Cock 'n Bull Cherry Ginger Beer

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Why wouldn’t you pick up “The Extra Cherry Ginger Soft Drink”?  The bottle even has a cartoon bull and chicken on it for the kids.  For labeling purposes technically it’s Cock ‘n Bull Cherry Ginger Beer.  According to the label this beverage is a “liquid treasure” that contains “natural ginger flavor” and “natural cherry flavor”.  

A glance at the ingredients shows that there are “natural flavors” but doesn’t really specify how they are obtained.  I’ve always said that if a bottle says “natural cherry flavor” on it, yet the ingredients don’t include “cherry anything” to be skeptical.  I’m sure they aren’t lying, but they aren’t telling the full truth either.

Cock 'n Bull 'n Hippo

That said I must give them some recognition for being the first cherry ginger beer that actually has a cherry smell to it.  Most are so lightly flavored with cherry your olfactory glands have to broaden their imagination to even being to detect the scent.

Very nice.  The cherry taste is noticeable, but doesn’t get in the way of the ginger beer.  It’s a fairly candied cherry taste, but honestly it makes the drink more fun.  

It’s within the front and finish of the drink… I like that terminology pairing so I’m going to rewrite the sentence.  The front and finish of Cock ‘n Bull Cherry Ginger Beer is where you get your cherry taste.  Sandwiched in the middle is gonna be your Ginger Spice.  As a child this was my favorite of the spice girls, but as I grew up I started leaning more toward Scary.

Ginger does it’s job, giving my mouth a quick sizzle that’s strong enough to linger long enough to be memorable.  This seer of the tongue lasts well into the final cherry aftertaste, culminating in a well paired “Buddy Cop Flick” of flavors.  

The biggest downside to Cock ‘n Bull Cherry Ginger Beer is that the cherry flavor tastes a bit more medicinal with each sip I take.  It doesn’t make me dislike the soda, but it certainly diminishes some of its initial charm.  Aside from that though it’s definitely something I’d recommend.  In fact I’ll do that right now.

~A

This was purchased at World Market

Bundaberg Passionfruit

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I don’t think I’ve ever had a passionfruit outside of a soda.  Obviously I’m not going to do the research on this, but for the sake of this review let’s just assume I’m correct.  Today won’t rock that hypothesis either as I’m going to hopefully enjoy a bottle of Bundaberg Passionfruit.  

The ingredients say I’ll enjoy it as they include real passionfruit juice and cane sugar.  There’s even a touch of passionfruit puree… which explains why I need to “invert bottle before opening”.

Tiny orange hippo was hidden by the bottle

Wow, that is a pungent soda… in a good way of course.  The escaping aroma is very rich and full of passionfruit goodness, which smells a little like a peach if you ask me.

I’m good with that.  This tastes like I’m eating a passionfruit.  Please remember I’ve never actually had one, but if I had I imagine this is what it would taste like.  It just tastes juicy.  

Along with this juicy passionfruit taste (again, think tropical peach) there’s a nice burn on the back end that reminds me I’m alive.  The almost nectar sweet taste of Bundaberg Passionfruit lives on my lips well after each sip.  It’s an enjoyable experience each time I bring it to my taste buds.  The sweetness paired with the tart burst of bubbles makes for a fantastic mouthfeel and all around good experience.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Onli Hibiscus Pomegranate Strawberry

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Sigh… I’m worried about this review.  The last two sodas from Onli that I tasted did not agree at all with my buds.  To make matters worse today’s flavor includes hibiscus, something I’ve never really enjoyed.  The name it’s parents call it when it’s in trouble is Onli Hibiscus Pomegranate Strawberry.  It’s unsweetened and a beautiful rose color.  I know it’s unsweetened because it says so in bold print at least three times on the bottle.  So… here we go with the lowest expectations possible.

He's trying to see what the iguana is looking at.

The aroma is a nice, light strawberry scent that tries to seduce my mind.  It’s not going to work though.  Even though this smells of something I should sip on a hot summer day I know better… or at least I think I do.  

Onli makes the world's most confusing beverages.  I’m 100% ok with this.  It’s not delicious and amazing, but I understand what their doing and approve.  The two sodas I had prior to this one didn’t compute in my mind or mouth.  In my opinion, and that of the people around me while reviewing, they were awful.  

Onli Hibiscus Pomegranate Strawberry starts off with a bitter burst, but it transitions easily into a pomegranate/strawberry mineral water.  It’s definitely a sipping beverage and not a chugging one.  The fragile flavors fight with the bitters of the hibiscus and carbonation, but ultimately the sides call truce and live in harmony.

A powerful array of bubbles is ever present and adds some texture to the mouthfeel of the soda.  There is not a strong aftertaste and your mouth gets no syrupy buildup sip after sip.  I feel alright drinking this, no guilt at all.  Then again there are maybe 3 beverages I’d have any guilt about consuming.  

So that’s it then.  Onli makes sodas that flit and flicker all across my taste spectrum.  Thankfully my most recent memory of them will be positive.  Want an unsweetened soda that you might actually enjoy, give this one a try.

~A

This soda was purchased at an HEB Grocer

Onli Grapefruit Pomelo and Peach

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So earlier in the week I tried my second Onli beverage and it was pretty dang terrible.  Today I have another Onli beverage and I don’t know what one of the ingredients is.  The flavor of the day is Onli Grapefruit (yes) Pomelo (what?) and Peach (yes).  What’s a pomelo?  Let’s consult the internet.  Citrus Maxima is the scientific name and I like that a lot.  Pomelo is also a word used for grapefruit in some cases, but that would make the label redundant so I’m assuming that’s not what’s happening here.

Clearly he hasn't tasted it.

I’d look at the ingredients but someone removed the ingredient label so I’m going to assume that since it only has 15 calories that there is some non-sugar, but all natural, sweetener at work here.   Probably Erythritol, assuming I spelled that correctly.

In the “Good News” category this smells like a grapefruit soda and I like those.  So we’re two for two in good things now.  Good thing number 1 was “Citrus Maxima” for those who don’t like to re-read things.

This just in from the guy sitting one table over, we’ll call him Buttons.  Buttons says that pomelo is an original citrus fruit that many current fruits came from.  Pomelo + Mandarin = Grapefruit / Common Oranges.

Wow that’s an insanely bitter soda.  I keep trying it to parse out all the flavors, and each time a guttural noise comes out of my face.  The grapefruit is apparent in taste and I can only assume the Pomelo is too.  Peach on the other hand is represented as more of a theory.  It’s the essence of peach really.  You see it on the label so your brain tells you the aroma should be there… so it is.

Once again I don’t want to drink anymore of this soda.  It’s a deceptively pretty soda that lures you in with an artistic picture of citrus fruit… then reality sets in.

~A

This was purchased at an HEB Grocery Store

 

Onli Green Tea Lemongrass Mango

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Green tea needs to be in waaaaaay more sodas.  Thankfully today I have one in front of me called Onli Green Tea Lemongrass Mango.  Onli makes lightly flavored sodas that taste the way sparkling water should… of course I’m basing that on one soda.  They are “Sparkling & All Natural”, sugar free (sweetened with Erythritol), and in this case has some Monk Fruit Extract in it.  So that begs the question, how does a 5 calorie soda taste when sugar is removed from the equation?

At least they used Green Tea

That smells like a bag of nickles, I’m no longer excited to drink this.  With a strong whiff I do get some of the mango and green tea aroma, but it’s not powerful enough to sway my worries.

Nope.  Nope.  One more sip.  Nope.  That tastes like a bag of nickels with a little bit of green tea and mango flavor as well.  

Each sip ends with a painful wince because of how bitter the soda is.  The initial taste is lightly sweetened, fruity, and enjoyable.  Sadly, it almost immediately transitions into a metallic taste which then performs a ritual and summons the devil upon your tongue.  The devil then dances a merry jig upon your taste buds (this creates a bitter taste for those down on their lore) and vanishes from your mouth.  

I don’t want to drink this anymore so I’m going to stop and leave nearly three quarters of this soda unconsumed.  I will say that the light mango taste is enjoyable for less than a second… you know, just so I don’t leave this on a bad note.

~A

I purchased this soda at an HEB Grocery Store

Hippo Size Big Black Cherry

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I really thought I’d reviewed more Hippo Size beverages.  Apparently this wasn’t even close to the truth as I’ve only reviewed one by my count.  Within that one time I’ve made Hippo Size beverages a fantastic memory.  Honestly I don’t remember if I liked Hippo Size or not, but it does have a hippo on the label so that’s always a positive.  Another positive is that they use cane sugar to sweeten and dark sweet cherry extract to flavor… sounds pretty good honestly.

Perhaps I'll get a tiny hippo as my travel mascot.

The aroma that pours out is velvety sweet and rich with cherry.  Decadent is a fantastic word to describe the scent so I’ll use it.  The scent is downright decadent.

A rush of black cherry flavor on the front end is quickly followed up with a swift burst of tiny bubbles.  Then nothingness.  Let me take another sip and see if that was a fluke.  Nope, the third act was cancelled.  

That’s so very odd.  It’s like if you’re reading a good book and the last third of the pages are torn out.  My brain is having issue comprehending that my mouth is telling it the drinking experience is over.

Let me be clear that this is a wonderful black cherry soda that I would happily purchase again.  Let me also clarify that after I take a sip I still taste something, but it’s not an after taste… it’s just the flavor I got in the middle.  

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that I’m doing a pretty poor job of describing this oddity, so I’ll stop trying.  

Hippo Size Big Black Cherry is a wonderful beverage packed with flavor and fizz. The mouthfeel is fun, the aroma is pungent in the best way possible and the bottle has a hippo on it.  I’m not sure I’ve had a better black cherry soda in the past couple years.

~A

This was purchased at a Shell Gas Station

Jones M.F. Grape

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As I mentioned in a previous review, my step-sister went to a wedding expo and visited a Jones Soda booth.  The lady at the booth knew of the site and gave my sister three different sodas for me to review.  Unfortunately for me only one of the bottles had a label on it and the others were stark naked.  Today’s bottle is of the nude variety and I have no idea what it’s going to taste like.  A passer-by assumes that it will be a grape amalgamation… which is a fantastic name for a soda.

I really need a portable Twist

There’s no ingredient list so I guess all I can do is open it and see what I think this is.  For the record the original title of this article was “Blueish Purple Jones Soda”.  If the title has changed by the time you read this it means I think I know what the flavor is.

I think “Grape Amalgamation Man” was on to something as the aroma that jumps out at me is certainly that of a grape soda.  The primarily blue coloring kept my brain from going to the vine, so there’s my first surprise I guess.

The taste is almost identical to the scent.  A very sweet, yet somewhat tart, grape flavor easily pushes it’s way past my taste buds.  Since I now know what I believe to be the flavor I’m going to check out the Jones website to see if I’m correct...aaaand I can’t find it.  Back to the review, I guess.

The carbonation burn of this soda is wonderfully fun.  The way it tickles my lips and throat (as odd as that sounds) is somewhat rare among sodas.  Still though, with every sip I get grape.  It’s very similar to a DimeTapp grape, but I haven’t met many folks that dislike that flavor.  For those who think this means it tastes medicinal, you’d be wrong.  It’s better described as a punchy grape taste as opposed to candy grape or natural grape.

You know what I still can’t get over though?  The color.  Why is this blue… wait, let me hold it to to the light.  Ok, so it’s actually purple and everything is right with the world.  I still don’t know the actual flavor of the soda though, let me look again.

AHA!  Jones Grape is primarily purple where Jones M.F. Grape is primarily blue looking in the pictures!  I’m drinking Jones M.F. Grape and I don’t know the difference at all!  Wait, M.F. Grape has been retired?  I still think I’m drinking it though.  Final Answer!

~A  

My swell step sister gave this to me.

Onli Lemon Watermelon

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I picked up this drink because it’s pink.  It’s a very tasty shade of pink that normally promises that it’ll be unique and delicious.  That said, I almost put it down when I read it was “Chef Inspired”.  What does that even mean?  Thankfully under “Chef Inspired” I read it was sparkling, all natural, and had some ginseng in it.  All natural fruit flavored beverages are usually pretty tasty, so I figured I might as well give it a go.

Ingredient wise Onli (GET IT?  ONLY?!) is full of carbonated triple filtered mountain water, natural cane sugar, natural flavors (boooo just tell me what they are), lemon juice concentrate, malic acid, panax ginseng extract, and finally fruit and vegetable juice for color.

See that sounds pretty good, right?  Fortunately it smells like lemon watermelon so at least it’s not a complete lie.  Color me hopeful for the flavor… perhaps I’d be pink.

Very nice!  Lemon tastes the lead in this dance, but watermelon is light on her feet as well.  The carbonation is robust and very much apart of the production.  Each sip is full of bubbles which results in a great mouthfeel.    

Flavor wise this tastes like the way I wish sparkling water did.  It’s not syrupy at all, I’d even go so far as to say it’s a bit dry.  Onli Lemon Watermelon would be a great beverage to pair with a host of things.  I’m not going to pretend to know which ones so excuse me if I don’t suggest anything.

This is also the kind of beverage that could make you seem like someone who enjoys “the finer” things in life.  Perhaps you put a pack in your fridge so you can bust one out during the big game and impress everyone in the room.  They won’t know what to think.  Just know that their stunned silence and eventual mocking of you means they like you.

Seriously though, this is a great soda for those who aren’t big on sugar, even though it has 22 grams.  It’s not overly sweet, its flavor is delightful and it’s all natural.  Pretty good list of positives if you ask me, and you did since you’re reading the review.

The only reason I’m not rating this higher is due to personal preference.  I prefer drinks with a stronger flavor and a little more sugar, but don’t let my love of sweet sway you from trying this out.

~A

This soda was purchased from an HEB grocery store.

Another Time Soda Fountain - Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper

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I asked my waiter at Another Time Soda Fountain to recommend something to me for review.  “Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper” was his response.  When I asked what made their Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper different he said that they make it the old fashioned way by combining Dr Pepper, Cherry, and Vanilla syrups then carbonating them.  Judging by the color of what he delivered this truly is something different.

Not a lot of aroma comes off the top of the glass, but I still can’t take my eyes off of the auburn coloring of the soda.  I know what’s in this.  Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper is a known quantity in my mind, but it never looked like this.  I’m sure the camera on my phone didn’t do it justice… just trust me.  Yeah, nothing could go wrong with just trusting me.

Son of a gun that’s a great blend.  All three flavors race towards my tongue and end up in an all out brawl.  From this chaos “Cherry” is the clear winner as he triumphantly stands atop his two battered foes.  Dr Pepper, a very rich version of the drink most are familiar with, is the first to stumble to his knees pushing Vanilla’s face into the dirt as he attempts to stand.

Vanilla is alive.  Vanilla is awake.  Vanilla doesn’t want to get up though.  Even though he’s still on the ground after the brawl you still can’t take your eyes off of him.  Just picture three men in front of you, two standing and one flat on his face.  Which one is going to pull your attention?

Vanilla ultimately lost the fight, but the bruises and marks he left are still apparent on his opponents bodies.  Each sip includes vanilla to the point where it almost seems as if this drink were a float instead of an ice creamless soda.  

The syrup hugs my teeth in delicious fashion, but still pushes me to go brush.  Did I bring gum?  I really hope I brought gum.

Today I was introduced to the way Dr Pepper could really taste if put in the correct hands.  Don’t get me wrong, like most any Texan I like Dr Pepper, but when it’s created in the manner listed above you end up with a bigger, stronger animal.

Another Time Soda Fountain’s Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper is a better version of whatever you imagine it to be.  

~A

This was purchased at Another Time Soda Fountain in Rosenberg, TX  

Another Time Soda Fountain - Lime Phosphate

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Ok, now that I’ve had my first phosphate (cherry) I feel much better using The Soda Jerk moniker.  The next drink I’ll try from Another Time Soda Fountain will be their Lime Phosphate… mostly because I just like lime flavored things.  Where I think handmade cherry sodas are good, I think the potential for handmade lime soda is through the roof.

Oh MAN is that green!  The only thing greener is the face of the patron next to me… because it’s green with envy.  Ok, I lied.  No one is sitting next to me, but if they were I’m sure my statement would ring true.

The scent is strong enough to know that this will taste like lime candy and I’m 100% ok with that.  I probably look like a nut smelling all of the drinks that are brought to me.  Then again I’m also the only person in here on any piece of technology and no one other than my waiter has paid me any mind.  He’s a pretty great waiter by the way, very attentive.  I wish I was better with names so I could remember it.

Wow, that’s a much more violent flavor than the cherry.  I’d rather be dead than red.  I want to be seen in green!  This is straight up carbonated lime candy and I’m happy to say the flavor is strong enough to make my throat feel a little scratchy, which is just the right amount of power to give a soda.  Carbonation levels are perfect, making each sip an absolute joy to take part in.  With each sip the soda overtakes my taste buds more and more to where all I can taste is lime between sips.  

I can’t really call it an aftertaste as it now permeates my being.  It is an all-taste as it’s has bonded with me forever due to its strength.  Thankfull the all-taste has the exact same flavor as the soda.  I want to drink more of this, but I know if I did I’d be too full to write anymore reviews here and I’d like to write at least one more.  

This lime phosphate is so much better than the cherry that I’m questioning if I liked the cherry as much as I said I did.  It’s colorful, powerful, flavorful.  That’s three things it’s “ful” of and consuming it in this environment only makes it taste all the better.

~A

This was purchased at Another Time Soda Fountain in Rosenberg, TX

Another Time Soda Fountain - Cherry Phosphate

/ Another Time Soda Fountain/

I walked into Another Time Soda Fountain in Rosenberg, TX when they opened today at 11:00.  I was the only person in here for about 10 minutes.  Now 30 minutes later it’s filling up quickly with folks of all ages.  

My view

 I’m “on assignment” for two reasons.  Reason number one is that I now have a laptop (chromebook to be correct) and I’m now able to write on the road.  Reason number two is that ever since I heard of Another Time Soda Fountain I wanted to review their sodas but was unable to due to not having the resources in the first reason.

As soon as I entered I must say I was impressed by the decor.  It really does have an old fashioned sense to it, but not so old fashioned that everyone wouldn’t feel welcome.  It’s a very positive environment and the customers that entered after me seemed to all be having a good time.  It’s like they all left their bad moods (if they even had one) at the door before coming to eat.  

I’m sure that all sounds rather sappy, but it truly is a remarkable place.  I never told them what I am doing there and so far no one has asked.  They just make sure I’m comfortable every so often and well taken care of.

That said, let me move on to business.

I came here to have a Cherry Phosphate made by an actual Soda Jerk.  It’s one of the oldest soda recipes still used today and I sadly haven’t had one.

Thankfully it was brought to me in a clear glass so I can see the vibrant red coloring.  The crimson straw that I’ve accessorized with is the only thing that challenges this soda’s plumage.  

So many straws to choose from!

It has the slight scent of maraschino cherries, but ultimately is less powerful in aroma than I thought it would be.  Part of me just thinks this is going to taste like any other cherry soda, hopefully I’m incorrect in my presumption.

Interestingly enough it doesn’t completely mimic a commercial taste.  The cherry is somewhat muted, but still rich enough to deliver the most important of messages loud and clear.  Carbonation is lighter than I thought it would be, never having a phosphate before.  As far as the mouthfeel goes it seems a bit more syrupy than your standard can of soda.  This is because they primarily deal in syrups here when creating their sodas.   

Right outside

This extra syrup feeling causes the aftertaste to primarily come from what has attached to my mouth during this consumption process.  I’m not sure why I said “consumption process” instead of drinking, but there’s something about this atmosphere that wants to romanticize the experience.  Oooh, I bet they make a good grilled cheese.  

Anywho, Cherry Phosphates aren’t as significantly different as I thought they would be.  It’s tastes like you would think a homemade cherry soda would taste like, simple but good.  This is a pretty decent start to my first foray into phosphates, but I have a feeling the lime phosphate I’m going to try next will be even better.

~A

This was purchased at Another Time Soda Fountain in Rosenberg, TX

 

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Howdy Cherry Jubilee

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I really wish there were more flavors of Howdy soda.  It’s such a friendly word that means so very much to me.  Well today’s version of Howdy sounds even friendlier because it’s flavor is Cherry Jubilee.  How positive of a name is that?!  Howdy Cherry Jubilee.  Can you say that and be angry?  The answer is no, no you can’t.

I really need a travel Twist. Any ideas?

Howdy Cherry Jubilee is a bright red soda with a mauve and pink label.  The colors used here dance well together and are really enticing to the eye.  As well as being attractive Howdy Cherry Jubilee is sweetened with cane sugar and includes a small handful of natural and artificial ingredients to make up the rest.

Wow, that smells like cherries grenadine.  Quite the powerful scent at that, it invites quick consumption with its aroma.  Who am I to turn down such a polite invitation?

Wow, it tastes like liquid maraschino cherries.  At least with the first few sips the mouthfeel is relatively clean and doesn’t have a syrupy taste at all.  Howdy Cherry Jubilee is a very sweet soda, but does a great job at walking on the correct side of the “too sweet” line.  The carbonation gives a nice quick burn with each sip adding another layer of enjoyment.

About halfway down the bottle I’m still enjoying it and all of the initial experiences are holding true.  Sometimes you want a soda’s drinking experience to alter a little so it doesn’t build on itself.  In the case of Howdy Cherry Jubilee the flavor doesn’t stack so the consistency is wanted.

As I do in many of my reviews I’m going to go ahead and suggest you drink this one for dessert.  This is a fantastic soda and one I would recommend to most anyone out there.  Perhaps the best cherry soda I’ve had to date... at the very least it’s a top three.  The cherry flavor is candied as stated before, but if you’re not looking for a genuine cherry taste you should have no issue.  

Even if you don’t find any of my writings to be convincing, how can you resist buying a bottle of something named Howdy Cherry Jubilee?

~A

I bought this at an HEB grocery store

Jones Berry Lemonade

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I like Jones Soda, they’re good people.  My step-sister was at a wedding expo and there was a Jones Soda booth.  Being of sound mind and body they went to try some soda samples.  Since my step-sister is a wonderful person she began bragging on the website, the very one you’re reading now.  Well the Jones Soda rep knew about it already, because everyone in this story is awesome, and she gave my step-sister some sodas for me to review.  One of them has a label and it’s label says Jones Berry Lemonade Soda.  The other two are naked so figuring them out might be a bit of a challenge.  

Thankfully, today’s review is the clearly marked Jones Berry Lemonade… so let’s get on with that.

Twist was absent the day this picture was taken.

Well for one thing it’s blue.  It’s so very blue.  If anti-freeze was blue it’d look like this.  Secondly, Jones uses can sugar in their sweetening.  I’m expecting a very fruity, very sugary, very flavorful beverage.  Let’s see if I’m right.

This blue, blue soda smells a bit like cotton candy.  The scent is heavily laced with sugar, so much so that I’m a little worried this might be too sweet.  Of course “too sweet” is a subjective term so take it for what you will.

This just in!  Jones Berry Lemonade Soda is NOT too sweet, I repeat it is NOT too sweet.  In fact it’s got a pretty good level of sugar.  It’s almost like they make sodas for a living.  As far as the taste goes I’m quite happy with it.  The lemonade shines through almost as vibrantly as the blue color.  This thing is so blue anyone who walks past me gets sad and starts playing harmonica.  Anywho, the lemonade is a great partner to the “berry” flavor.  It’s almost like a defibrillator is being used on my tongue.  

The closest real world item I can compare this to is liquid blue SweetTarts.  It’s not raspberry flavor per say, but the taste is close enough that I feel comfortable comparing the two.  All in all this is a really fun soda to drink.  It’s got a really exciting and fun taste that differentiates well from other berry or lemon based sodas.  It’s not the most refreshing soda out there, but I’d put this in the “dessert soda” category so I’m not all that concerned with refreshment.

So there you have it.  Jones Berry Lemonade soda is definitely worth picking up.  It’s got a great mouth feel, flavor, and experience.  It’s a little syrupy towards the end, but nothing that should scare you away.

~A

A nice lady at a wedding expo gave this to my step-sister who in turn gave this to me

Sipp Mojo Berry

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Any soda that has a “Superior Organic Soda” sticker on it starts off on the right proverbial foot.  Any soda who’s “Superior Organic Soda” sticker matches the color of the soda… well you’re just making art at that point.

Hello darkness my old friend. Forgot to set the exposure again.

Today’s entry is Sipp Mojo Berry.  Sipp is USDA Certified Organic soda.  Mojo Berry is apparently a mixture of blackberry, mint and lime.  Here’s the part of the review where I sometimes look at a label and hope I don’t see the words “Natural Flavors”.  *Turns the bottle around*  Here’s what’s in the bottle: Carbonated Water, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Natural Blackberry, Organic Natural Color, Citric Acid, Organic Natural Lime, Organic Natural Spearmint, Natural Blackberry Flavor.

HOORAY!  I literally know everything put into this soda.  Organic Natural Color is a little weird, but I can live with it.  So far Sipp Mojo Berry is on the right track although I’m a bit concerned with spearmint being an ingredient.  My soda history with spearmint is a shaky one at best so I have my doubts.

Blackberry is the prevailing aroma and it smells just like the real deal.  I’m hoping my brain hasn’t set Sipp on a pedestal it couldn’t possibly reach.  The ingredients are great, the bottle/label is great, the aroma is great… they’re either about to knock it out of the park or disappoint me.

This tastes like a fancy soda.  Of course I should have guessed that with a name like “Sipp”, but after tasting my first “Sipp” I have confirmed it.  All three of the listed flavors are accounted for.  Blackberry, being the strongest, has bullied his way to the front of the line.  He waves at me in a cool fashion and steps to the side to reveal Mint and then Lime.  

Mint and Lime are buddies.  They tried to fight Blackberry one day, but it didn’t work out well for them.  He blackened both of their eyes and chipped a couple of their teeth.  They’re so beat up that people confuse them for one another when there together.

Aside from all this the soda is really light.  Bubbles within the bottle are tiny and powerful, creating a good experience all around in terms of feel.  

I want to like this soda a lot, I really do.  Perhaps I’ve been “spoiled” with all of the sweet nonsense over the years.  Sipp Mojo Berry does some really good things, but that mint/lime combination creates a bitter taste that my pallet just doesn’t find that appealing.  Sure they could load it up with sugar and probably mute it a bit.  Something tells me that would go against everything they’ve done in creating this beverage.

In theory Sipp Mojo Berry is great.  Personally though, it’s not my style as I believe it could be improved with a little additional agave.  Ah well, that’s why I deliver opinions and not facts.  Fact driven reviews would be so boring.  Bah!

~A

I purchased this at a HEB grocery store

Sprite LeBron’s Mix

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There are two entities on this earth I trust to make a delicious special edition soda, the video game industry and basketball players.  Fortunately today’s entry is from the latter.  Sprite LeBron’s Mix is basketball’s own LeBron James’ own personal mix of Sprite.  I didn’t catch any commercials for this, but I picture him in a lab coat with goggles holding test tubes or something at the Sprite laboratories.  

Twist also took his talents to Miami before returning home. He was arrested.

All of that potentially imagined lab work resulted in a “Lemon-Lime Soda” that is “Natural cherry and orange flavored with other natural flavors”.  The word natural is so nice they worked it in twice.  Let’s see what else is in the bottle.  Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, and a dash of sodium benzoate for luck.  Man, LeBron really knows his stuff.  If only Hotlips or Swamp Pop had gotten a hold of his soda making prowess.  Enough chit chat, time for reviewing.

Immediately this smells better than regular Sprite.  The orange aroma jumps out immediately and attacks the ol’ olfactory gland.   I’m having a harder time finding the cherry.  Hey!  You in the back with the sophomoric mind.  Quit snickering.  Anywho, I’m having a harder time finding the cherry, but hopefully it’ll be there in taste.  Let’s find out.

Oddly enough I taste more of the cherry than I do the orange.  Both of these tastes, as natural as they may be, seem artificial to me though.  That’s not to say this isn’t good.  Sprite LeBron’s Mix is better than original Sprite yet worse than Sprite Remix.  Of course there are a lot of sodas worse than Sprite Remix.  The guy that gave this to me said he felt it tasted like Surge cut with Sprite.  I can definitely see where he came to that conclusion, but I’d need to taste more orange to completely agree.  

The carbonation level seems to be on par with Sprite, perhaps a little too carbonated.  The syrupy mouthfeel of Sprite is lessened to some degree, which is nice.  All in all though this tastes like cherry Sprite with some orange and smells like orange sprite with some cherry.  The more I drink it though the less natural it tastes so I’m going to stop now.

~A

This soda was given to me by Wrastlin’ Jakito

Boots Beverages Dewberry Soda

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I tell people that my favorite dessert is blackberry cobbler with ice cream.  That’s a lie.  My favorite dessert is dewberry cobbler with ice cream.  I say blackberry because most people don’t know what a dewberry is.  They taste very similar to blackberries.  So much so that I probably couldn’t tell the difference if they were baked in a cobbler.  

Twist thought it was Boo Berry Soda. DIBS ON THE IDEA!

The reason I prefer dewberries is a sentimental one.  My family used to pick dewberries on the side of the road on occasion.  It was a very rare occasion, but it occurred at least three times in my life.  I’m pretty sure they were wild dewberries on no one in particular’s land, but we picked them just the same.  

So it made me especially happy to see a dewberry soda and then thrilled me even more to find it was made by Boots Beverages.  I’ve never even heard of Boots Beverages, but they hail from my home state of Texas, Bellville Texas to be exact.  The label is adorned with the face of a kid known as “Mark Kristen”.  There’s a story along with his name that I’ll relay to you now:

“Mark was 5 when sorting returned bottles… barefooted of course.  At 7, he ventured a tad from the family soda business.  He picked dewberries along the Santa Fe tracks and sold them on Hwy 36.  He gave his first $14 profit to Deedie so she could buy a poodle puppy.  Deedie later sold Mark her interest in KDC.  Mark suggests you be real sweet to your mother.”

Well that was fun.  I hope every Boots Beverages has a story.  I also hope these are delicious sodas because I want to like them so very much based on character alone.  They’re sweetened with sugar so it’s already off to a good start.

A powerful aroma easily glides its way out of the mouth of the bottle.  It’s a candy like dewberry scent, so I doubt we’re going for realism here.  That’s fine.  If you can make a delicious soda I don’t really care how you do it.

It’s sweet and a little tart.  The candy scent I took in translated almost exactly as a taste.  It’s very much dewberry with plenty of sugar.  Carbonation wise it holds small amounts of tightly packed bubbles.  They’re fierce when you feel them, but they back off fairly quickly.

I like the flavor quite a bit, but I really wish the tart sting of a dewberry had more of a presence.  That’s what I don’t really understand about raspberry, blackberry, and dewberry flavored drinks.  So often they have the sweet side taken care of, but they rarely hold the bite that keeps me coming back.

This is just fine though.  Perhaps since they removed the tart, like so many upstanding saloons before, they could add some cream.  Dewberry Cream Soda would be pretty dang good.  I’m not drinking that though.  I’m drinking a pretty good dewberry soda that relies a bit too heavily on the sugar.  Still a fun company though.

~A

This soda was purchased at an HEB grocery store.

Minta Strawberry

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So earlier in the week I had a mint soda called Minta.  I was not kind to Minta, but I still wanted to give their strawberry variation a try.  Here are the ingredients to Minta Strawberry:  Carbonated water, natural sugar, natural flavors (gah, vague) citric acid, fruit and vegetable juice for color.  So it’s the same ingredients as before, but now with vegetable juice for color!  I’m sure the “natural flavors” were altered as well because they had to add the strawberry in somewhere.  “Natural flavors”... JUST TELL US WHAT THEY ARE IF YOU’RE SO PROUD OF IT!  

Remember when sodium benzoate was my rant?  “Natural flavors” is the new hotness.  “New hotness” is passe.  Anywho, let’s open this thing up.

So the scent is strawberry mint.  That makes me feel a little better about what I’m about to taste.  I mean it doesn’t smell as minty awful as the original flavor, so it can only be better.  Right?

Twist is crying crocodile tears... due to a transplant.

Slightly!  The powerful mint taste is still there, but thankfully strawberry has wrestled him to the ground.  Well, as much as you could wrestle an 800 pound gorilla to the ground.  Mint is still the dominate flavor, but you can clearly see strawberry hanging on as mint tries to throw him off.  Much to mint’s chagrin, strawberry keeps holding on and you keep getting glimpses of him as he’s twirled about.  

The carbonation levels work pretty well with the taste, but it’s still not enough to sell me on it.  Ultimately the mint flavor ruins the beverage for me.  I expected the strawberry to be light, but I wanted it to have a fighting chance.  To be fair though it’s Minta Strawberry, not Strawberria Mint.  

So here I sit with a half can of Minta Strawberry in front me.  I don’t really want to finish it, but I could if I had too.  Sure it tastes better than Minta, but I’m not sure it tastes so much better the rank will be any higher.  I guess I’m just not cut out to enjoy mint sodas for the time being...unless it was chocolate and mint.

~A

This soda was purchased at Sprouts using donations from readers like YOU!

Fluids Soda Co. Radiant Red

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Wanna play guess the flavor?  In front of me I have a bottle of red soda with a red bottle cap.  The brand is one I’ve never heard of; it’s called Fluids Soda Co.  Now the listed flavor is Radiant Red so you’d assume what “Radiant Red” would taste like should be somewhere on the label… nope.  Instead of a picture of cherries, strawberries, watermelon, or blood orange I get a picture of a transmission sitting in front of some checkered flags.  

"Twist" "hates" "it"

The label makes sure I know that it’s sweetened with “Pure Cane Sugar”, but as far as I know this is a transmission flavored soda that’s “Made in the USA”.  Perhaps it’s a generic “Red” soda.  Perhaps I’ll use “quotes” nine or “ten” more times while writing this review.  Either way I’m tired of this mystery.  Let’s see if my taste buds can become taste “detectives”.

Well the scent doesn’t help me at all.  I guess it’s cherry or strawberry… I think… possibly.  It’s such a faint aroma I honestly can’t tell.  Methinks the taste might not be as vague.

What in the world is this?  Ever find yourself melting down cherry cough drops and then adding equal parts carbonated water?  You do?  Well fantastic, you don’t have to do that anymore because Fluids Radiant Red exists on the market.

I don’t know if this is the worst “fruit” soda I’ve ever had, but the thought has crossed my mind enough that it needed to be typed.  Really the only redeeming value it has is that I’m not gagging on it and the carbonation levels are nice.  Other than that I’d stay far away from this.

So there you have it.  Fluids Soda Co. Radiant Red is terrible and I’m going to stop drinking it now.

~A

I bought this at a Shell Gas Station in Houston

Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters

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Wow, my posting schedule isn’t very consistent at the moment is it?  Perhaps I need some bitters to get me back to being healthy in my writing.  Thankfully I used the term “bitters” to seamlessly transition to the name of the soda I’m reviewing today.  Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters is what’s in the fancy green bottle in front of me and I’m looking forward to kicking off (13 days late) 2015 with this review.  

Twist is bitter about bitters

Bundaberge Lemon Lime Bitters is a collection of cane sugar, spices, lemon juice, lime juice, and a few other ingredients not excluding some bitters.  In fact the front of the label says it’s made with aromatic bitters...which we all know are the best kind for soda.  Of course, we know that.  Now we should all nod knowingly at one another to confirm that we know that.  After a quick pause in this knowledge we’ll continue the review.

So, scary thing.  When I opened this bottle it didn’t fizz at all yet the first ingredient is carbonated water.  The aroma that flows out is that of lemon lime with a definite backer of unidentified spices.  I’d be excited to move forward with this review, but part of me thinks the soda is flat and I’m not sure I want my first review of 2015 to be a dud.  Sigh, oh well.

Good news everyone, this soda isn’t flat.  It’s a very small, neat fizz, but it’s definitely there.  The carbonation seems to add just enough texture that each sip is fun to experience.  Thankfully the lemon lime flavor is present as well.  That last sentence understated the lemon lime flavor quite a bit so let me try again.

I’ve had a lot of sodas and lemon lime is usually one of the more boring ones to review.  Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters doesn’t fall into the boring category as it is a top 3 all time lemon lime soda.  It’s incredibly easy to discern the lemon flavor from the lime.  Normally when these two brothers are together people just assume they’re conjoined twins and call them lymon.  Not in this bottle they aren’t.

Lemon and Lime each have their own distinct flavor and it harmonizes well.  Each burst of citrus I’ve consumed is wrapped up in the bitters that Bundaberg has added.  Of course this does make the drink lean toward bitter a tad, but the 40g of sugar offset that quite nicely.  Instead of focusing on the bitter aspect of it I find myself trying to pick out all the spices used in the creation of this soda.

The spice aspect is something I haven’t experienced with a lemon lime soda before.  Well, perhaps I have but I just can’t remember it at the moment.  Either way it adds another level to an already good soda.  You have lemon, lime, and then a full cast of supporting characters that make the play even better.  Sure if only one of them were on stage you’d question the director, but the way they work together is wonderful.

The only weakness I can identify is the way it feels after I take a sip.  I would think a beverage like this would have a drier mouth feel, but it’s not.  Instead each sip ends with a bit of a syrupy feel (not too heavy though) that scuffs the overall experience.

With all that said, Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters is a fantastic soda that I would recommend anyone try.  For those that like lemon lime, or fancy sodas, or spiced sodas, or citrus sodas in general… this one is for you.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Quinabeer

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George Prince flexes his impressive biceps on a can of Quinabeer.  I don’t know who George Prince is though.  My brief search led me to more picture of the young Prince George than I cared to look at.  Quinabeer is made by Cawy and other than having a “body builder” on it’s label it resides in a red can.  Now Coca Cola has done a pretty fantastic job of making me associate red and white cans with Coke, so I immediately assume that Quinabeer is a sort of cola.  It probably isn’t, but that’s what 32 years of marketing has done to my brain.  Let’s find out what it really tastes like, together.  Except for those of you who already know.  You be quiet.

George Prince once claimed a victory over Twist. Perhaps this is why you've never heard of him.

Well this smells like orange soda.  I no longer have any clue regarding Quinabeer.  The scent did make me salivate though, so good on them.

If Big Red had orange flavoring it would taste like this.  A coupling of orange and bubble gum, Quinabeer is truly unlike anything I’ve tried to date and that’s getting harder and harder to do.   Both of these flavors have equal billing in the program and neither outshines the other.  This balance is met with a rather raucous carbonation that sizzles at the end of each sip.  I’m usually not a fan of bubble gum flavored sodas, but the citrus cuts into it enough that I can forgive it.

Now for the bad.  Quinabeer leaves a very syrupy feel in my mouth.  Its flavor just kind of hangs about like a kid who graduated still lurking around his high school.  Sure, maybe he was a great guy when he was a senior, but now it’s just kind of creepy and you wish he’d go away.

Creepy guy aside, Quinabeer does have a combination like I’ve never seen but the flavors involved are just alright.  I’m not going to tell my friends that I tried Quinabeer.  Don’t get me wrong, I consider all of you my friends… but you understand… right?  The fact that the entire time I typed this paragraph my mouth was occupied by the syrupy ghost of George Prince has me questioning my initial ranking.  Ah well, better luck next time.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market