a tasty soda with poor execution of what seems to be its intended plan.

~A

Twist was first mate for a number of ships in the Queen's Navy

Boylan Shirley Temple

The fine folks at Boylan wrote me the other day and asked if they could send a four pack of their new Spring Seasonal - Shirley Temple over for review.  Having enjoyed Boylan’s before, I of course lept at the opportunity and now here I sit with Boylan Shirley Temple in front of me.  If you’re not familiar with what a Shirley Temple is besides the cutest little star this side of 1934, I’ll tell you.  A Shirley Temple is a non-alcoholic beverage made with ginger-ale, a splash of grenadine, and a couple of maraschino cherries.  That is the classic recipe at least.  Nowadays the ginger ale is usually substituted with a lemon/lime soda for a reason unknown to me.  Well bottlers at Boylan decided it’d be a great idea to bottle this flavor and once again here I sit ready to drink this cane sugar sweetened concoction.  The color of the liquid is a beautiful shade of rose.  The classic Boylan label adorns the bottle with a spring time color theme that seems very appropriate for the drink at hand.  Enough waiting, more drinking.

I wish I had a flower garden that smelled of Boylan Shirley Temple.  A brisk cherry scent floated about until kissing my nose with delight.  There’s also a hint of Twizzler which brings me back to reality and says that I should stay cautious.

So very fizzy.  The quick burst of cherry is almost immediately consumed by a flurry of tiny bubbles.  When the chaos ends I’m happy to see that the cherry flavor has survived and is sitting happily upon my tongue awaiting my review.  While the flavor does indeed linger after each sip it only overstays its welcome for a few moments.  You see, the mouth-feel of Boylan Shirley Temple is very effervescent at first and only begins to weigh down near the conclusion of my sip.  Unfortunately this involves the cherry taste building upon itself with subsequent sips which weakens the overall taste of the beverage.  I’m not struggling to drink it by any means, but the first impression I got does not match my last.  Thankfully the built up flavor never reaches a level of disgust, just unpleasantness.  It’s difficult for fruit based sodas to avoid building upon themselves and I can only think of a few where it actually improves the taste of the beverage.  I do wish the cherry flavoring tasted a bit more natural, but the flavor of maraschino cherries isn’t exactly found in nature.  All in all Boylan Shirley Temple is a delightful beverage.  While improvements could be made I don’t think I’d mind a pack being in my fridge right now.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by Boylan

Twist was on his way out the door for a meeting

MTN Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch

Alright, so yesterday I reviewed Kickstart Orange Citrus from Mountain Dew.  If you haven’t read the review please do so that you might be caught up on all that is involved with this pair of reviews.  Today’s flavor of Mountain Dew Kickstart is Fruit Punch.  Now initially I had higher hopes for the Orange Citrus, but was let down somewhat when the second half of the flavor fell flat for me.  Here’s hoping Fruit Punch ends up being a better way for my mouth to wake up in the morning.  Onward!

The scent that comes from Mountain Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch isn’t nearly as powerful as the Citrus Orange.  I really have to put my nose to the can to get a discernible fruit punch smell.  It has a light fruity aroma, but nothing that really gives me any insight as to what this might taste like.

Immediately this can of Kickstart shows me that it means business.  Where the Citrus Orange tickled my mouth with bubbles for the first half of the sip; the Fruit Punch waits for me to swallow then goes at the back of my throat with a sharp knife.  It’s definitely an experience that would wake you up.  As for the flavor I’m not all that impressed.  If you have ever been an infant or have infants of your own you’ve probably tasted Pedialyte.  Mountain Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch is Pedialyte soda and you can imagine that doesn’t fare well for me.  The taste feels incomplete as a good fruit punch flavor becomes bogged down with the other nonsense in the can.  Pretend you have a friend who’s a good person, but their significant other just turns them into a miserable mess.  When you look at them you can tell they’re trying to still be good at heart.  They force smiles and laughs all the while dying inside.  Kickstart Fruit Punch is that good friend of yours.  If only they would separate from that awful person then you might enjoy there company again. 

My mouth is coated in a medicinal syrup that just won’t let go of the inside of my cheeks.  I want to like this I really do, but it’s just not happening.  Each sip just keeps taking me on the same experience.  It’s like going through the tunnel of love with someone that likes you, but the feeling’s not mutual.  The first time is awkward.  The tenth is a nightmare as it just keeps building upon itself eventually becoming no fun for even the initially happy person in the boat.  On that note, were tunnels of love ever an actual thing or did they just appear in cartoons as a comic device?  Sorry, I just don’t want to drink anymore.  The only thing saving this beverage from our lowest score is the potential the fruit punch shows before it’s dragged back down by the other faults of the beverage.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by PepsiCo

Twist is a Pedialyte fiend.

MTN Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus

I’ve received a lot of merchandise over the years reviewing sodas.  Most of it consists of the sodas themselves freely given to me so that I might review them.  Sometimes I’m given hats, stickers, shirts, or the occasional coaster.  My mind exploded yesterday when I got a promotional package from Mountain Dew for their new Kickstart line of beverages.  Before I continue let me explain what Kickstart is. 

Kickstart is basically the Mountain Dew you’re supposed to drink in the morning and you can do so with either Orange Citrus or Fruit Punch.  To quote the promotional material I received it “combines the great taste of DEW with real fruit juice and just the right amount of kick to start your day.”  So instead of grabbing for that cup of coffee or that tiny bottle of mediocre tasting energy drink, they folks at Mountain Dew want you to grab a can of Kickstart instead.  Ok, so I’m not big on drinking sodas when I wake up, but I can’t argue that there isn’t a market for it.  People drink all kinds of wake me up juice in the morning.  Who am I to judge?  Let me back up to what this promotional box of Kickstart held for me.

Twist was also impressed with the build quality of the box

The first thing that caught my eye was the iPod Shuffle, then the Spy+ glasses, then the Beats by Dre headphones.  I tell you what was in the box so you know that I got swag attached to my soda.  I feel it’s only fair to be truthful about these kinds of things and also believe that you should know I’ve given some of it away.  Personally I don’t believe I can be swayed by material goods and I’m not saying that Mountain Dew was trying to sway me into giving a false review because I honestly believe they aren’t.  The only time I would feel odd reviewing a soda is if I worked for the company that made It and in that case probably wouldn’t review it.  With that said, I still felt it necessary to disclose everything attached to said swag box so you would know all of the variables before I drank this.  Oh, the note attached reads “We’ve included everything you need right here to get your day started right.  So crack open the can, throw on your Spys and turn up your Beats.  Get up, get out and let Kickstart by Mountain DEW KICKSTART YOUR DAY!” Review begins now.

Mountain Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus comes large in a 16 oz. can.  It’s made with 5% juice, has 100% value of the Vitamin C you need in a day, 80% B6 and a few other things as well.  There are only 20 grams of sugar in this which honestly surprises me so I’m guessing the Kickstart must come from the C, B, and Caffeine included in the beverage.  With a little research I find that this finds itself somewhere in the middle of the scale when it comes to comparing how much caffeine it has with other Mountain Dew types.  I’m not sure I need to say it’s sweetened with HFCS, but there you have that as well.  The bright orange can paired with the fact that concentrated orange juice is in the ingredients is making me wonder if this will taste anything like Orangina.  I guess there’s only one way to find out.

What smells like a delightfully light orange soda rushes out of the mouth of the can.  The more it wafts into my nostrils the more I get the scent of actual orange juice.  By aroma alone this is shaping up to be a delightful beverage.

Alright, that’s not half bad.  I was honestly expecting this to be a somewhat awkward missmash of orange and dew.  If I’d thought about it for longer than a second I would realize that the citrus of Dew would obviously pair well with another citrus flavor.  The mouth feel I initially experience is rather pleasant as it completely encompasses my mouth in tiny fizzy bubbles.  A decent orange soda flavor is also present for the first half of each sip, but that’s where the happy times end.  First act of Mountain Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus is like going to a local theatre group.  The actors are all doing pretty well and you’re enjoying the play just fine.  Sure the scenery might not be ultra-realistic, but you’re having a good time.  The second act is comparable to a junior high play.  Lines are flubbed, snickers are heard when the word “damn” is said, and the popular kid keeps looking out in the audience at his girlfriend.  You never get fully lost in the play.  What that means in review speak is that it seems like the chemicals and vitamins catch up to the flavor of the drink during the second half of each sip.  My mouth is left with a little bit of a syrupy feel after I’ve taken a gulp and the residue flavor isn’t all that wonderful.  The orange begins to taste like 3 year old Halloween candy and all of the fun I experienced in the first half goes by the wayside.  When all is said and done I’m left with an odd tasting orange soda. 

Will this help me start my day awake?  Of course it will; it has more caffeine than Mountain Dew.  I’d have to be a corpse for this not to wake me up somewhat.  Would I grab this before a coffee?  Yes, but I hate coffee.  Does it taste better than 5 Hour Energy?  Well I haven’t had all of the flavors, but yes it does taste better than 5 Hour Energy.  With all that said this site is about reviewing the taste of a beverage and ultimately this goes up against every orange soda I’ve tried and it stacks up as average.  So if you want to give breakfast Mountain Dew a chance to wake you up in the morning you probably won’t be disappointed and you should check out this website.  If you want to enjoy a delicious orange soda, look elsewhere.

A

This beverage supplied to us by PepsiCo

Featuring Twist by Dre

C&C Pineapple

With the completion of this review my count of remaining C&C brand sodas reaches two!  I’m not excited to be done with C&C because they’re awful or anything, they taste just fine thank you.  My excitement stems from getting back into a variety of soda types and flavors.  Believe my I’m gracious for the 24 sodas sent my way thanks to C&C, but our time together is ending and that’s ok too.  What am I reviewing?  While I’m happy you asked that with this paragraph soon coming to an end.  Today’s bottle of sugary bubble water is C&C Pineapple.  Unfortunately, pineapple soda all tastes rather average to me as I’ve yet to be completely blown away by one.  Who knows, maybe today will be the review that changes all that. 

A healthy, but somewhat chemically enhance odor bursts from the bottle’s mouth.  While it’s not  an exact replica of pineapple juice the aroma was close enough for me to not give up hope on this being a delicious rendition of pineapple soda.  Now it’s time to find out if my day will end in disappointment ore exuberance. 

Well I’m not disappointed nor am I exuberated.  Fun fact, I typed exuberated expecting it to be a word I just made up… imagine my surprise when I did not find the squiggly red line of misspell parked underneath it.  Speaking of surprise, the only aspect of C&C Pineapple soda that garners such a reaction is how mediciney (there’s my red squiggle friend) it tastes.  Yes, there’s no mistaking that the flavor of pineapple is every present, but it is become less enjoyable with each sip.  With my first sip I was greeted with a fairly nice pineapple soda.  For every following sip the medicine pineapple taste begins to build on itself creating a somewhat unpleasant tasting curtain of syrup in my mouth.  The carbonation level could be higher as I feel a sharper bite might help mask this doctor prescribed flavor.  It’s odd that I gave points to the amoxicillin flavored C&C Topical Fruit Punch, yet I take away from C&C Pineapple because it tastes like a medicine I have no fond memories of.  Ah well, thems the breaks.  C&C Pineapple isn’t a great soda, heck I wouldn’t even call it good, but I’ve consumed worse things.  With that said though, I just can’t recommend you buy it.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist suggested a cottage cheese soda to accompany.  I politely refused.

C&C Grape

Alright C&C, you’ve entered my wheelhouse.  If there’s something I love it’s a good generic grape soda and judging by your label art this one has the potential of being super generic.  Simply called C&C Grape, the bottle stands in front of me shaking out of fear… or because my desk is easily shaken by the slightest percussion of my fingers.  With delicious generic grape to be had I will wait no more to taste the HFCS sweetened nectar that waits.

Oooh, the delicate aroma of grape drink hits my nostrils in a chemical blast.  I can only assume that this is what the “purple stuff” in the back of the fridge seen in those old Sunny D commercials smelled like.  If the taste of C&C Grape is as good as its odor then I’m in for a real treat.  There’s only one way to find out.  Well I guess I could ask someone, but where’s the fun in that?

Interesting, this has more of a natural grape taste than I was assuming it would.  Here I figured this would taste completely fake yet the first thing my tongue told my brain it tasted was grape juice.  With that grape juice taste comes just enough carbonation to remind me that I’m drinking a soda.  There is a touch of burn that tickles my throat with each sip.  I would like that burn to be stronger to remind me that I’m alive.  Besides being reminded of my mortality I would also like the burn to be more noticeable because it would give this beverage a bit more depth.  What I’m left with is a grape juice-esque tasting soda that is slightly sweeter than the juice it resembles.  Now I may be showing my disappointment that I didn’t get a super fake chemical tasting soda, but I think I’m justified in that opinion.  If I wanted grape juice I’d drink some grape juice and be done with it.  The fact that it tastes more “natural” than your typical grape soda was a pleasant surprise, although not enough for me to give it point for doing so.  Overall C&C Grape soda may be a decent alternative for those who dislike the taste of purple sugar water.  They’ve tried to stand apart from the aforementioned “purple stuff” and I feel that they were successful in doing so… it just wasn’t my thing.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Grape soda with a Twist.  Ha. Ha. Ha.

C&C Golden Peach

With 5 more C&C beverages to go we’re nearing the end of our time with the soda manufacturer.  Today I’ve chosen a personal favorite flavor in world of sodas… peach.  Technically it’s C&C Golden Peach and I will say that adding the adjective “golden” increases m y want factor of this beverage. Look, peaches come from a can.  They were put there by a man.  In a factory downtown.  Then someone tasted those peaches and decided they should be in a soda.  Peach soda is one of those sodas that don’t need to be all natural to be good.  Since C&C is chock full of chemicals as long as this soda has a strong enough flavor and tastes like peach then they should have no issue with me enjoying it.  So let’s take a page from James and jump right on into this giant bottle of peach soda.

The familiar smell of rich, chemically enhanced, peach throws itself down my nostrils.  Like I said before, sometimes the chemicals help the cause and while I enjoy an all-natural soda as much as the next person you can’t discount peach in any form.

This has a uniquely familiar flavor to it.  It tastes like it was made with millions of peaches.  Peaches for me!  Ok, so that reference was forced... it is tasty though.  With all of the other peach sodas I’ve had one of the key traits is how sweet they taste.  C&C Golden Peach seems to understand that sweetness is important with a peach flavor beverage, but not everything.  The tart bite of a peach is what C&C used to fill the left over flavor room they had by not just loading this soda up with sugar.  In doing so I’m treated to a very natural tasting soda in terms of “does this taste like an actual peach”.  Of course it’s not going to replicate it perfectly, but C&C Golden Peach is a very strong entry in the peach soda market.  The excellent flavor is enhanced by the fact that the carbonation levels are strong enough to give your throat a slight burn and not make it seem like you’re just sitting in your house drinking peach syrup out of a can.  Speaking of syrup, the HFCS used in the making of this soda does not weigh heavily in your mouth after each sip.  I’m about a third of the way finished with the bottle and it doesn’t seem to be building on itself that much either.  Could this soda be improved?  Sure it could, it could use natural ingredients, have better bottle art, and be a bit lighter in the mouth feel department.  I’m still going to recommend you pick up multiples of it though.  Look out.

~A

If Twist had his little way he'd eat peaches everyday

C&C Tropical Fruit Punch

Today’s beverage from C&C is looking pretty appetizing to me.  C&C Tropical Fruit Punch is what sits in front of me tempting me with its potentially fruity flavor.  I don’t know what it is about today, but some part of me is craving a carbonated fruit punch beverage with some citrus kick to it and hopefully C&C Tropical Fruit Punch will deliver.  The color looks to be somewhere between bright red and deep red which is a great color for your typical fruit punch.  I never really got behind Hawaiian Punch when they did all their flavors because the colors just seemed off to me.  Blue fruit punch?  That’s like when they tried (and maybe still sell) green ketchup.  You’re not here for my opinions on ketchup though; you’re here for my opinions on soda… and I thank you for that as a ketchup blog would be interesting, but probably short lived.  I wonder if there is a ketchup blog, I’m going to find out. **time passes** It’s not a blog per say, but someone from The Nibble reviewed (or described) 42 brands of ketchup.  I don’t normally link stuff, but this person deserves some mention for trying these ketchups.  What am I doing again?  Oh, yeah!  Hopefully I’m about to drink a delicious Tropical Fruit Punch from C&C.

A sharp citrus scent slowly makes its way out of the mouth of the bottle and gently singes my nose hairs.  I’m not exactly sure how strong or watery this is going to taste.  Of course I’m hoping that this fruit punch will be on the stronger side as we all want to relive that amazing punch that we first had at the Sadie Hawkins dance that no one ever invited us to ever because of no good reason.

Well that’s odd.  C&C Tropical Fruit Punch tastes a bit like bubble gum flavored amoxicillin.  You’ve probably had amoxicillin when you were a kid.  It’s a pink milky liquid that you had to drink whenever you had an infection.  When you’re a grown up it’s in pill form, but as a child you got the sweet gum flavored liquid poured down your throat at regular intervals.  While this could be an off putting flavor for many folks I personally enjoyed the taste of amoxicillin growing up and tasting something similar to it brought back a piece of my childhood.  While bubble gum amoxicillin is the base flavor for this beverage the taste that tries to chase it away and fails is that of fruit punch.  The only time I get to actually taste something that seems like fruit punch is in the middle of each sip when my throat is punched by the fruit of said action; and while I do somewhat enjoy the medicine flavor by no means should it be the opening and closing act of this soda play.  Could I finish this bottle?  Probably, but I don’t really care to since I opened this expecting fruit punch.  That doesn’t seem like too big of an expectation does it, for fruit punch to taste like fruit punch for more than 1/3 of the time.  Ah well, at least I my mind got to be transported back to when I was a child… sick with infections.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist appears as an overgrown bacteria at his local playhouse.

C&C Mango

I’m happy to say that the next entry in the C&C collection is a flavor that rarely greets us in soda form, mango.  C&C Mango has a delightful orange (with a hint of pink) color and several slices of cartoon mango on the label.  Like the rest of the C&C collection it’s sweetened with HFCS and chock full of chemicals.  Oddly enough I have no amusing antidotes about mango, so I guess I’ll just be on my way.

A very rich and velvety mango scent welcomes my nose to its home.  It reminds me of cutting open a juicy mango and inhaling the delicious aroma it produces.  So far C&C Mango seems to be exceeding the expectations I have set for it.  Hopefully this trend continues in the taste portion.

Why aren’t there more mango flavored sodas?  C&C Mango’s flavor does not disappoint as it matches the rich and flavorful scent blow for blow.  While I wouldn’t quite equate it with drinking mango juice the powerful taste of mango permeates all possible spaces within my mouth.  Unfortunately the HFCS gums up the works a bit though as the syrupy coating sits in my mouth like a hot dog on a cool floor. 

The carbonation is fairly low which allows the mouth-feel of C&C Mango to be smooth and enjoyable; although I feel that the bubbles could be a bit more plentiful without losing this pleasant effect.  This smooth feeling ends when a brief quick of tart greets the back of your throat at your sips finale.  This kick lightens up the feel of the drink just enough to tease your mind with a different texture.  Another point in the case for more carbonation would be how heavily this sits in my stomach.  I believe that if it were a bit bubblier the weight in my stomach would be lifted to the point of not being noticed.  With all that said though C&C Mango is still a pleasant surprise that I would recommend to my fellow soda drinkers.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist loves mangoes.  He was legally married to one for 17 years until she left him in a fit of rage.  It's a rather sensitive subject that we don't talk about much around here.

C&C Blue Raspberry

Frequent readers of this site know that my dislike of “blue” raspberry began in the mid-nineties when candy companies decided to add the flavor to their portfolios.  Sadly for all raspberry fans this artificial “blue” variation of the fruit they loved so much tasted nothing like the real thing.  With all that said the soda lined up for today is C&C Blue Raspberry.  I tell you about my dislike for the flavor beforehand so you might know that this review could be written with a bit of unintentional bias.  Let me also clarify that I don’t hate the flavor of blue raspberry; it just disappoints me to a level that shouldn’t exist for such a trivial matter.  Onward.

Pleasantly upon opening this bottle of C&C Blue Raspberry I was greeted with a very raspberry-esque aroma that will hopefully translate into a raspberry-esque flavor.  My hopes are slightly raised, but my mind is still doubtful on how much I will enjoy this.

Well the carbonation levels have started this review off on the right foot at least.  Very strong and punchy bubbles take my mind off of what the flavor on the side of the bottle reads.  The blue raspberry flavor doesn’t sadden me as much as I originally predicted.  Perhaps this is a case of me growing up a little bit?  Probably not.  Soap is a familiar flavor to me when it comes to testing blue raspberry concoctions.  Thankfully C&C Blue Raspberry has little to no hand soap aftertaste which pleases the palate.  Now here is where blue raspberries weakness shows through.  Raspberry as a fruit is more tart than sweet and blue raspberry decided to take that rule and turn it upside down.  This is probably why the candy companies hopped on the blue raspberry train so many years ago… well that and the fact they probably wanted to spruce up their candy colors at the same time.  This sweeter than tart taste sensation for whatever reason does not worth with my taste buds.  The whole ordeal seems out of order to me and I haven’t really found a flavor that duplicates the feeling.  With all that said this isn’t a bad soda, but it’s nothing special either.  With my bias included I still feel good about giving C&C Blue Raspberry the score I’m about to.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

And everything is blue for him and himself

C&C Orange

Cutting right to the chase, today’s offering that’s up on the ice block is C&C Orange.  Ah, orange soda.  So simple.  So easily figured out.  So delicious.  There are rarely any twists and turns when dealing with orange.  Sure some might be fizzier, some might be fruitier, some might be tart…er, but the underlying flavor is always orange.  It’s a familiar taste that most anyone can gauge.  C&C Orange will hopefully be stacked within column “B” instead of column “A”.  “A” is for awful and “B” is for best, right?  That’s why you have all of column “B” and only some of column “A”.  I’d have to consult my VHS copy of Aladdin to double check, so I’ll just assume I’m correct and that I didn’t just make up an extra lyric to “Friend Like Me.”  I think that’s enough loose references for the first paragraph.  Let’s just drink, shall we?

From the smell of things I’d say C&C Orange is going to stab me in the mouth with orange flavor.  The scent is chock full of citrus which blasts my olfactory glands sending signals to my mouth that it’s about to enjoy a tasty orange treat.  I promise you this, olfactory glands.  If you so much as lie to me this time I’m going to cause you pain.  I’m going to inhale my cat rendering you useless for the next week.

OK, so I wasn’t stabbed in the mouth with orange flavor, but I wasn’t betrayed so much by my olfactory glands (the most you’ve seen this word typed in a non-medical article) that I feel it necessary to murder them.  The orange flavor that greeted me was about a 7 on the strength scale, but could be improved with a touch more carbonation.  The bubble level present is higher than what you would find in many other sodas, although I personally feel that a good orange soda needs almost a caustic feel on the back of my throat.  My reasoning for this is that if you don’t commit to the bite that an orange naturally gives you then the soda can taste like orange sugar water.  Thankfully C&C Orange’s fizz is strong enough to differentiate it from said sugar water; I just think it could be increased for the better.  The orange flavoring is fairly standard among orange sodas; there’s not really a “natural orange” taste, but it’s not so sweet that I would label it as candy in a bottle.  Overall I’m not wowed by C&C Orange, but at the very least I can say it’s comparable to Orange Crush.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Orange you glad I didn't say banana confused me for 28 years until Twist explained it.

C&C Watermelon

Short history of my opinion of watermelon… I hate it.  On the flipside of the previous statement I tend to like watermelon flavored things.  It’ll be interesting to see which column today’s soda falls.  Oh, by the way, today’s soda is C&C Watermelon.   That was kind of like the hit TV series Flash Forward wasn’t it?  You saw the thoughts that should have come after the soda reveal BEFORE the soda reveal and yes I know that Flash Forward was not a hit TV series.  Aerosmith would do well to mention C&C Watermelon in their radio hit “Pink” as the label, soda, and label again are all varying shades of half of the color of watermelon.  The label even has cute, I guess fruit can be cute, little watermelons on it that make me want to drink this just a bit more.  Onward!

A watermelon/grapefruit smell punches me in the nose as soon as I twist the cap.  Thankfully watermelon is the clearly dominate scent as the grapefruit seems to just be there for a little filler.  Hopefully the flavor will mirror the aroma.

C&C Watermelon is much fizzier than I expected as the bubbles seem to run with razor blades down my throat.  This is a good thing even though it sounds horribly painful.  Just like the scent the watermelon flavor takes charge as his tiny buddy grapefruit holds on for dear life just hoping to not get noticed.  If you’ve ever had a watermelon Jolly Rancher then you’ll be familiar with the taste of C&C Watermelon.  While the sweetness level isn’t quite that of hard candy it’s still plenty sugary and very enjoyable.  Each sip I take begins with a quick burst of what I would consider a fairly authentic watermelon taste which thankfully (in my opinion) is covered up by the safer candy flavor previously mentioned.    I have to give credit to C&C for even trying this flavor.  So many companies could be making watermelon soda, but don’t because it’s too high risk.  C&C, with their myriad of flavors, thankfully decided to include watermelon in their arsenal.  This soda is different enough, bubbly enough, sweet enough, and tasty enough for me to recommend you give it a try.  Of course if you don’t like any kind of watermelon then you may want to sit this one out, but if you’re a fan of the fruit or the candy fruit then I definitely think it’s worth a shot. 

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C.

Although you wouldn't think it, Twist hates any pink and green color combo.  He's more of a blue and white kinda guy.