C&C Ginger Ale

This is review 6 or 7 of the very extensive C&C line of sodas.  Today I decided to dial it back a bit.  What exactly I’m dialing back I don’t know, but since I’m reviewing C&C Ginger Ale it seemed to work in my brain for at least 15 seconds which is why I ended up writing it down.  So yeah… C&C Ginger Ale sits in front of me in a bottle with a green color theme as so many ginger ales seem to sport.  I’m not really sure why ginger ale is associated with the color green.  Perhaps it’s to give the consumer the feeling that they’re buying something natural.  Perhaps the first truly successful ginger ale was in a green container and the others just followed suit.  Perhaps the ginger ale people just wanted to stick it to Kermit the Frog and prove to him how easy it is to be green.  With a 22% chance that one of those theories is even in the ballpark of being correct I feel it’s time I moved on to the drinking portion of this review.  Onward!

A stronger ginger scent that I expected escaped the 7/8ths of an inch opening at the top of the bottle.  Granted, the word “ginger” is nowhere to be seen in the ingredients and I must assume that they would have prominently displayed it instead of the incredibly vague “natural flavors” which has unfortunately become a staple of soda ingredients.    Shall I drink?  Yes I shall.

With my first sip I realize that C&C really tried to make a decent ginger ale here.  They certainly did not give minimal effort in its creation which is nice seeing as ginger ale is a soda many just phone in.  A pleasant burst of ginger flavor rushes across my taste buds in a flurry of excitement.  The carbonation levels are just perfect for ginger ale, giving you some substantial fizz for the upset stomach it may be curing.  C&C also avoided making their ginger ale too sweet, but kept it sweet enough that I want to go back and drink more of it.  Other than being made with chemicals the primary downside to C&C Ginger Ale is the fact that the finish is a husky shadow of what my mouth first experienced.  I say a husky shadow because it’s not a slight drop off, yet it’s also not a giant drop off from where I started.  The finish is a bit more watery than I’d like and it’s the unhappy memory I’m left with at the end of each gulp.  With all that said I still feel that C&C Ginger Ale is as good as the mainstream ginger ale’s out there (maybe even better than some) and will rate it as so.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C.

Twist and Kermit have an ongoing feud on the ease of being green.

C&C Mountain Chill

Though it’s debatable I feel the most amusing “knock off” names are for sodas that you might find similar to Mountain Dew.  Dr Pepper knock off names are a close second, but I feel with entries such as Heee Haw, Hillbilly Holler, Mountain Drops, Mountain Lion, Mountain Yeller and so many more that the “Dew’s have it”.  Today we’ll be trying C&C’s entry into the Dew market with Mountain Chill.  Now don’t get this confused with Mt. Chill which is made by SuperValu foods.  C&C pulled out all the stops and cut down abbreviations by 100%.  Honestly I can’t be sure this is a Mountain Dew-esque beverage until I taste it, but it identifies itself as a “Citrus Soda” and seems to have a coloring that likens it to the dew.  Let’s see how it stacks up against “The Man”.  Onward!

My nose ended up searching for the scent of this soda as the aroma is far from powerful.  Once it was forced up into my olfactory glands it was none too pleased.  Oddly enough I’m getting a sickly sweet smell much like cantaloupe each time I inhale.  My opinion, nay the fact about cantaloupe is that it was made by the devil.  Cantaloupe is causing all of the world’s poverty, disease, and overall bad joojoo.  I hate it.  So here I sit with a beverage that smells like cantaloupe to me and I’m expected to drink it.  Since my nose lies to my taste buds 6/10 (made up ratio) times I feel safe in assuming that C&C Mountain Chill will taste more like Dew and less like Ew.  Let me find out for you.

I’m somewhat pleased to say that the taste isn’t all that dew-esque.  I’m somewhat less pleased to say that the scent I wanted to avoid tasting is sitting upon my tongue at about half strength.  While this bottle of C&C Mountain Chill says it has “a little kick!” I have to disagree.  This is a rather smooth beverage that tastes like a combination of grapefruit, grapes, and cantaloupe.  Now I’m pretty sure if I told someone from C&C that their beverage tasted like those three things combined they’d laugh me out of the building and take back what I haven’t reviewed, but I’m just saying what my mouth is saying to my brain so it can say it to my fingers so they can say it to you.  Sadly the carbonation levels are lower than ideal for a beverage of this nature so the syrupy soda just sort of sits sullenly leaving me unsatiated.  I was going to give this a higher rating, but each sip just makes me wish I didn’t have to drink any more.  With that I bid C&C Mountain Chill ado and hope that if you pick up a bottle it treats you more pleasantly that I.

Now for the sentence that renders the previous three paragraphs foolish to read.  C&C Mountain Chill is a beverage you might think similar to Mountain Dew, but upon tasting I found that its smoother taste, lack of strong carbonation, and questionable flavors left me trying to wash my own tongue with my tongue.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C.

Twist is an excellent tongue washer

C&C Tropic Punch

I was limited to which C&C flavor I could drink today by the amount of Thanksgiving food stuffing my refrigerator.  Actually I was thinking about not writing a review today based on how full/busy the last week has been.  Well fortunately for “Creative Me” I’ve found some stomach space and time for a cool red bottle of C&C Tropic Punch.  I picked the tropical punch today because it’s non-carbonated and that will allow a bit of a reprieve from the pressure that has been abusing my stomach walls.  Without looking too much into this I’m going to go ahead and guess that this is C&C’s version of Hawaiian Punch.  While I’m a fan of Hawaiian Punch I’ll be even more impressed if C&C came up with something more original in flavor.  Onward!

My noses recognizes a mixture of citrus, pineapple, and cherry with the later ingredient being a slight favorite in terms of how much is there.  The scent that wafts from the top is indeed similar to Hawaiian Punch which worries me that I’m dealing with a copycat drink.  Let’s find out if I’m counting my chickens before they gather moss.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong about it being a copycat and happily so.  Where Hawaiian Punch likes to brag about hitting you in the mouth with the fists of its mascot, C&C Tropic Punch is a smoother concoction that seems to focus more on the pineapple and cherry flavors.  All the familiar flavors that I listed are there, but how easily it’s ingested is what’s the most surprising to me.  There’s no assault on your throat that some punch might treat you to, in fact it’s a fairly relaxing drink.  C&C Tropic Punch is noticeably sweet, but not so much that you it would overload whatever meal you might “pair” it with.  I must say that I find it amusing to picture someone pairing C&C Tropic Punch with a roasted duck or grilled squirrel, but different strokes for different folks. 

While the ratio of fruit flavors is divvied out skillfully, some may be put off by the syrupy mouth feel you get at the finish of each gulp and ultimately (other than being primarily made with chemicals and HFCS) that’s the weakest limb on the body of C&C Tropic Punch.  This isn’t a stand out beverage, but it is a beyond decent tropical punch.  Give it a shot, you’ll probably like it.

~A

How about a nice Hawaiian Twist?

C&C Banana

From the icebox a new flavor appears.  A new flavor of soda my taste buds haven’t experienced.  Brought to you by C&C Cola it’s the yellowest fruit, Donkey Kong’s projectile, and the worst tasting Runt.  Ladies and gentleman…. Banana Soda!  Honestly I’m a little bit scared to try this as I’m not sure how liquid banana is going to go over with my flavor sensors.  Here’s the short history of me and bananas.  I love bananas.  I’m allergic to bananas.  The end.  I’m not deadly allergic mind you, they just make my mouth and throat itch to high heaven.  Thankfully(?) this doesn’t seem to have any banana in it at all, unless it’s in stealth mode under the title “natural flavors”, but I doubt it.  Let’s find out shall we?  Onward!

I expected a very strong banana scent to be waiting for me on the other side of the cap, but found a rather mild somewhat creamy aroma bashfully waving hello.  Smelling this quelled some of my fears, so there’s no time like the present to get on with it.

Well that’s weird.  C&C Banana soda tastes like box made banana pudding sans vanilla wafers and banana slices.  The carbonation level is low allowing for a mouth-feel of maximum smoothness which I must say is very pleasant.  I thought that no matter what C&C Banana tasted like that the banana flavoring would make it feel like someone lowered a heavy yellow velvet curtain in my mouth after every sip.  Surprisingly, the heavy curtain is never lowered so I was able to watch the finale which was a cute baby banana gracefully tap dance off stage.  This adorable dance was a fantastically light and fun way to end my experience with this soda.    Overall C&C Banana challenged my every preconceived notion about what I thought it might be.  I expected a loud and brash tasting banana soda that lived in the pores of my mouth for hours after drinking it.  Thankfully I was wrong about how “bad” it was going to be, which is one of my favorite things to experience when I write these reviews.  Did my head explode?  Will I buy banana soda after banana soda now?  No, but I can very honestly suggest you pick up multiples of this if you ever run across it.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C.

Over the course of this review Twist kept asking me "is that a banana soda in your hand or are you just happy to see me."  It was creepy and didn't make a lot of sense, but I told him if he didn't stop I'd write this about him.  Now hopefully the joke will end and he'll GET OFF THE WASHING MACHINE LIKE I TOLD HIM A THOUSAND TIMES!

C&C Orange Pineapple

Drink #2 out of 24 in the C&C collection I have chilling in my fridge.  Today’s flavor, or flavors as it seems, is Orange Pineapple.  Now these two flavors fill my mind with tropical fun and should play well together, given their sunny history.  While I find the artwork on the bottle to be a little cluttered it does somewhat remind me of a tropical locale… maybe a dollar store in Hawai’i.  The soda itself, HFCS and all, is a bright inviting orange color which is telling me to stop writing about the outside of the bottle and start writing about the inside.  Onward!

I thought that the orange flavor would overpower and mask all that the pineapple could give, but if the scent is any kind of road map to what I’m about to experience then I’d say the flavors are represented 50/50.  Wow, that last sentence was a doozy.  Drinkin’ time!

Thankfully my nose did not lie to me.  Both the orange and pineapple flavors are represented with each taste giving a pleasant smooth yet tart mouth feel.  Of course the orange isn’t a natural orange flavor, but I wouldn’t call it “sugar water orange” either.  The carbonation is lower than expected, but still gives C&C Orange Pineapple enough fizz to make it interesting.  If I could single out each flavor (and maybe I will when I get to try C&C Orange and C&C Pineapple, but I seriously doubt they just mixed the two sodas and made this.) I would tell you that they are both slightly above average.  After each sip my tongue’s memory bank has more orange in it than pineapple and is excited to try it as a standalone beverage.  Will this beverage change your life to the point where all you’ll buy is C&C Orange Pineapple?  I don’t know, but if it does maybe you should get an endorsement deal.  As for me it sits as probably the only orange/pineapple beverage I’ve tasted and left me pleased.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist is half mango

C&C Black Cherry

If you follow us on Facebook then you know that I received a rather large shipment in the mail from C&C Cola.  I’m not sure I’ve prepared myself for the 24 flavors sitting in my fridge ranging from Banana to Watermelon and everything in between.  Ok, so maybe “everything” is a bit of an overstatement, but it’s still 24 flavors no matter how to slice it.  I thought a good way to start out our journey through C&C would be to review black cherry first.  Black Cherry is a good mixture of the weird and common that most can still relate to in terms of flavor.  With all of that going for it, it seemed the perfect jump off point.  Honestly though I just happened to pull it out of the fridge first and my brain thought of better reasons than just happenstance.  Let it be known that it seems most all, if not all, C&C creations are a conglomeration of HFCS and chemicals.  As sad as this makes me it doesn’t mean they’ll taste bad since a couple of our top drinks use the HFCS… just more of an FYI for your tongue.  Onward!

An incredibly deep cherry flavor oozes its way out of the mouth of the bottle.  It’s such a deep flavor that one might mistake it for grape upon a quick whiff.  Black cherry should be on the lower levels of cherry in terms of taste so I’m optimistic to see where this is going.

The flavor is not unlike that of sno-cone/snow cone/sno-ball syrup, but not nearly as thick.  The rich flavor the smell promised is there in a somewhat limited amount and lingers in your mouth for a few moments after ingestion.  Bubbles fizz their way around your teeth at the perfect level, in no way interrupting the taste or drinking experience to make themselves noticed.  Even though C&C Black Cherry is sweetened with HFCS I don’t get a syrupy mouth-feel at the end of each sip.  Is it as clean as something sweetened with Pure Raw Real Cane Sugar?  No, but it exceeds the limitations that HFCS can sometimes put on a beverages mouth feel.  With all that said the flavor of C&C Black Cherry could be stronger with a bit more “pop” (haha, the only soda joke I know) and occasionally a hint of chemical taste shines through, but this is not the norm.  C&C Black Cherry comes off as IBC Black Cherry’s little brother.  Not quite as strong or as memorable a drinking experience as IBC and their parents always blame him when a lamp gets broken.  As far as black cherry flavored beverages go this one is alright, but there are higher end sodas out there with a better taste.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C.

Twist used a stunt double for this picture

MTN Dew Game Fuel 2012 Citrus Cherry

I received an unexpected package the other day, but like anyone who loves presents I threw all caution into the wind and opened it expecting only awesomeness.  Perhaps it was something I forgot about ordering on Amazon.  Perhaps it was a surprise gift from my wife.  Perhaps it was Halo 4 Mtn Dew Game Fuel Citrus Cherry.  Ok, so I didn’t actually think it was the last one until I opened the box and saw that it was.  This particular version of Mtn Dew Game Fuel should be hitting store shelves today, so keep an eye out for it if your interest is peaked after reading this review. 

I’ve never actually had any version of Game Fuel before.  Heck, back when I was a kid my version of “game fuel” was a can of Surge and some powdered donuts.  I’m not really sure why I thought those two things went together, but in my mind it was like peanut butter and jelly.  Thankfully Mtn Dew has created an official “Game Fuel” whose flavor seems to be, and I quote, “Dew with a Blast of Citrus Cherry Flavor with other natural flavors”.  They probably didn’t want to include the “with other natural flavors” line as it seems to take away from the intense nature of Dew, but it’s there so what can you do?  Answer, drink it.  Onward!

Once the plastic cap was twisted and the first burst of carbonation escaped a whiff of cherry dew ran screaming into my nostrils.  Now the scent I get when I actually try and smell the soda itself is a bit more subdued.  Sorry this is Mtn Dew we’re talking about here… nothing is subdued.  Let’s try that sentence again from the top.  Now the scent I get when I actually try and smell the soda itself is a bit more SUBDEWD TO THE MAXX!  Better.  Hopefully the flavor will be equally strong and radical as the initial burst I experienced.  Yes, radical.

While not a full on “punch to the throat” the taste is slightly stronger than the scent my nose pulled from the mouth of the bottle.  I’ve got to be honest with you though.  My initial impression of Mtn Dew Game Fuel is that it reminds me of a neutered Mtn Dew Code Red (The best Mtn Dew flavor in my opinion).  It’s like I’m visiting Code Red in prison.  I can only interact with him on the phone through the glass window between us.  Our hands touch the equivalent sides of the window as we stare longingly at each other, but unable to truly reach one another only to be left in sadness.

Don’t misunderstand, it only “reminds” me of Code Red in a few aspects.  The most obvious being the red color and cherry-esque flavor.  Where Game Fuel Citrus Cherry goes wrong is that the initial flavor isn’t the main performer on the stage.  Yes you’re greeted with a somewhat tropical cherry taste that I would rate as pleasant and nothing more, but the cough syrup after taste is the last thing you see before the curtain comes down.  So now I’m sitting here trying to think of good things to say about the first three seconds of each sip while the last three seconds of cough syrup flavor are still staining my taste buds.  I’m sorry to say, but I just can’t do it.  If you enjoy ingesting large amount of caffeine with no care for taste then this is a great soda for you to pick up.  If you don’t mind a soda with three fourths the amount of caffeine and a great taste to boot, the you should probably just pick up some Code Red.

Now for the sentence that renders the last five paragraphs pointless.  Mtn Dew Game Fuel Citrus Cherry is an appealing beverage while you’re looking it at it, but delivers only minimal cherry flavor with maximum medicinal taste.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by Mountain Dew.

Twist's version of game fuel is a handful of flies and a glass of tonic water.

Koma Unwind

We air a show where I work called Chris Lafferty’s Motorsports TV.  Now that’s not something you have to remember, except for Hannah’s corner… that’s fairly entertaining.  The important thing about that show is that it is home to a fantastic commercial for the beverage up for review today, Koma Unwind.  I don’t usually put a lot of multimedia in my reviews, but I must share this commercial with you.

Ok, now that you’ve (hopefully) watched it you should be able to see why I was drawn to Koma Unwind.  This is obviously not a big budget commercial and honestly the first time I saw it I thought it was for wine in a can.  Who knows, maybe this will taste like wine in a can.  That would be unfortunate, but at least I would be understanding about it. 

The enduring aspect of the commercial is that we’ve all been there.  You open the door and you’re greeted by your two kids, your dog, a basketball and a skateboard.  In fact this family has three skateboards which seems a bit overboard (pun intended) to me.  You just want to relax, but alas there is no time because now you have to cook dinner.  All you want to do is wind down over a hot stove, but your two daughters come calmly walking in with the dog on a leash.  What can you do except over emphasize the fact that you don’t want them anywhere near you?  You could scream, curse, throw up your hands and just walk away… or you could drink.  That’s what is implied initially, that the average stressed out mother would go straight for the bottle.... AHA!  Herein lies the twist (not the iguana).  You push the bottle out of the way to reveal a room temperature can of Koma Unwind and you pour THAT into your chalice. 

Then with dinner presumably cooking itself on the stove you wander into the living room and just relax.  Your kids, dogs, and presumably their skateboards, have vanished.  You no longer have a care in the world as you’re left with the slogan “RELAX NOW YOU CAN KOMA UNWIND”.  So as you see the commercial is a little cheesy, but I enjoy that “local TV” aspect of advertising.  “Wine in a can”, as I thought at the time, would be a fantastic review.  So I asked the nice people at Koma Unwind if they wouldn’t mind sending a few cans out for review and they happily obliged. 

Koma Unwind is indeed a relaxation beverage that includes the ingredient Melatonin.  Melatonin, as you might know, is a key ingredient in sleep aides.  This also has HFCS and Grape Juice concentrate in it.  Now many of the “relaxation beverages” have names like Purple Stuff and Sippin’ Syrup.  Here is where I must salute Koma Unwind for not trying to pander to the youth of (insert country here) by naming their beverage after an illegal substance.  No, Koma Unwind took the high road and simply named their soda the two words that would describe what it intended to do to you.  Sorry, I must correct myself.  Koma Unwind is listed as a Chillaxation Drink on its own label.  Fun fact, I made up the word “Chillax” close to 15 years ago; unless you’ve heard it prior to then you might as well believe that as well.  Ok, I’ve rambled enough… it’s time for a taste.

The aroma the snapped out of this ice cold can (I didn’t want to try it at room temp) is that of a grape soda.  No one should be surprised by this since the ingredients on the side of the can listed grape juice concentrate as an ingredient.  I am taken a back a bit on how sweet it smells.  I think it lists 31 grams of sugar, but I can’t really tell because the font is a bit fuzzy.  Drinkin’ time!

Well that’s delightful.  Koma Unwind tastes like liquid, carbonated, grape Nerds candy.  The grape flavoring is just about perfect and the carbonation packs a bit of a punch as well.  Well color me surprised.  Koma Unwind is one of the better grape sodas, if it can fit that description, I’ve had to date.  Yes I know that it’s full of chemicals, but if you know me then you know the more “fake” a grape soda is the more I’ll probably like it.  For the most part each sip stands alone, meaning the flavor doesn’t build upon itself.  The aftertaste I get from each gulp, and I am gulping this, is sweet and light.  I think the carbonation level is what surprises me most.  It’s not an intense tingling sensation, but I can feel the whispers of the bubbles in my mouth long after I’ve consumed the beverage.  I think that Koma Unwind did a great job in making a relaxation beverage on multiple fronts.  First and foremost the taste could be that of a “normal” grape soda.  It’s fruity and fun, with good fizz to boot.  Secondly, as I stated before, they didn’t give this drink a name associated with cough syrup.  Finally they have an amusing commercial that I’ve seen over 40 times thanks to work.  Now Koma Unwind isn’t the best relaxation drink we’ve ever reviewed.  That honor would have to go to Mary Jane’s Relaxing Soda… yes, yes, I know, the name thing, but they get away with it for being truly different.

~A

Twist cannot get any more relaxed

Brain Wash

Picture a skull and crossbones staring at you from the label of your potential beverage.  Now picture the top of the skull cracked open exposing the oddly fresh brain inside of it.  That my friend is what is currently staring into my soul on this label of Brain Wash.  Brain Wash is made from the same fine folks that brought us Black Lemonade, one of the harshest beverages my throat ever dealt with.  Just like Black Lemonade, Brain Wash has amusing blurbs on its label like “This may be your only way out!” and “May cause special effects”.  Navy blue isn’t a color you usually associate with soda, but they’ve put enough Blue Dye #1 in this bad boy to reach that level.  It has a lot of the same ingredients that Black Lemonade has with a few exceptions.  Brain Wash sadly uses HFCS instead of Cane Sugar, but on the plus side also uses Sage and Jalapeno Oil.  I’m not sure how the sage will play a role in this performance, but I’m hoping the jalapeno oil is at least noticeable.  Since Brain Wash isn’t exactly a flavor I’m a little curious as to what this will most taste like in the realm of real tastes.  My initial guess is going to be a fruity ginger beverage that’s about to scald the back of my throat through the act of chemical warfare.  Let’s find out, shall we?

The initial odor I’m getting is that of green NyQuil which isn’t what you want to smell when you first open anything… except NyQuil of course.  I will say that the bubbles forming in the neck of the bottle look rather nice when contrasted against the dark blue soda.  Will they keep this from tasting like carbonated NyQuil?  No, but hopefully something else does.

A barrage of pain shoots through my sinuses as the spice/carbonation combination reaches my nose with ease.  With my mouth a bit more acclimated the second sip is much more tame allowing me to properly review this beverage known as Brain Wash.  Right off the bat I can tell you that the jalapeno oil is indeed noticeable as the back of my throat now has a (nice?) continuous burn going.  The flavor of the drink itself is rather vague, honestly it tastes like a generic blueberry soda you might find anywhere.  My brain may have just associated this vague taste with blueberry due to the hue, but it’s all I’ve got to go on right now.  Even though the base flavor itself is vague and unspectacular the experience of drinking Brain Wash is so far one I’ll remember for a long time.  Each sip assaults my mouth in every way possible.  The ginger/jalapeno/capsicum combination proves volatile at first, but calms down a bit once you’re throat learns how to cope.  The strongest of these, as mentioned before, is what I assume to be the jalapeno oil as my throat feels like it would after enjoying a spicy plate of nachos.  While this is very similar to the mouth feel of Black Lemonade I find that Black Lemonade at least had a purpose.  It was a harsh lemonade unlike anything you’d had before.  Brain Wash is a harsh… fruity… blue… drink that in my opinion the gimmick of destroying your mouth becomes nothing more than just that… a gimmick.  It’s not original because Black Lemonade exists.  It’s almost like they said “hey, Black Lemonade is doing ok… how else might we ruin someone’s vocal chords (which of course it does not do)” so they invented Brain Wash because they could.  I need more of a reason than the one I just made up for them to promote this beverage.  If you want a throat conquering soda then purchase Black Lemonade, as for Brain Wash...

~A

Twist mocks you're extreme label with his own extreme...ness?

Big K Root Beer

Quickly… think of your favorite Root Beer.  Did you?  Is it Big K Root Beer?  For those of you who said “yes” then you can refute whatever I’m about to write.  For those of you who answered the negative then just sit back and find out what category I’m about to fall into.  Big K Root Beer is Kroger brand root beer.  For those of you not familiar with Kroger, it’s a super market.  So yes, Big K Root Beer probably won’t be my favorite as very few stores actually try to make a good soda.  I’m pretty sure this won’t be my new favorite root beer, but hopefully this chemical concoction will at least please my taste buds somewhat.  The label even says that they “promise” my whole family will enjoy this or my money back… or a replacement.  I’m kind of curious as to what a proper replacement is of Big K Root Beer.  My imagination is shot for the day so I think I’ll just continue the review.

Big K Root Beer does indeed smell somewhat like a root beer… so… that’s a plus, although there is also something odd about this aroma.  After smelling the somewhat obvious root beer scent the smell just kind of vanishes.  The fragrance (I’m running out of words for ‘smell’) doesn’t seem to be strong enough to maintain a simple inhalation thus frightening me just a bit as to what this will taste like.

Not terrible, not good.  Big K Root Beer is most similar to Barq’s, but without the bite that makes Barq’s slogan so memorable.  The initial mouth fell is very watery and a bit off putting.  As you might expect this is a very generic tasting root beer.  It does have a bit of a licorice flavor to it and just a whisper of wintergreen as well.  Did they actually use these ingredients?  No idea, but the artificial/natural flavors they used somewhat replicate them.  There’s not much else to be said about Big K Root Beer except this.  If you have an extra dollar just buy the Barq’s instead.  While there are better root beers out there than Barq’s at least you’re not rewarding a grocery store for making a less than stellar product… instead you are rewarding the Coca Cola company.  If you want to take a few steps up from that then look no further than these two.

~A

This is Twist's "meh" face

Refreshe - Cherry Cola

It’s time to re-visit the Safeway brand “refreshe” in all its un-capitalized glory.  Today’s flavor of choice is refreshe Cherry Cola, which contains 0% juice.  You know how I know this?  Well it’s stated on the can silly, if that wasn’t printed on here I bet I’d be wondering all day if there was real cherry juice in here.  Sigh… I wish sarcasm had a font because I’d use the heck out of it.  How’s about we use Comic Sans as the official “Sarcasm Font”?   People would like it more if it were used for the benefit of sarcasm wouldn’t they?  I understand that some use Comic Sans ironically, but let’s take it back from the Hipsters and use it for the sarcastic!  Surely a large portion of Hipsters are sarcastic so the lash-back won’t be that great.  So yet another trend is decided on this site.  TheSodaJerks.net:  Setters of trends, and nothing more!  Wait… we also review sodas.  Speaking of… this refreshe Cherry Cola has a very mysterious ingredients list as Natural Flavors are listed alongside HFCS, Coloring agents, and acids.  Let’s just open it up and see what we get.

The scent test proves refreshe Cherry Cola to be more cola than cherry, which is perfectly understandable.  I can discern the cherry scent mind you, but it wasn’t the first thing my nose noticed.  Then again my allergies are kicked up today so there’s that.  DRINK ON!

The first sip is a major disappointment.  The cola taste immediately falls flat and the cherry gets crushed underneath it.  Swishing it around in my mouth I can feel the cola trying with all its might to intrigue me with bursts of carbonation.  “Like me! Like me!” it screams, but once you stop swishing… it quiets down to a whisper.  Every sip I take allows the flavor to build on itself which you might think would help its case.  No, Ma’am.  No, Sir.  While the flavor is becoming more pungent it’s just revealing how weak of a Cherry Cola this really is.  You can almost taste the chemicals, assuming they are since Natural Flavors are all we’re given.  Honestly I hope they are chemicals because if you use real deal ingredients and you make it taste this underwhelming then shame on you.  Fortunately the aftertaste vanishes fairly quickly but you’re left with the caustic feel of refreshe Cherry Cola on your teeth.  It’s holding on to my enamel for dear life, making my teeth more easily grind when I close my mouth.  That’s it.  I’m done.  I could finish this can, but I see no reason to do so.  This is one of the worst attempts at a Cherry Cola, something that should be a treat in any definition, which I have seen in a very long time.

~A

Twist doesn't even realize it's there... that's how flavorless it is.

Refreshe - Lemon Lime

I like generic store brand soda… well, I like the idea of them.  Here’s this soda that a grocery store chain is putting out there.  They are doing this for one of two reasons.  They either want the generic soda at hand to compete and be favored over the mainstream counterpart, or they just want to make a quick buck in the soda game.  Today I’m giving Safeway store brand soda a try once again, but this time around they seem to be a bit more fancy.  Before the can would just say the flavor with a fun graphic now I’m greeted with the word “refreshe”.  I’m pretty sure they used the word “refreshe” (in all lowercase letters mind you… because that’s more hip) to look the part of a snazzy soda.  The flavor, Lemon Lime, is titled on the lower portion of the can in a pop-art blob.  The can itself is green with equally retro looking designs as well.  Just look at the picture.  The tale here is that they’re trying to at least look like an upscale soda while maintaining the price of a generic one.  This refreshe Lemon Lime is sweetened with HFCS and filled with an assortment of other chemicals.  I feel as if I’ve already dedicated too many words to refreshe Lemon Lime, but hopefully it’s about to prove me wrong.

It has about ¾ of the scent 7up does, but I will note that the carbonation is so prevalent that I can easily hear it.  Putting my ear closer I can even hear some larger bubbles getting into the mix.  Drinking time!

Better than expected, but nothing to write home about.  It has a smoother mouth feel than 7up does which makes it kind of forgettable after each sip is finished.  The aftertaste is a bit stickier much like Sprite.  I’ll tell you right now “those of you who haven’t read all 300+ articles” that I dislike Sprite BECAUSE of that very aftertaste.  The flavor itself differs slightly from both as I feel you can taste more of the lime in this than you can in any of the big 3 Lemon/Lime sodas.  It’s not so strong that it sets refreshe Lemon Lime apart from anyone, but I felt it was worth noting so that’s something.  Going back to the first couple of sentences that are written in this review, I’d have to say that this is just Safeway trying to make a buck in the soda biz while trying to look like they’re making a unique beverage at the same time.  If you like Sprite or 7up and don’t want to spend as much on soda then refreshe Lemon Lime is for you.  If you’re looking for a whole ‘nother experience when it comes to the Lemon Lime soda genre, then be prepared for a can full of “meh”.

~A

The extra "e" is for "extra e"

Big Shot - Pineapple Blue Bayou

I just finished serving on a jury.  This is why the reviews haven’t been happening quite as often, there I’ve made my excuse.  While most would think that Jury Duty might be a miserable experience mine was quite the opposite.  I was fortunate enough to spend time with 11 other people who I would consider genuinely great people.  Yes I only spent 4 days with them, but I was impressed by them all… especially the one that gave me the soda I’m reviewing today.  “Juror Number Cool” is what I’ll call her and I must thank her now for giving me this bottle of soda called Big Shot.  The full name of this particular flavor is Big Shot – Pineapple Blue Bayou, so we might be in for some surprise. 

Big Shot is apparently a popular brand in New Orleans, Nawlins, The Big Easy, Crescent City, The City that Care Forgot, Hollywood South, and many other nicknames I didn’t see looking at Wikipedia.  It appears, after doing a bit of research, that their slogan is “Even if you don’t have a million bucks, let’em know you’re a big shot!”  Saddly this is not on the label.  To offset this sadness is the face of Big Shot… insert name here if he actually had one.  The face of Big Shot looks like a combination of W.C. Fields and Charlie Chaplin.  I immediately want merchandise with The Face of Big Shot on it.  Along with said face and name of drink are the flavors of Pineapple Blue Bayou.  I’m about to consume this blue liquid that is the flavor combination of oranges, pineapple, and coconut.  I’m not going to bother listing the ingredients for you as it’s just a bunch of chemicals.  With that said I think I’ve given a somewhat flushed out description of the 24oz bottle at hand.  If my description confused you… well then just look at the picture below, silly goose.  On with the review!

This impossibly blue liquid smells like a combo of fruit stripe gum and orange cream soda.  I’m now happily anticipating my first drink and happy that all the chemicals they put in this bottle didn’t just singe all three of my chest hairs.  On with the fun.

Big Shot – Pineapple Blue Bayou is certainly an assortment of flavors.  The first thing I taste is what seems to be a glimpse into the flavor of orange; this is followed by the sweet tang of pineapple with coconut being your eventual aftertaste.  The coconut flavor hits your palate so very late in the game that if you were to drink this and not write sentences in between each swig I’m not sure you’d get to experience it.  Coconut is the guy in the race that crosses the finish line after everyone else.  No one is looking for him except his parents, and they’re even averting their eyes somewhat due to his failure at running.  All of these flavors are held together with sweet, sweet, chemicals.  Ok, I’ve made mention of the chemicals three or four times now.  I’m going to redeem this bottle of Big Shot just a smidge by telling you two of the non-chemical ingredients.  Orange juice concentrate, and pineapple juice… there I said it.  While Big Shot – Pineapple Blue Bayou is exactly what your grandparents are referring to when they use the term “sugar water”, it’s not completely full of chemicals.  While I enjoyed this bottle of BS-PBB (I got tired of typing the full name out so I wrote this even longer sentence explaining the abbreviation, thus making it pointless) it’s not a flavor I have to have.  If I was on my way somewhere, NOLA maybe, and I stopped at a gas station… sure I’d pick up a bottle for the road.  I’m not going to stock my fridge with it though.  That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on the Big Shot line, in fact I’m going to make it a point to try all of their flavors.  Thanks Juror Number Cool!

~A

Faux Fact:  Twist was once a Deputy in New Orleans.

IBC Root Beer

Let me start this review off by saying I’m gonna do my best not to be biased reviewing IBC Root Beer.  Much like IBC Black Cherry (which I was going to link there until I realized I’ve never reviewed it) I have an emotional tie to IBC Root Beer. 

Every time I go to visit my grandmother, about a 3 hour trip, for the ride home she always packs me an IBC Root Beer.  When I say pack I don’t mean she puts it in a bag and hands it to me, oh no; she wraps it in a paper towel for the initial layer, then wraps the bottle in foil to preserve its frosty feel, finally she places it in a plastic grocery bag and wraps that around the bottle several times until the bag is almost like a form fitting garment.  I can only imagine that this last step is for cushioning, but it doesn’t matter because it’s created a great memory for me over the last several years. 

To add onto this fond memory of IBC Root Beer I have to go back even further into my life back when I was about ten years old.  My mom used to drink Diet Sprite all the time, not like an addict or anything but enough that we were fully stocked most any day.  Since Diet Sprite isn’t exactly a “treat” for your average 10 year old she started purchasing IBC Root Beer for us as well.  I’d never seen anything like it, the bottle was so cool.  I’d never had a drink out of a glass bottle before, it was so mature, almost like a beer… but I was allowed to drink it.  I guess you could say that IBC Root Beer was my first jaunt into the world of non-mainstream sodas.  Fast forward 20 years and you have me sitting here today still excited to drink one for all the above reasons.  It’s like every bottle of IBC Root Beer is a fond memory for me, and I felt I had to tell you all that in case you saw some sort of bias.  I’m going to do my best though.  On with the review! 

IBC Root Beer is a root beer made with HFCS which already sets it back in the “Root Beer Game”.  Upon writing that sentence I immediately want to play the “Root Beer Game” whatever that may be.  To follow a negative with a positive we have the bottle design.  I’ve always enjoyed that IBC didn’t have any kind of paper label.  The logo is actually part of the brown glass bottle, as are all of the states you can return this bottle to for a refund.  This creates a unique look in a market that’s inundated with paper labels trying their best to look old fashioned.  It’s time for me to twist off that fancy red bottle cap that I’ve removed hundreds of times before.

I always enjoy the vapor that a bottle sometimes releases when you first open it.  Something about it adds to the chill factor of the beverage at hand.  Fortunately IBC Root Beer has this visible vapor and the smell that follows is most certainly that of a root beer.  IBC Root Beer doesn’t have a creamy scent like you might find with an A&W.  I’d say that licorice is the strongest scent I perceive with each whiff of the bottle.  If the smell of licorice is off putting to you then let me try this comparison instead.  If you’ve ever eaten a root beer flavored Dum Dum sucker then you’re already familiar with the aroma I’m experiencing here.  On to the drinking!

The root beer flavor of IBC is weaker than others which is surprising for me to find out since I usually drink this with such nostalgia.  Don’t get me wrong it’s not weak to the point of watery but I’ve had stronger root beers.  I will say that with each sip the flavor builds upon itself creating more and more of a root beer experience as you drink it.  Some of that can be contributed to the HFCS they use to sweeten it since the syrupy feel never completely leaves your mouth.  The carbonation level of IBC Root Beer is comparable to the slightest of buzzes on your tongue.  The HFCS starts to work against it about midway through the experience as it begins to make the fact that this isn’t an all-natural root beer more well-known with each sip.  As you reach the bottom of the bottle the carbonation kicks up a bit more as it now has further to travel with each upending.  This adds a delightful mouth feel, but the flavor isn’t improved.  For some reason the burps afterward have a better flavor than the root beer itself… no idea why.  Overall IBC Root Beer is an average root beer in a wonderful bottle.  I hope I’ve done my job in keeping my bias out of this review.  I’m going to stop now before I change my rating.

Nostalgic Verdict – HUGS!

~A

Twit's grandmother wraps it in leaves.  Iguanas have limited resources

Mello Yello

As many of you know I’m from Texas, and I’m just mad about Saffron.  This is an important fact to consider for the review today.  You see, I’m reviewing Mello Yello.  Mello Yello is a very mainstream brand and many of you may be wondering why I’m just now picking up a can to review.  So why have I, Aaron the Texan, decided that Mello Yello was important enough to review?  For whatever reason, Mello Yello has been nearly impossible to find in Texas for several years now.  It’s almost like Coke just kind of gave up on ever taking the market back from Mountain Dew.  I’m sure bringing it “back” to Texas was just a move that was fueled by money, but part of me thinks that SunDrop’s rise to national distribution might have had to do something with it as well.  For those of you not in the “kno”, Mello Yello is Coke’s version of Mountain Dew.  That’s the easiest way to explain what they were trying to go for when Coke created it.  It’s made with chemicals, orange juice concentrate, and now sits in a snazzy looking retro can in front of me.  I do love the can art by the way.  If there is one thing that Mello Yello has already beaten Mountain Dew and SunDrop on… it’s the can art.  So very simple, so very classic in styling, so very yello.  I mean, yellow.  I think it’s time to get this review started… quite rightly.

At first whiff Mello Yello puts off a scent more akin to Sprite than that of Mountain Dew.  However when I give it the old college try and breathe in a bit more the familiar scent of mixed citrus is what prevails.  Let’s see how well they compare in flavor.

Oh this will be easy!  Mello Yello is watered down Mountain Dew.  See ya next week folks!

~A

Ok, so maybe I should expound on this statement a little first.  If SunDrop or Mountain Dew didn’t exist then Mello Yello would be fantastic.  The fact that they do though makes you immediately compare each to another allowing us to not settle for a lesser soda which in this case is Mello Yello.  With each sip of Mello Yello you experience a rather flavorless journey until you near the end of it.  It’s almost as if they tried too hard to be refreshing and in doing so lost anything unique and fun about their beverage.  Only at the end of each gulp/sip/drink do you get the hit of citrus you probably expected since the beginning.  In the “Points For” category, I can identify several of the citrus flavors they used in making this, but the flavor overall is still a disappointment.  The carbonation works well with the flavor it’s given, but I honestly don’t care at this point. 

If any of you think I’m being too harsh on Mello Yello then know it’s with great sorrow that I do so.  One of my favorite advertising campaigns was that of Mello Yello.  Jim Varney, better known as Ernest P. Worrell, is still to this day only one of three celebrity deaths I’ve actually been saddened by in my time on Earth.  Sure the Ernest movies became overly stupid as they continued on, but the man made me laugh as a child and now as an adult.  During that time that he was making people laugh he was a spokesman for the “Make the Mello Yello Move” campaign.  To this day I can watch these commercials and enjoy them to the same degree I did as a child, if not more so.  I want to like this drink.  Ernest liked this drink, or was at least paid to.  I’m going to watch a couple of these ads, three of them actually, and see if it doesn’t improve upon my opinion of Mello Yello.  Be right back! 

Sigh….not even the great Jim Varney could sway my vote, and now  I’m more depressed than ever.  Back to the review.

Like I noted earlier the can art is awesome.  The can art hands down beats the competitors.  Let’s me focus on the can art for a moment and hopefully that will get me out of this funk.  The design on this Mello Yello can seems to harken back to simpler times.  Simpler Times, when a Peanut Farmer was President, when a stamp cost you 15 cents, and when a gallon of gas was under a dollar.  Guess what?  I wasn’t alive back then so the retro can is unable to work its magics on me.  Mello Yello is watered down Mountain Dew.  KnowwhatImean?

~A

I'll probably be snuffed out for telling you this, but it's too important not to.  Twist. Is. Vern.

MTN Dew Voltage

At the time I bought this bottle of Mtn Dew Voltage I was running out of drinks… I still am but that’s beside the point.  I’ve never really been into the whole crazy Mtn Dew flavors thing, but I respect what they’re doing.  What caught my attention to this bottle of Mtn Dew Voltage (which this point on will be called simply “Voltage”) was the fact that it contains Ginseng.  Voltage immediately starts to slide down the grading scale with the words “Charged with Raspberry Citrus Flavor…” on the side.  First off this drink is blue and a primary flavor is Raspberry.  I dislike the idea of blue raspberry anything.  Secondly what is a “Raspberry Citrus” flavor?  To find that out I guess I actually have to consume it.  Alright then.  Here we go!

Voltage smells as if you crushed up a bunch of blue raspberry SweeTarts and mixed it with the appropriate ratio of water.  Needless to say I’m not impressed.  I will say that the lightning bolt on the side of the bottle keeps catching my eye though.  So much power.  So much responsibility.  Let’s see if this will live up to its responsibility like Spiderman or fail miserably like Spiderman 3.

Rushed Venom, Emo-Peter Parker, and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane… that’s what ran through my head as I finished taking that sip.  So much disappointment.  Voltage hit’s your mouth with a small shock of carbonation leading up to a taste that can only be described as chemical.  I’m sure there are other descriptive terms I could have used but I had to say there wasn’t for dramatic effect.  The blue raspberry fights with the ginseng on who will be the most prominent flavor while Citrus sits in the corner shouting.  Ultimately my mouth declares them all losers and tries to drink its problems away only finding that the nearest drink is more Voltage.  Such a vicious cycle.  This is the first Mtn Dew beverage that tastes like a mediocre to bad energy drink.  I like original Mtn Dew (although Sun Drop is better), I like Code Red, and I like Pitch Black, but this is not worth finishing.  The only reason I’m not going to rate this Do Not Buy is because I could actually finish it if I wanted to.  WHY DID I JUST TAKE ANOTHER SIP?!  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

~A

Oddly enough if Twist puts his tongue to it, the bottle will be shocked.

Fresh Choices Grape Soda

Gas station soda.  That’s pretty much what you can call Fresh Choices Grape Soda since the Fresh Choices brand is made for Valero Gas Stations.  As you may already know I love cheap grape sodas.  I feel that the cheaper the soda the better chance that it will be absolutely delicious, therefore I couldn’t pass this bottle up.  Its chock full of chemicals and has a logo that would make any design firm in the early 90’s swoon with excitement.  Let’s take it out for a spin.

Oh man, that is some cheap smelling grape soda.  It has such an artificial aroma that I can hardly wait to try it.  It has a very similar smell to Dimetapp which could either excite you even more about trying it, or keep you far, far away.  For me it’s the former.  Time to take my medicine.

Aaaaand disappointment.  One of the reasons I usually like cheap grape soda is the fact that it has such a strong bite.  For all practical purposes I just chugged a good amount of Fresh Choices Grape Soda and not even the hint of a burn crept into my mouth.  This tastes exactly like you would expect it… a generic grape soda.  It has approximately the same amount of sweetness that any sort of grape flavored candy might have, so it’s fairly sweet.  The grape flavoring is very, very artificial in flavor, but why wouldn’t it be when it says “artificial flavor” right on the side of the bottle.  I do kind of wish that grapes tasted like this, or at least a particular strand of grapes.  The mouth feel is somewhat syrupy, and building on itself,  since they went the chemical route in their production.   Overall it’s a very average beverage and shall be rated accordingly.  On another note, Average Beverage seems like a good name for a band.

~A

Nothing says delicious grape soda like... Grape Soda.

Topo Sabores Apple

Who doesn’t love apple soda… well besides Johnny Appleseed of course?  I always figured being around all those apples would eventually make him sick of them.  Sure he helped shape America with all he did involving apples, but I bet he only ate them to keep up his image.  Fortunately Johnny “Appleseed” Chapman isn’t here to review this Topo Sabores Apple soda.  Also fortunately… is not a proper way to start a sentence but… also fortunately I am here to review this bottle of Topo Sabores Apple Soda.  As you might be able to tell by the name, Topo Sabores hails from Mexico and uses delicious cane sugar as a sweetener as well as HFCS just to confuse us.  We’ve done a few of their drinks before so I’ll just add a link here… and maybe here.  Let’s all read about me smelling this soda now. Pop Pop!

The scent coming out of the neck of this bottle is definitely that of an apple, but I will say that it’s also a bit more subtle than I expected.  At first it smells like apple juice only to have the scent change to sweet soda at the last second, almost fooling you into thinking it was healthy.  Drink time.

Very nice.  Very nice indeed.  This apple soda even tastes a bit like apple juice even though the bottle lists no such ingredient.  With each sip I’m greeted with a touch of spice, much like you would experience in eggnog.  Before my mind gets a chance to think too hard on eggnog soda the spice quickly dissipates into a mildly carbonated apple juice flavored soda.  The aftertaste reminds me of a red apple/green apple hybrid.  It is sweet and tart at the same time and lasts considerably longer than any of the other tastes you’ll experience.  As much as I like Topo Sabores Apple Soda it doesn’t actually “wow” me.  This is an above average soda, and I will suggest you buy multiples, but it’s lacking a special something that would set it apart from being slightly above average.

~A

One day Twist will be on a bottle of soda.

Henry Weinhard's Vanilla Cream

Remember that last Henry Weinhard’s beverage we reviewed that was so very GROSS?!  No?  Me neither as they’ve all been pretty dang good.  Hopefully today’s entry into our journal, or as it will be known in the future after excavation our lore, will be just as fondly remembered.  Henry Weinhard’s Vanilla Cream is most definitely a cream soda with a draught style head.  It’s loaded with the same great ingredients (minus the fact that they use HFCS), so it should be loaded with the same great taste!  Let’s find out.

Oooooweeee!  That is a vanilla packed aroma.  It smells like they jammed so much vanilla in this bottle that it runs to the safety of the outside world to keep from overcrowding.  You know the fire marshall has really been eyeing them, trying to ticket them on any little charge.  Let’s help our vanilla friends out with their problem by consuming their souls.

Fortunately I am consuming another quality product from the shelves of Henry Weinhard.  This soda is smooth, but nothing I’m going to write more than this sentence about.  Initially I’m finding the taste to most resemble a high quality A&W Cream Soda, but with a sharper feel on your tongue.  Odd, the soon-to-be-aftertaste and the aftertaste both have hints of Big Red.  Now, I’m not the biggest fan of Big Red so it’s breaking my brain since I’m now experiencing its flavor in something I like.  Remember when you were a kid and your parents threw you that awesome dinosaur birthday party?  Of course you do, it was SO AWESOME!  Your cake was a dinosaur, your hats had dinosaurs on them, and you even got Jurassic Park on VHS/DVD/BluRay.  To top it off all of your friends were there!  All of them, even that guy that moved away last year!  Everything is coming up dinosaurs... until the doorbell rings and THAT GUY is standing there waiting for you to let him in.  You don’t like THAT GUY, you didn’t even invite him.  Who did?  It was probably your mom trying to be “polite”.  You open the door, THAT GUY has brought you nothing.  He looks around at all the dinosaur awesomeness.  “Dinosaurs, hmm?  I had a dragon party last year and everyone knows that dragons can beat up dinosaurs.”  You’re brain quickly learns your first curse word but doesn’t teach your mouth to say it.  From that point on the party never reaches its full potential.  Every fun thing that happens goes through a THAT GUY filter, diluting the ‘could be greatness’.  That’s how I feel about the Big Red taste appearing in my Henry Weinhard’s Vanilla Cream.  Ahhh that felt good.  I haven’t had a good pointless rant in a while.  Big Red taste or not this is still a better than average cream soda and it’s rating should reflect just that.

~A

Twist was never THAT GUY.

Big K Pineapple Passionfruit Soda

I just cleaned up dog vomit so by comparison this soda may get a more amazing rating than it deserves, but who knows it may knock my socks off!  The soda I’ve now mentioned in the same breath as dog vomit is Big K’s Pineapple Passionfruit Soda, another gift from the Santa-esque D. Dub.  Santa gives you things you ask for, whereas D. Dub gives you stuff he thinks you won’t like.  He’s the anti-claus really.  Anywho, this is a chemical filled beverage with a light peach color and a label like you would only expect on a 2 liter bottle of Big K.  To this day I have no idea what a passionfruit is, but I can guess that it’s pretty tasty.  How could it not be tasty when it’s called PASSIONfruit.  The software I’m typing this on really doesn’t like the fact that I keep writing it “Passionfruit” instead of “Passion Fruit”, but I’m only doing so because that’s how it’s written on the jug.  Enough chit chat… let’s do this thang!

Upon huffing said beverage I notice little to no pineapple scent escaping the opening of my Missile Command pint glass.  I’m guessing the scent I’m experiencing is that of the ever quirky Passionfruit, but that’s just a hopeful guess.  Honestly it smells a little “peachy” to me, but that might have everything to do with the color of the beverage.  On to the tasting!

Very nice for a chemical filled soda.  The carbonation visits you throughout the sip, never being the most powerful ingredient until the end.  Again, I’m not tasting a lot of pineapple here but it’s not completely absent.  It’s almost as if right as Pineapple got his pinkie toe in the bottle Peach walked up to him and made fun of his complexion.  Pineapple, now distraught, decided to give up on ever being a part of Big K Pineapple Passionfruit Soda and fell into a deep depression.  Fortunately for him the fine makers of the Dole Whip asked him to be their featured performer and he has been succeeding like gang-busters ever since.  It’s pretty much the exact same thing that happened to Jennifer Hudson.  Meanwhile back in the soda… there is also a bit of a plum flavor present as well.  I notice the plum becoming more involved during the final act of this performance, also known as the aftertaste.  Ok so maybe I don’t know what a passionfruit tastes like but I do know that this tastes like Peach Punch.  Not quite peach, not quite punch, add some carbonation and other flavors and there you have it… Peach Punch!  Quickly!  To the patent board! 

~A

Faux Fact:  The "glass pineapple" seen in this picture is the actual type of pineapple used in this soda.