Jones Zilch - Black Cherry Soda

   We love Jones Soda.  They’ve always been good to us; in fact they are one of the few brand names to make it to our Best Friends List.  The bottom line is that Jones Soda makes quality beverages.  Recently they sent us 4 new flavors from their lineup.  Three of them from their Jones Zilch line… which has zero calories/zero sugar; and another flavor that I’m a bit more nervous about, Tofurky and Gravy.  Today we examine the first of the Zilch flavors, Black Cherry Soda.

   I picked Black Cherry Soda because it’s a flavor I’m familiar with.  IBC Black Cherry Soda was something my mother and I sought out at the grocery store when I was a kid.  We didn’t buy it often, but more as a reward for when times got stressful.  So I associate the flavor with good times. 

   As I look on this bottle though and stare at the calorie/sugar content I’m a bit nervous.  Here I have a double whammy of things I love, Black Cherry Soda made by Jones, coupled with two things that I avoid, zero calories/zero sugar.  Jones uses the word “Zilch” in their labeling instead of diet, which I think helps my mind from thinking about it being sugar/calorie free.  On the upside though, they have added some Vitamin C (30% your daily value) to the soda, and that always score points with us.  Before we being though, let me say that this will be reviewed as a soda, not a diet soda.  We’re not looking for the best diet soda’s out there.  We aren’t TheDietSodaJerks, but that does give me some idea for a spin off site…kidding.

   Jones Zilch Black Cherry Soda has a great maroon coloring to it, just what I expect of a good black cherry soda.  Upon opening it I have to really try to get a whiff of black cherry into my nostrils.  This is a bit off putting to me as the smell often mirrors the flavor.  Ah well, bottoms up!

   The initial taste of Jones Zilch Black Cherry Soda is that of a diet black cherry soda.  I know, I know, no sugar… but I my hopes were high.  It’s also has a flavor that seems to be more on the sharp side, instead of rich like I would have predicted.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as after you ingest it your mouth is left with a sweet aftertaste…not a heavy chemical cocktail.  Honestly it tastes more like a strongly flavored carbonated water to me, very light, with a good amount of fizz.  It does refresh the pallet a bit, not as well as maybe a tall glass of ice water, but better than the few diet drinks I’ve had.  The last taste I had was sweeter than all the rest, maybe I should have up-ended the bottle once before tasting.  Overall impressive for a sugar free soda, as I’ve had sugar filled black cherry sodas that weren’t this good.

~A

Twist is watching his waistline

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

Tru Blood: Blood Orange

   Let me preface this article by telling you that I have no knowledge of the True Blood television series.  The previous sentence is a bit of a lie since people at work tell me I’d love it, but I still haven’t seen second one of the show.  Since we’re going through a Vampire/Zombie phase right now in pop-culture (TheSodaJerks are guessing that Cowboys or Robots are coming up next) I decided to try out Tru Blood: Blood Orange for my Halloween review.  Before I officially begin, let me thank my co-worker “The Man Known as R” for giving me a bottle of Tru Blood: Blood Orange beverage from his own supply.  I know these things aren’t cheap, and I’m most grateful.  Here we go.

   I’m impressed with the bottle art; it’s very simple with an Asian flare, but classy.  It’s slightly amusing that the label says “O Positive” on it.  I had to look up what the Chinese symbols that adorn the neck read, and another review that they say “True Blood” as well.  The liquid looks to be the very color of blood, but sadly I can see that the bottle is masking the true color of the beverage.  That actually bothers me more than it should; when I pour this in a glass I want it to stay the exact color of the bottle. 

   Upon opening it, I smell a very strong scent of orange.  I’m much more excited to try it now as it seems the flavor will be strong with this one.  With my first taste of this blood orange beverage I had to check the label and make sure it’s not a diet soda.   It does have only 99 calories, so I’m not sure if that qualifies, but it definitely has a diet taste to it.  I find it odd that I taste that because it’s sweetened with cane sugar, which I thought would bring a richer sweetness.  Looking past the diet flavor, it does have a tangy light orange flavor when it first hits your mouth.  Fortunately, after drinking a sip you can lick your lips and still taste how sharp the flavor was… it’s kind of nice.  The sweetness is very subtle to me, again though you taste most of it in the aftertaste.   This seems like a beverage many will mix with alcohol, but I have to grade it as it stands alone.  I wanted a rich, sweet, blood orange soda,  and while not a bad drink this tastes like a diet orange soda that leaves a nice taste on your lips.  I guess that’s why Vampires never wipe their mouths with their sleeves after feeding.    

~A

Twist went as a Diplodocus for Halloween

Big Peach

   I’m a little nervous about this review of Big Peach Soda.  The reasoning behind my nervousness is the fact that I’m not a huge fan of Big Red soda at all.  Big Red, for those of you who don’t know, is “America’s #1 Red Soda” per their website.  It has a very unique flavor, but not one I’m fond of.  It’s a bit too “candy/cream soda” for me.

   I found out about Big Peach from a co-worker of mine.  I saw him drinking it probably 2 years ago and asked what it was.  When he told me it was from the Big Red line of sodas I dismissed ever trying it.  Well that must have been before my soda reviewing days, because now it sits in front of me thanks to that very same co-worker.  A large reason of why it sits in front of me is because of his answer to a question I asked.  “Does it taste anything like Peach-O’s?”  To explain another unknown product, Peach-O’s are gummy (delicious) peach rings… and if you like peach flavored things; you’ll love Peach-O’s.  Anywho, long story short, he said that Big Peach tasted a bit like Peach-O’s, which was good enough for me.

   Immediately I'm not impressed with their bottle art.  I don't mind the font, the color, or the splash of peach juice, but the actually peach is bothering me.  Why make it realistic looking?  Why not go for a more pop-art looking peach.  To me it detracts from what could be inside; add that to the fact that the peach looks kind of gross as well.  On the bright side, things are looking up now because upon opening the bottle I get the very familiar smell of Peach-O’s.  Hopefully the taste will coincide with what my olfactory glands have already told me.  (I just wanted to use the word “olfactory”, but the statement still rings true.)

   Ya know what?  I like this.  When you first drink your mouth is flooded with peach flavoring, not unlike biting into a peach.  After the flavor greets your mouth, it slowly exits at a great rate.  Pretend you’re in a conversation with someone you don’t particularly like… then one of their friends steps up, and begins to converse with said “hated person”.  Even though they were in the middle of telling you a story, you decide to slink away… but you can’t just turn and leave.  You have to slowly back up, until you are no longer in their circle of horrible conversation.  That’s what Big Peach flavor does in your mouth; it leaves at just the right speed, and time.  The amount of fizz in Big Peach is at a pretty good level as well, it’s just bubbly enough.  My fiancée, who isn’t a big fan of soda, even enjoys this.  She compares the flavoring to that of a jolly rancher.  The setbacks of this beverage are the fact that it’s made with chemicals (including our old friend Sodium Benzoate), the fact that my stomach burns a little after drinking it, and the bottle art.  This beverage does make me wish for more peach flavored sodas though.  Hopefully in my soda searching endeavors I’ll find one.

 ~A

Oddly enough "Big Peach" was Twist's nickname in college.

Frostie Blue Cream Soda

   Whenever I travel to College Station I always make a point to stop at one of my favorite farmer’s markets, DiIorio Farms.  They have a good fruit, and vegetable selection, but I usually go for the cane sugar sweetened sodas they sell.  Usually I pick up something different every time I go, but once I stumbled onto Frostie Orange Soda I never really wavered… until now.  You see this isn’t a review on Frostie Orange Soda (you’d know that if you read the title), but this review is written only because of my experience with the Frostie brand.  I picked up a Frostie Orange Soda once on a whim.  The first sips tasted like cardboard, but as the orange soda disappeared the taste kept improving to the point of awesome!  This coupled with the fact that I enjoyed the “Frostie Face” on the label made Frostie Orange Soda a great pick up for me.

   Well the last time through I brought my fiancée, and asked her to pick out a soda for me to review.  Thankfully she picked out Frostie Blue Cream Soda.  So here I am, about to try my second Frostie beverage, and you’re here to read all about it. 

   Frostie Blue Cream Soda is a very nice shade of blue, so I’m glad they opted for the clear bottle.  Sadly though the “Frostie Face” as I’ve now dubbed him is absent from the labeling.  It doesn’t have a very strong odor upon opening either… which I think is a bit of a letdown.  The faint odor you do get is a bubble gum smell, which seems to be synonymous with Blue Cream Soda.  Frostie Blue Cream Soda is very smooth, with very little carbonation attacking your tongue.  This may be a plus or minus for you, but I like a little fizz.  The easy way out of this review, which I will now take, is that it tastes like bubble gum and cream soda mixed together.  Since I only have one other blue cream soda to compare this too I will mention that the Frostie Blue Cream Soda is a bit too sweet for my liking; the sugar is coating my mouth.  I have to say that I prefer the Spicewood Blue Crème Soda to this one due to Frostie’s overly sweet flavoring.

 ~A

Twist can't get the sugar off of his tongue!

Virgil's Orange Cream Soda

  TheSodaJerks love of Virgil's brand soda is well documented on this site.  Virgil's Real Cola is the highest rated soda on the site, and Virgil's Root Beer is what gave us the idea to start the site.  Anytime I go into a grocery store I look for a label with "god giving soda to kids" as my counterpart would say.  I'm sure that's not what the label is, but it's more fun to pretend. 

  I must apologize to Virgil's for taking so long on this review.  Back when Virgil's Orange Cream Soda was first released it was sadly not in our area, it still isn't from what I see.  Virgil's sent us a package of it for review, and we initially were going to give it the treatment of a king.  That is to say we were going to do a pod cast about it.  Well life happened, and schedules never matched up, and I moved...needless to say the pod cast never happened.  Now that I'm settled I felt it was time to review Virgil's Orange Cream Soda.  This review will be a bit different as I've tasted this before.  In fact I've had several of them, it was only through the strongest of will that I was able to keep 1 or 2 for review purposes.  I can say that throughout all the bottles my opinion stays the same.  So here I go, opening a bottle, enjoying the orange-cream aroma, and taking a sip.

   The initial taste is a nice orange flavor, as it should be.  The finish of this soda is a smooth cream, again as it shoud be.  The transition between the two flavors is a bit awkward though.  It's like your taste buds can't decide if they should stick with the citrus orange, or move on to the smooth cream.  When my fiancée tried it she said it tasted like it was missing one thing that kept it from being awesome.  I believe it's that transition of flavors that caused her to birth that remark.  My father, and stepmother gave it a two word review "ummmmmmh YUK".  The only reason I mention both of those is that I want this to be an awesome drink.  This should be rocking my world right now, and while it's above average, my world is not rocked.  I feel that I unfairly hold Virgil's to a higher standard than most sodas.  Their product always has great ingredients, with a good flavor all around, and ample carbonation.  Virgil's Orange Cream Soda is excellent, but you can taste that something is missing, and that's where I must detract.

Better resolution + Marilyn Monroe + Virgil's Orange CreamSoda = Happy Twist

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

Sexy Italia - Energy Drink Plus

   Feeling a bit sleepy a little before 9:00 pm made me feel old, so I decided to crack open an energy drink that’d been in my fridge for a while… Sexy Italia.

   I picked up this can at a favorite stomping of TheSodaJerks, honestly when it looks like two genies are about to procreate on the label how you could you pass it up.  Something just now caught my eye though, it’s labeled as an energy drink… plus.  After looking up the limited information I can find on this beverage I learn that I’m about to drink an aphrodisiac.  It’s amazing there aren’t more Italians with this Energy Drink + Aphrodisiac on the market.  The label clearly tells me, in both English and Italian, that my energy is coming from Vitamin’s B6, B12, and some Niacin.  I have no doubt that this will help me stay awake for a short while, but I have my doubts on the aphrodisiac; regardless of the fact that in tiny official print the can tells me that it holds a  “High level of energy and stimulating components.”  I really wish I could go into all the amusing words listed on this can, but I’m positive I’d be giving this energy drink + more than it deserved in a review.  I’ll tell you at the end of the review if either the energy portion or the aphrodisiac portion of the drink works.  Don’t worry Mom, it won’t be weird.  Let’s just drink this thing.

    I open the can and I immediately smell the laundry list of ingredients that I’m about to ingest.  Upon first drink though I can’t say that I hate it, but I couldn’t tell you what I taste right now either.   Sexy Italia is hardly a descriptive term in the flavor world; unless you take it literally… then it’s gross.  I will tell you that the aftertaste is way better than the actual taste of the drink, which is an interesting change.  This is kind of how I would think flavored lighter fluid would taste, although I just found online that the flavors are “roses and pomegranate.”  I’m not exactly sure that rose is considered a flavor, but we’ve reviewed a lavender flavored beverage before so I guess anything goes.  Orange!  I think I taste some sort of orange here in the after taste, or maybe I’m just hoping for orange.  There was some citric acid listed amongst the dictionary of words on the side of this can, so maybe that’s what I taste.  Whew, just burped… tastes like the aftertaste.  Ok, now it’s time for me to just sit back and see if I feel any of the effects.

*time passes*

   Energy… all I got from this drink was energy; not even energy really, I’m just more awake now.  It has served its purpose well; I will no longer fall asleep like an old person at 9:30 pm.  Now I can stay up with all the others in Generation Y and watch the 10:00 news!  WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!  The aphrodisiac portion of this beverage either has no effect on me, or is non-existent.  Just thought I’d through that in there to qualm any fears that I’d turned into a pro-creating genie… much like the ones on the can. 

Twist the Iguana wanted no part of this

Dr. Pepper Cherry

   Being from Texas, I love Dr. Pepper (Especially Dublin Dr. Pepper).  Dr. Pepper is a staple soda here in the Lone  Star State, as it was invented here.  I also like cherry flavoring in soda, so normally you’d think that Dr. Pepper Cherry would be something I’d be all over.  Let me tell you in four words why I’m skeptical:  Dr. Pepper Red Fusion.  Red Fusion came out in 2002 and lasted a whole 2 years.  They never came out and said what flavored Red Fusion, but I always assumed it had a cherry base.  Sadly though, Red Fusion tasted like flat Dr. Pepper.  So excuse me if I don’t get all excited when I try this Dr. Pepper Cherry.  I will tell you one positive thing right off the bat about it though… I got this for free!  Thanks to reader D.W. (Not the caped crusader that graced The Disney Afternoon toon block) but a cool guy nonetheless. 

   Looking at this can, I can’t avoid thinking that Dr. Pepper is trying to seduce me.  It’s a black can, which isn’t something that’s very common right now (I can only think of Coke Zero off the top of my head).  At the top of the can in lowercase is the phrase “amazingly smooth”.  I seriously doubt that I’m going to be amazed at how smooth this tastes, but let’s give it a shot.  Oh before I continue, you know this is full of chemicals right?  I didn’t bother going into the ingredients list because they would just depress you.

    The aroma wafting (ok maybe wafting is a bit strong) out of the can smells just like Dr. Pepper… with a tiny, tiny amount of cherry in it.  Time for drinkin’.  The first sip I take puts one thought into my mind… normal Dr. Pepper is better than this.  I will never favor this over Dr. Pepper.  Ok, that was technically two thoughts, but let’s continue anyway.  While somewhat smooth it’s not “amazingly smooth”, but no one here is surprised by that.  Actually, when it first hits your tongue you get a nice bubbly sensation.  To put it somewhat bluntly it tastes like a slightly weaker Dr. Pepper with a little bit of a cherry taste to it.  I will say that this tastes better than Red Fusion did though.  I’ve harped on this drink more than it deserves, but I’m disappointed.  In my opinion you could make this a lot better by ramping up the cherry flavoring, and using sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.  I don’t say that because I prefer sugar, (I do prefer sugar, but I didn’t say that because I did… stay with me here.) but because sugar adds a crispness to soda that HFCS does not.  All in all, this is about what I expected… which saddens me.

As you can see by his expression, Twist was not seduced.

Romano's Vanilla Bean

  Ok Romano’s let’s not mess this up.You and I have been all over the board on previous sodas; let’s get some consistency going on here.What I have in front of me is Romano’s Vanilla Bean soda... which I am going to assume is a fancy way of saying Cream Soda.The only reason I doubt myself in this assumption is the picture of an ice cream cone on the front of the bottle.Yes I realized that cream soda is usually vanilla, much like the cone on the front, but for arguments sake I’m just gonna ignore that.

  With the first whiff I’m very excited to try it, as it smells like a delicious cream soda.I can’t drink it yet... I must first remember that with previous Romano’s beverages the smell is always delectable.Ok... I’ve readied myself.Time for drinkin’.Very nice.This is Romano’s strongest drink to date, and since I’m one away from finishing the line of drinks, that’s saying something.I never thought I’d say this, but it’s a very powerful cream soda.Most cream soda’s are quite smooth, which this one is, but they don’t affect your nose.After tasting this cream soda you get the sensation of vanilla throughout your nostrils.It works like Vicks Vapo-Rub, but less intense, and vanilla... which is a plus.On the negative side, it might be hard to drink more than a bottle of this in a given time period.It’s pretty sweet as far as sodas go; so if you don’t think that sweetness will bother you, then jump on in.To put it simply it tastes like intensified cream soda.If you enjoy a healthy dose of cream soda, you’ll love Romano’s Vanilla Bean.

~A

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

Fress Kolita

   It’s been a while since we’ve had something with an international flavor.Today we bring to you Fress Kolita... a Venezuelan cola.This was given to us by a co-worker, so I don’t exactly know what I’m getting into.I do know that the can is very fun looking, and has the phrase “Explosion de Sabor” around the top of it.Since I took German in high school I can only guess the first two words of this phrase:“Explosion of...”Let me see if I can decipher anymore after visiting their website.

   Ok, that’s an insanely fun website song.Go listen to this website right now, it’ll cheer you up... then come back and read the review.  By the way... it means Explosion of Flavor.

   Their chemical list isn’t too bad, little bit of carbonated water, citric acid, some artificial colors, and flavors, and sweetened with sugar.It does have the preservative Sodium Benzoate in it... which I’m learning to dislike more, and more as I talk to some of the soda manufacturers.Let’s just get to drinkin’.After cracking open the can, I can smell something very similar to Big Red.Now, I’m not the biggest fan of Big Red (except for its name), so I’m a bit wary of what’s to come.

   This tastes alright; I can tell you that much right off the bat.While it does have a bit of a Big Red taste, it’s smoother than America’s #1 Red Soda (their words not mine).Fress Kolita also holds the flavor of a red cream soda.It’s a little bit like cotton candy in a can, as you notice the sugar right away.The carbonation doesn’t really knock you back either, but it seems to cover a large surface area of your tongue.While this is a tasty beverage, it’s nothing to write home about... what a boring letter that would be.Wait... that’s pretty much what this website is founded on.Ignore that last sentence.

Twist is unavailable at the moment... but he can still look on from within the digital world.

Romano's Orange Cream

   Romano’s and I have an odd relationship.I started off with high hopes when I tried their Raspberry Soda, then I was intrigued (but didn’t love) their Sour Apple, and finally, I didn’t like Blackberry Soda at all.

   Upon opening the bottle, I get quite the nice fragrance. Honestly, it smells more of cream than it does of orange.... I don’t know if this is a good sign or not, though. First, the good news...it’s better than the Blackberry Soda. It’s a subtle soda flavor, however. It doesn’t punch you in the mouth like the Sour Apple, so it’s much more drinkable if some sodas are rough on your throat. By no means is it smooth, but it has less bite than a Coke for instance. The coloring is what you’d expect an orange soda to be...orange; it matches the bottle art nicely.

   My qualm with this soda is the lack of orange flavoring. While the cream can be smelled and tasted easily, it masks the orange. If you like cream more than orange, then buy a drink I just made up called Creamy Orange... not Orange Cream. I want to taste the tangy citrus as well as the smooth cream. Those two flavors are what make drinks like this so great. I’ve had another brand of orange cream soda; it’s delicious and balanced, so I know it can be done. I’m not going to tell you that it’s a bad drink...it’s not. I just want to taste something a little more interesting when I see the words “Orange Cream” on a bottle. Sitting in front of me is an Orange Cream Soda by Romano’s. I can only hope they don’t continue down the same path.

~A

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

Romano's Blackberry Soda

   Blackberries intrigue me. They taste great on their own, make delicious cobbler, and yet you rarely see a blackberry soda. Fortunately Romano's Italian Soda has produced a blackberry flavor of its own. I'm looking forward to it as well as I enjoy blackberries, coupled with the fact that their Sour Apple Soda was a taste explosion all its own. I'm hoping that it's tart... as blackberries are, just a little sweet... as blackberries are, and not full of seeds... which blackberries are not. (Blackberries are not, not, full of seeds...thus making them full of seeds.  I think that last sentence works.)

   Let's get on with it. The initial aroma is pleasant, but not as strong as I'd like it to be... dah well, who else besides a Jerk smells their soda before consumption. The initial swig of drink is quite nice, you can tell that your mouth is about to enjoy a great blackberry flavor. Following up said swig is a bit of a disappointment to me though. I expected tart, I wanted tart, and I’m missing tart. Instead what I get is a sickly sweet taste that I've never experienced with an actual blackberry. There is not a drop of tartness to be found... even the sweetness that goes along with it is still too much for a blackberry. I'm sorry, but this just won't do.

~A

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

Hot Lips Strawberry Soda

   Hot Lips is a soda brand from the Pacific Northwest... it’s not available down here in Houston.In fact the ingredients listed on my Strawberry Soda are as follows:

Carbonated Water, Strawberries grown in the Pacific Northwest, cane sugar, and organic lemon juice.

   That’s an impressive list of ingredients in my book.There is no ‘natural strawberry flavor’ listed, they just list Strawberries grown in the Pacific Northwest.In fact the bottle says that this soda contains strawberry pulp, another plus.Wait a second; this drink has vitamins in it!40% of the Vitamin C you need in a day!If there is one way to get your score higher with this Jerk it’s to have me drink my vitamins in a soda (as long as it tastes good of course. I’m looking at you nasty tasting 7up Plus).The bottle art is simplistic, it reminds me of a children’s book about fruit.This is what a strawberry looks like kids, on a simple white background.Of course the Hot Lips logo is a lipstick kiss, but that’s pretty predictable in my opinion.We were able to procure this soda directly from the nice folks at Hot Lips... but don’t think that’s going to improve the score at all just because we were sent samples.Actually a lot of our sodas have been samples from companies, we just haven’t told you until now.

   Onto the tasting.Upon opening this you get a strong natural fruit sensation in the smell.Like one of those really awesome strawberry lemonades that has real strawberries in it... minus the lemonade smell of course.I’m now officially excited to try this, bottoms up.The first thing running through my head is that it doesn’t taste much like a soda.There is very little carbonation, but that could be due to the fact that the CO2 doesn’t stick very well to the ingredients listed above.I would also like a little more sweetness in this.It’s not tart like a strawberry, but it’s not all that sweet as well.It’s almost like I can taste too much of the organic lemon juice in it.This has a pretty good taste, but I just don’t feel like I’m drinking a soda.It feels more like strawberry juice, with a hint of lemon.My last run in with a drink like this was Fizzy Lizzy, but I’m happy to say that Hot Lips surpasses Ms. Lizzy in the flavor department.It’s a moderately refreshing drink, but nothing that I’d grab for on one of our 103 degree summer days.This is more of a solitary drink... something that you’d want to drink by itself so that you could enjoy the natural, but quiet, strawberry flavoring.All in all it’s a good soda, I’m sure there are non soda fans out there that would love this, but I just kinda like it.

~A

Twist likes strawberries

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

Spicewood Blue Creme Soda

   This next beverage comes from a co-worker of ours; it is one Spicewood Blue Crème Soda.Now I’ve never tried a blue crème soda before.Red, yes.Sparkling, yes.Blue, no.He says he got this at a gas station near his house, so who knows... maybe it’ll be near you too.The label art really seems quite random on this bottle; nothing is quite lined up right. Three types of font are represented in the drink name alone. There’s a pitcher of, what I can only guess is, vanilla spilling out.The words “Blue Crème” are even excreting some sort of liquid as well.Just for good measure there are some random bubbles in the bottom left corner.I don’t think I need to say this, but I will just as well.This drink is artificially flavored.GASP!Let’s drink.

   Upon opening it I smell a very nice vanilla fragrance, kind of how red crème soda smells in comparison to a normal one.Bottoms up.My first thought while drinking this is that it’s a lot smoother than I thought it would be, surprisingly smooth even.I know that crème soda isn’t known for having a strong bite, but the fact that this was from a gas station store, is from a brand I’ve never heard of, and is blue... some part of me saw it being a bit harsher on the throat.Other than that it tastes like crème soda... I really wish there was more I could milk out of this.I don’t have an A&W cream soda nearby to compare it too, but if this is to be considered the “off brand” I’d definitely give it a try.One more thing before I give up on trying to tell you what cream/crème soda tastes like.The Spicewood Blue Crème Soda isn’t overly sweet.I mention this because a lot of people don’t like crème soda due to its overly sweet taste.While sweeter tasting than many cola’s, Spicewood Blue Crème Soda stays right where it needs to on the range o’ sweetness.

~A

Romano's Sour Apple

   As you know my opinion on green apple flavored things isn’t a pleasant one.Fortunately Jones Soda Green Apple Soda helped me overcome that hatred, so I’ve decided to try other Green Apple flavored beverages.I hold in my hand a Romano’s Sour Apple beverage.I’m assuming (yes I know what assuming does) that Sour Apple, is just another way of saying Green Apple... since the green apple’s are the one’s that are sour.The color also tells me that this is a green apple based drink, so hopefully that phrase on assuming doesn’t come true.

   Here we go.First off I’d like to comment on how much I like the neon green color of this beverage.The smell coming out of this bottle is very much like Jolly Rancher Green Apple.I’m looking forward to this taste now, knowing that green apple flavor is abounds.Time to drink.WOW... this is some powerful stuff.Sadly, because of my previous assumption, ‘u’ and ‘me’ have both been made into asses.This is the sourest beverage I’ve ever had.It’s not “Warhead” sour, but it’s very sour when compared to other beverages.This is completely different then the Jones Soda, the amount of fizz is way higher in the Romano’s.Once it hits the back of my throat it burns... almost too much.I know in one of my recent reviews complained about not enough carbonation, and bite... but this one needs to tone it down a bit.Let me make sure you understand me.This beverage has a good taste, but the amount of sour, and fizz take away from it.As odd as it might sound though, I’m looking forward to more Romano’s beverages because of this experience.Now I know that Romano’s doesn’t mess around when it comes to flavoring, and mouth feel.So even though this might not get the best rating, know that I’m not normally a fan of green apple flavored things (as previously stated), and that I think those who truly like Sour Apple candy will love this beverage.

~A

It was so different I forgot to snap a pic before I started drinking.

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

Oogave Esteban's Cola

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

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

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

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

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

~A

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

Romano's Raspberry Soda

   I like raspberry flavored things.That is to say, I like red raspberry flavored things.When the whole blue raspberry thing happened, I was initially exited, then let down at how much I disliked blue raspberry.This beverage comes from our friends at Romano’s Italian Soda, as you can see from the bottle it’s their raspberry flavored beverage.Now I’ve only seen one place in Houston that sells it, and that would be specialty store Harry and David.Before we get to far ahead of ourselves, let’s learn together what an “Italian Soda” is, by reading the label.

    It’s a refreshing drink that you can order in any café in Italy.Rich, flavorful syrups are mixed with sparkling water and poured into a tall glass of ice, add a splash of cream for a delicious cremosa.  

   The secret to Romano’s Italian Soda was brought to America in our Grandfather Romano’s suitcase over a hundred years ago.This perfect blend of sweet syrups and sparkling water, it’s what separates Romano’s Italian Soda from any other bottled soda on the market today.   

   It’s the definition of “La Dolce Vita” (the sweet life)   

   Our mission is to continue the tradition of these distinctive Italian style drinks so everyone can enjoy them.Salute!

   So there we go, there’s our history lesson.Now I don’t have to type that again for the remaining Romano reviews, although I like the idea of how it got over here to America.I picture an older gentleman of Italian decent looking out across Ellis Island.He catches his footing as the boat rocks back, and forth; his legs weak from the travel.The sea spray hits his face, but he can’t wipe it away, because in his arms he clutches one of his only possessions, a homemade Italian soda... Romano’s Italian Soda.Enough babbling, let’s try this.

I open the bottle, and take a whiff (as I normally do).There is no over powering aroma here.Time to drink.This drink makes me happy.It’s very fizzy, but not overly so.When I initially tasted the raspberry flavoring I was afraid it was going to be flavored like a strong flavored sparkling water.Fortunately for me, the raspberry flavoring goes beyond that.It’s a light drink, moderately crisp, but still packs enough of a punch in the flavor department that you won’t be left saddened by what could have been.Another plus is that it’s sweetened with pure cane sugar.I couldn’t picture Grandfather Romano brining high fructose corn syrup over, and I’m glad the creators of this drink couldn’t picture that either.The labeling on this container isn’t all that flashy, in fact it’s kind of classy looking, almost like something you’d see in a bar in the early 90’s.This seems like it would pair well with food, or you could enjoy it by itself.I would add more raspberry flavoring if I wanted to improve upon this product,I might spice up the label art a bit too.Overall a good product, if you can find it.

~A

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

Jones Soda - Green Apple

   Any time I tell someone that I review sodas, a very common question that follows is "Have you tried Jones Soda?" The answer is always "No I have not". I've never even tried Jones Soda before this website. I was given some as a Christmas gift a while back, but it was the Christmas meal flavors like 'Brussels sprouts', and 'turkey and gravy'... so I wasn't all that enthused to try it. I don't really know why I've avoided Jones Soda; I guess I just viewed it as too trendy. We try to stay away from the mainstream here on this site, unless it's given to us for free to try. I compare Jones Soda to Apple Computers, it's hip to like them, and their software... ignoring that other companies (Microsoft, and Linux for example) are equally great. Just like Apple though, Jones Soda is popular for a reason, and I care to find out what makes it so good.

   Right off the bat I enjoy the fact that a bug is on my label... it has no reason to be there, it's just there. Upon further investigation I see where on their website you can send in your photos, and if they like them they'll place them on a label... pretty cool. While I'm very pleased with the label, the screw top bottle cap keeps catching my eye. I prefer your standard bottle cap when it comes to topping a glass bottle, much like every other bottle drink we've reviewed... The cap on this Jones Soda is like a metal version of one that you might find on a 20 oz Coke. While it looks like a mini-top hat on Twist's head, sad to say, but this takes away from the product for me. Call me picky if you like, but we are The Soda JERKS. The green coloring of the beverage is also nice to look at, but I digress. Alright, now that I've been distracted by all the pretty colors I guess I should start the review.

Right off the bat this seems to have a medicinal smell to it, I like Dimetapp, so maybe this has promise. Aaaaand now I know why they're popular, this is delicious. I'm not even that big of a fan of green apple flavored things, but the flavor is fantastic. It almost tastes like liquid Jolly Ranchers, but not overly sweet. Since it is green apple flavored there is a hint of sour to it as well. It's not pucker up sour, but very much like the sour you would enjoy after biting into an actual green apple. The flavor does linger a bit longer than I'd like it to in my mouth, it could be worse though as the lingering flavor is nice. The flavor of Jones Soda Green Apple is a strong one, with just the right amount of carbonation. It might be a little too sweet for rapid fire consumption, but it's just fine when you're searching for something unique to drink.

~A

Twist the Iguana likes his new mini-top hat

Safeway Grape Soda

   This may be my last generic grape soda for a while... as much as I love them I’m kind of tired of reviewing them so often.Who knows, maybe I’ll move onto orange.Anywho, today’s entry is Safeway Grape Soda (purchased at Kroger).This is another free drink from a co-worker, which I love getting.If I knew all the drinks I’d get for free by just reviewing them, I might have reviewed electronics instead.

   The can art is simplistic, which is always a plus with me.I’m not really fond of the fact that the Safeway name is clearly visible on the can, I’d much rather them title it something besides “grape” and remove the store label.The ingredients are chemicals, which is why I’m not going to even bother listing them.Something I did learn though is that it takes Red Dye 40, and Blue Dye 1 to make this particular shade of purple.Here goes the test.

   First off there is way too much burn for me in this drink.I can feel it on the roof of my mouth, my tongue, and even under my tongue.I’m all for a little kick with my drinks, but this is too much.When an “All Natural” drink has some burn, I usually savor it... unlike a “chemical” drink where I just associate the burn with chemicals.Grape sodas should have some sort of smooth taste to them; this one has way too much tingle.Past the actual feel of the drink, it’s your generic grape soda.It’s a little weaker on the grape flavor, but that may be because your mouth is more concentrated on the previously mentioned feel.Safeway Grape Soda isn’t a bad grape soda, I’ve just had several better.If given the opportunity, just get Grapette.

~A

Oogave Grapefruit Soda

   Mike's review on Oogave Key Lime was so good that I decided to take the full plunge into Oogave, and get a flavor I normally wouldn't... grapefruit. Grapefruit soda's don't really appeal to me, so take that into consideration during this review. I don't think that Mike particularly likes them either, so I just went ahead and decided to review it.

   I will say that Oogave gets points instantly from me for having a different bottle cap for each beverage. I know that seems stupid and small, but I like it when people change up their bottle caps for different flavors, even if (in this case) it's just the color. My other favorite thing about this bottle is the tiny Esteban's Seal of Approval on the bottom right of the main logo. I'd love to have a shirt with that on it for some reason. That'd be on one side of the shirt, with the Oogave logo on the other... instant gold.

   Upon opening the bottle I take a whiff, and notice some solid citrus scent, almost orange, but not quite. I guess that's sort of what a grapefruit is most like though... sort of an orange. Wow... I can honestly tell you the flavor surprised me a lot. My feeling toward most grapefruit sodas is marred by the fact that they are usually sour/bitter much like a normal grapefruit. This soda has zero bitterness in it, making it good for even someone that would hate grapefruit.   Some might say "doesn't that mean if I love grapefruit, I'd hate the soda?"  Not necessarily, you'd have your grapefruit, the flavor would just be more subtle.  I would like for it to have a little more flavor though, as I have to search for it on occasion. There is little to no bite to this at all, as it's very smooth. It's also not overly carbonated, so those of you who don't like a lot of carbonation would enjoy this beverage. The more I drink, the more recognizable the grapefruit flavor becomes, which means I probably should have up-ended the bottle before enjoying. Still though, it's not an over powering flavor. Overall a good job by the people at Oogave.

~A

Oogave Grapefruit, and Twist the Bottle Cap Iguana

Boylan's Root Beer

   You may remember when I last reviewed a Boylan's product, Boylan's Grape Soda.  Now whether or not you remember that, or just read it, you know I was disappointed by it.  This could have been because I hyped it up so much in my head that it couldn't live up to my expectations, or because it was just average... I really don't know which.  Either way I'vedecided to give the Boylan's brand another try with Boylan's Root Beer.  I won't really go into the bottle art like I normally do, it has the same classic style as always.  As with previous Boylan's brands they have a solid list of ingredients, and that is worth mentioning again.

Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Caramel Color, Natural Yucca Extract, Citric Acid, and our old friend Sodium Benzoate which preserves the flavor.

  That stellar list of ingredients seems like it would go well into a root beer.Ok... with the first sip I can tell you it’s a good root beer, there’s no denying that.It’s not that clean of an after taste though.Honestly I think its’ a bit too creamy to have a clean aftertaste, but that’s ok.To use root beer that most people drink in comparison, this tastes like a Barqs/A&W mix.It has a bit of a bite, but the aftertaste is more A&W.Now I’m not saying that this beverage is of the same quality of the mainstream brands, far from it, I’m just giving you something to compare them too.If offered this root beer along side the mainstream brands, I would take this one every time.Boylan’s root beer has one odd aspect about it.When you place the bottle to your lips, as soon as you start to drink... for a flash of time it has the essence of a regular beer.Some of that burn that some beers have exists in the product, if not for just a brief moment.Now take that for what it’s worth as I rarely drink beer... I could just be crazy.Mike has tried Boylan’s root beer as well, but says it tastes a lot like birch beer.The root beer/birch beer argument is one that we’ve shelved in the “Can’t Talk About” warehouse, along side soccer ties, Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom, and pizza toppings.

~A