Oogave Esteban's Cola

   I’m very excited to try this next soda, Esteban’s Cola by Oogave.Before I begin, here’s a little history on the naming of Esteban’s Cola straight from the maker himself.

“We did the sodas in our restaurant for about four months before someone came up and said "you need a name." Funny, it never occurred to us to name it. And we decided to name the rootbeer after me with a Spanish flare because of how difficult the rootbeer was to achieve. The citrus flavors.......pretty much made themselves, but when you get into savory flavors like rootbeer and cola, you are taking on a whole world of possibilities. Incidentally, the only reason the cola has my name is because "Cola" is so short a word it looked strange on the packaging.”

   There, don’t you feel smarter?By the way Oogave soda is also USDA Organic, and Kosher... I think that’s pretty much everything that we may have previously missed on the label.Bonus information, the caffeine used in Esteban’s Cola is from green tea leaves... ok less typing, more drinking.

   Here goes.First off it has a good cola smell. I know that probably sounds weird, but smell is a big part of your taste.Now I sound like a 2nd grade Science teacher.The first thing I notice is how smooth this cola is.There’s not a lot of carbonation, so it’s not really fizzy.I can’t really compare it to another well known cola, which is good on their part.Since you’re forcing my hand to compare it to something I’ve had before, it would have to be Health Cola.Stop wincing at the name Health Cola btw, if you read that review you’ll know it scored well.While Health Cola was also low on the carbonation scale, it tasted a bit flat.This does not.Just because something doesn’t have carbonation doesn’t make it “taste flat”.This cola tastes very fresh actually, and every time I drink it I taste the slightest bit of cherry.Now there are no cherries to be seen in this beverage, I’m just saying what I’m taste.

   Not that you really wanted to know this, but Esteban’s Cola produces very clean burps.No “wow that root beer tasted better the first time” moments to be had.While I haven’t had all of the Oogave products yet, this is my favorite to date.If I had to improve it in some magical way, I would add a little more carbonation.I like my drinks a little fizzier... fizzyer....fizzier?Anywho, if you see Esteban’s Cola just buy it.

~A

Doesn't Twist look dapper in his black hat off to the side?

Tab

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To bust into year two of The Soda Jerks, not only do we have a soda which both of us reviewed, I decided to do something out of the ordinary and review a drink which is:

a. Name brand

b. In a can (although it’s happened before)

c. Diet

That’s the big one. Diet. Honestly I thought if a diet soda was going to be reviewed that it would be, what else, a Virgil’s product, but no, I decided to try the granddaddy of them all, Tab.

Anyone who watches The Sarah Silverman Show knows that Tab is delicious, or at least sarcastically delicious. This is one of those things that every soda sommelier, professor of pop or cola connoisseur has to try once in their life.

It’s actually not that bad, although it’s 99% chemicals. This is probably the best diet soda I’ve ever had. Note that best diet soda doesn’t mean it’s anything great, it’s just the best of the diet sodas I’ve had.

I really don’t know what else to say. Tab is something you have to experience yourself. The best way I can describe it is Diet Coke but not anywhere near as awful. It’s cheap and still readily available so go get yourself one for funsies.

-Mike

Health Cola

When I first eyed Health Cola on the shelves at my local market place I knew I was going to end up drinking it. I thought "Wow 'Health Cola' can it sound any worse." Then I looked on the back label and saw that it had 150% of the Vitamin C I needed in a day. Wow, this has gotta be like drinking mud. I had already been jaded by other "healthy cola's" such as Diet Coke Plus... which is horrible. Never in the history of earth does sweet + healthy = tasty. Diet Rootbeer is a perfect example as well, as it is a hell-spawned beverage. Health Cola looked like it would be following those examples perfectly. With its name, somewhat boring package, and boring tag line of "Real Cola Taste". Let me just get this out of the way now. I was wrong to judge it. I'm so very sorry Health Cola, I'm so very, very, very, sorry.

Health Cola has a pretty good taste, nay, a GREAT taste. If you are a fan of RC Cola in the slightest, just improve that flavor in your mind a bit, and remove some of the carbonation, and you have health cola. The sugar used is from fruit, so it has a slow burn which keeps the 'crash' after consumption from happening. The caffeine used is from coffee beans. Now listen to me coffee haters, I am one of you. I HATE coffee, and this tastes nothing like coffee, I wouldn't drink it if it did. This is the best all around cola I think I've had to date. Just for kicks, here's the nutrition label.

Usually when I buy a four pack of soda's it costs me over $5, but Health Cola ran under that, which is always a plus in my book. It's not the easiest cola to find, but if you can, give it a try. If I had to pick a negative, it's the lack of screw off cap, but really I don't care that much. I know there is better stuff out there, but I haven't tasted it yet.

~A

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Health Cola)