Jelly Belly Strawberry Jam

I liken finding a Jelly Belly soda to finding 50 cents in your pocket.  You’re going to be happy you found it, but you’re not going to brag about it to any of your friends.  Jelly Belly soda seems to randomly pop (HA! Our most overused joke!) up at times when I’m low on soda as if to say “Hey there, Guy.  Don’t give up hope yet.  Who knows how many flavors of me there are in the world.”  Today’s flavor of him is Strawberry Jam.  Now I’m assuming most of us are familiar with strawberry soda and its various forms, but I for one have never seen a strawberry “jam” soda on the market.  My fear is that it’s just a naming ploy to make their strawberry soda stick out in your mind when looking to choose said flavored soda.  It’s made with cane sugar, so we’re already on a good road.  So let me take you down, ‘cause I’m going to review this strawberry jam soda.

Ok, so the scent smells like strawberry jam forever.  It definitely keeps my mind from thinking that this is an ordinary strawberry soda.  My wife uses strawberry jam as her spread of choice when making a PBJ sandwich, which makes me familiar with the aroma.  Color me intrigued… which in this case is somewhere between red and pink.

This is fairly tasty, that is I think it’s not too bad.  The scent leans more towards the “jam flavor” than the actual taste does.  I’m going to attempt a rather difficult visual, so try and bear with me.  Picture the scent as a man from the 20’s doffing his top hat towards a lady.  He bends at the waist, extends one arm and fully removes his stylish head piece from his head.  Now picture the taste as a private detective from the 50’s greeting a lady.  He’s still stylishly dressed, just not quite as much.  He grabs the brim of his fedora and sharply tugs it down in a sort of abbreviated doff.  Both of these gestures are similar as greetings toward the fairer sex, but one is much more exaggerated.  You expect the full doff when you begin to drink, but you’re greeted with a bit less.  If that comparison felt like a waste of space to you don’t worry about it, the characters won’t be hurt.  Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.

With all that said, Jelly Belly Strawberry Jam soda does differentiate itself a little with its jam-esque flavor, just not as much as I’d hoped.   The strawberry finish coats and sits in your mouth for quite a while after each sip.  I wouldn’t say that it’s strawberry jam forever, but it holds on longer than I’d like.  This is just as sweet as you might expect a strawberry soda to be, which is very when compared to other flavors.  Overall this is a slightly above average strawberry soda that had the opportunity to set itself apart if only it tasted more jam like.  Ah well, it’s still pretty tasty.

~A

[Cranberry Sauce…]

Living is easy with eyes closed, which is why Twist never closes them.

Virgil's Dr. Better

For those of you who are new to the site let me give you a small slice of history pie.  I’m from Texas and being from said state makes me very biased to Dr Pepper.  I’m sure you’ll find many a Texan who couldn’t care a lick about Dr Pepper, but you’ll find more that do care than any other state.  With that said I’m always skeptical when I find a Dr Pepper rip-off as I immediately think it won’t be good as the original.  Doc Zola was the only product that equaled or surpassed Dr Pepper, but today a new challenger emerges… Virgil’s Dr. Better. 

As you may know Virgil’s Root Beer is the drink that gave me the idea to start this site because of how awesome it is.  Virgil’s brand sodas are among my favorites so to see one trying to topple the great Dr gives me mixed emotions.  Another note is that in talking to other soda companies I know of at least one other that planned on making a product called Dr. Better, so while I like the name I’m aware that it’s been thought of before.  Hopefully the company that didn’t get to this product name first still tries to produce a Dr Pepper flavored beverage because I’d really like to try it.  With all that said it’s time I try this “Dr. Type soda” (as the back of the bottle says) and see how it fares.  Ok, one final gripe.  It really shouldn’t be written as “Dr. Type soda” since it’s trying to somewhat replicate Dr Pepper which has no period after the “r”.  Honestly it should be a “Dr Type soda”, but I’m just being picky at this point… moving on.

The smell to me is less of a “Dr. Type soda” and more of a “Mr. Type soda”.  All that the previous sentence means is that it doesn’t smell as strongly as Dr Pepper does when you first open the can/bottle.  Mr. Pibb is the weaker flavored beverage and its scent translates that.  I’m sure that Virgil’s will back up their scent with a more amazing taste though… I mean we’re talking about Virgil’s here, not Coke.  Onward!

There’s a lot going on in this bottle of Dr. Better.  The soda hits your tongue with quite a kick, but quickly backs off as to not upset the entire drinking process.  While the initial flavor tastes more of Mr. Pibb (weaker) as you get closer to the finish it develops the familiar richness of Dr Pepper.  The thing that’s bothering me is the finish and over all mouth-feel of Dr. Better.  While they make a Dr. Better with stevia (an ingredient I’m not sure I’ll ever endorse as the sole sweetener in a beverage) regular Dr. Better uses no such leaf.  It’s sweetened with evaporated cane juice and I’m just now noticing also includes “a touch of prune juice”.  With all that said the finish of the drink, I didn’t lose my train of thought too much there, has a bit of a diet taste to it that I’m not all that thrilled with.  Upon this complaint of mine I will add another, the mouth-feel is probably the most syrupy I’ve experienced from a Virgil’s product.  These two qualities knock Dr. Better down a couple of pegs as a glass bottle of sugar sweetened Dr Pepper would trump it easily.  I’m not completely surprised as this outcome, but I will say I expected better from the fine folks at Virgil’s.  Again, they’re battling a Texans love of Dr Pepper, but those are the breaks on this site.

~A

Twist received his doctorate in keeping it real

Fanta Orange with Sugar

Well I’m still scraping by on drinks to review due to my laziness of doing that thing where you get in the big steel box and direct it to one of those large boxes where people find the different sodas.  So today we’re once again relying on my local foodery, a place I’m treating like a dog treats a bone in the yard.  Gotta save it for later, don’t finish the bone, gotta save it for later.  Today’s scrounging has brought me in contact with Fanta Orange.  “Big whoop” you might say and if you did I’d probably chuckle at you.  This isn’t your ordinary Fanta Orange, this Fanta Orange hails from Mexico which means… wait for it… yes it’s sweetened with real sugar.  I’m pretty sure most of us are vaguely familiar with Fanta, but if not here goes the sentence summary.  Fanta is the brand Coke uses for fruit flavors.  Heck you might even remember the Fanta Girls asking if you “Wanna Fanta?  Don’t you wanna?”  If none of that rings your doorbells don’t worry, it’s just orange soda.

After using my trusty vintage “Colorado County Federal Savings and Loan Association” bottle opener I’m greeted with the familiar scent of orange soda.  It’s not over powering, it’s not amazing, it’s faint and it’s orange.  Moving on.

Immediately I’m impressed by the light mouth feel this sugar sweetened beverage gives me, but that’s the finish and around here we start from the beginning.  Upon first consumption of Fanta Orange my taste buds are greeted with sweet orange flavor.  It’s similar to your basic orange candy, but slightly less powerful in taste.  The orange essence sits flatly in your mouth for a few seconds before the bubbles set in before coating your tongue with light fizzy bubbles.  Throughout the entire experience though there’s the very subtle hint of cardboard.  It doesn’t ruin the taste by any means, but it’s most definitely present.  Now this “cardboard” taste might only be in my world as I’ve noticed that it’s present in many of the orange sodas I’ve tasted.  Frostie, while I like it a lot, is the strongest example of that.  With all that said Fanta Orange is still a pretty good orange soda, but nothing you need to seek out.  If you’re already a Fan of Fanta (I really hope that’s been an advertising campaign of theirs) then try and find yourself a bottle of the Mexican version.  If you’re just “alright” with Orange Fanta then I’d say go ahead and stick to the HFCS version because it’s not worth the extra effort to find this.

~A

Twist invented soda flavored stamps back in the 70's, but no one wanted to buy from an iguana... pity.

Boylan Black Cherry

Boylan makes a good soda, so it’s surprising to me when I look through our reviews and only count three of their current flavors.  I was at my local foodery the other day and noticed that their deli section had those exact three flavors… plus one extra.  Fortunately the extra flavor was Black Cherry, something that most soda manufacturers can’t turn into a mouthstake.  That’s a mistake you make with your mouth that will we will only use when talking about a soda you have mistakenly consumed.  Enough of my newly minted word though.  To catch up those unfamiliar with the Boylan family here goes.  Boylan’s has been around since 1891, they sweeten with cane sugar, their flavors are usually on the richer side, and they have beautifully simplistic logos.  On to the next step.

Interesting.  Boylan Black Cherry smells less sweet than I thought it would.  I figured I was in for a finer version of an IBC Black Cherry, but the scent that hits my nose is much closer to the actual smell of cherries.  Hopefully this twist in the story will still delight my taste buds.

Oh, Boylan… you do not disappoint.  The flavor is that of black cherry, but is not as sweet as you might find in most similarly flavored beverages.  A quirky thing about the carbonation is that it adds almost a hollow mouth feel which is unlike anything I’ve tried in a while.  The finish is rather clean, not leaving a syrupy feel amongst your molars… if you still have them.  Of those three characteristics I just listed I think the level of sweetness is what took me off guard the most.  I normally associate black cherry as being a “kid’s drink”.  It’s normally a candy sweet soda that uses the word “Black” to differentiate itself from a basic cherry soda even though it rarely tastes much different.  Boylan Black Cherry is apparently the adult version of this.  Its flavor title is much more accurate than other brands and that’s something I can get behind.  It’d be kind of neat to have Kid Flavors and Adult Flavors.  Kid Flavor grape soda would taste like most grape sodas do now, sugary awesomeness.  Adult Flavor grape soda would taste like grapes, which to me would be equally awesome.  Combine that last idea with mouthtake and I’d color this a pretty successful review.  Don’t worry, I’ll remember you all when I’m rich beyond our wildest dreams.

~A

Twist bought this for me.  I'm not sure why, but I think he wants to borrow the truck.

Koma Unwind Sugar Free

Ok, so this review is going to be quick and dirty.  Last week… I think… I reviewed Koma Unwind and was surprised at how delicious it was.  Today we have the sugar free version and once again I’m skeptical.  After thinking about it for a half a second it does seem to be a little self-defeating to have a “relaxation beverage” with sugar in it.  Looking at the ingredients of the sugar free Koma Unwind I see that Sucralose is present, so maybe this will at least resemble the fantastic flavor of its sweetened brethren.  Only one way to find out.

The smell is very similar, grape-tastic, so hopefully the taste won’t fall as flat as I’m expecting it to.  Here’s something fun that will lengthen this section to paragraph length.  Even though the can says “Sugar Free” throughout the design my brain continuously blurs it out.  It’s hidden right in front of my face.   There, that worked well enough.  Drinkin’ time.

Aww, drinking Koma Unwind Sugar Free is somewhat sad.  It’s like Koma Unwind died and after some time had passed my mouth is trying to remember what it tasted like.  The first flavor Koma Unwind Sugar-Free presents me with tastes like Mr. Chemical made it straight from the chemicals he grew in his garden.  Eventually you get a flavor that is reminiscent of Koma Unwind, but it just can’t shake the taste of its artificial sweetener.  Is it still a drinkable beverage?  Yes, but all the joy has been removed so I’m definitely not going to recommend it.  Let me make up a fun “math-esque” formula for all you egg-heads to follow.  Koma Unwind > Melatonin Pill > Ether > Koma Unwind  Sugar Free.  Before you go testing out that “formula” just know that I once scored a 12 on an Algebra II Final Exam.

~A

Even with someone as sweet as Twist near by it still needs sugar

MASH Pomegranate Blueberry

One final MASH beverage before the four-fecta is complete.  I’ve worked up a powerful thirst cleaning the shower and what not, so hopefully this MASH Pomegranate Blueberry will help me rejuvenate.  If you’ve read the previous three reviews on MASH, and if you have then congrats on being better than everyone else, you’d know that MASH drinks are very hit or miss.  Enough chatter, I’m too thirsty to care.

Fortunately both scents are present in the aroma of MASH Pomegranate Blueberry.  The blueberry does outshine its pom brethren just a bit, but one of them has to win the battle… right?  DRINK ON!  (I really wish I had two consistent catch phrases to lead from the 1st to 2nd paragraph and then the 2nd to 3rd paragraph… suggestions?)

Fizzy, fruity, but light enough to chug.  MASH Pom-Blu (as I will now call it) is delightful right off the bat.  The carbonation seems a little more intense than in other flavors, which is a nice change up.  Both the pom and blu are very present and aren’t nearly as muted as previous MASH flavors.  This particular version of MASH is what the other flavors should strive to be.  I’m not sure if the particular flavors involved allow for a more robust taste, but it’s great no matter how you slice it.  Even though I’m getting a double burst of fruit flavors the drink is still light enough to quench my thirst and doesn’t sit heavily in my mouth.  Each sip still thrills me with the amount of fizz it contains, almost like it’s playfully shocking my tongue.  If you were to take all the individual delights from this beverage from this drink and separate them you’d end up with an average soda, but combined they make a fantastic entry into the fruit soda genre… and low calorie to boot!

~A

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

MASH Ripe Mango Blood Orange

I feel like writing a short review today, so just go with me on this one.  MASH Ripe Mango Blood Orange is the third MASH drink up for review.  The other two were pretty good, but not spectacular.  MASH is pretty much two steps above fruity carbonated water.  If this is anything like the other two flavors then one flavor will dominate as the other sits quietly in a corner.  My guess is that the mango will play the role of the dom.  Onward!

I seem to be on the right track thus far as the most noticeable aroma that escapes is… bum bada buuuum… the mango.  I bet each of you 1,000th of a cent that the flavor will match the scent.  Cent for scent… I’ve mildly amused myself.

Well I owe you a collective cent.  While the mango jumps in at the end of this taste test, the blood orange is featured first.  This marks the first time the two flavors have both been represented equally, but I’m not overly thrilled with it.  For whatever reason the two flavors clash a bit with my tongue.  Instead of a fresh citrus flavor it’s somewhat bitter.  Maybe I got a bad batch or something, but this isn’t my style.  The bitterness sits there throughout not allowing me to fully enjoy either of the two flavors I normally would.  With that said it also takes away how refreshing the drink should be, which is sad since the previous two drinks were quenchers of thirst.  MASH Ripe Mango Blood Orange is very…yeah.

~A

Faux fact:  Twist isn't ripe yet, that's why he's green.

Virgil's Clementine

The review you’re about to read is an act of pure selfishness.  A few weeks back C.W. (popular fan reviewer) sent me a review for Virgil’s Clementine and I was jealous.  “I can get you a bottle,” he kindly offered… which of course I was thrilled to accept.  When it came time to post his Virgil’s Clementine review I balked and used one of the other fan reviews I have stored up in my storage facility.  I just couldn’t bring myself to read his review and have the Virgil’s Clementine experience ruined, not in even the tiniest of ways.  So now I sit here about to review Virgil’s Clementine while C.W. review sits in the fireproof vault I keep the other fan reviews.  The bottle sits atop my desk looking so very fresh and vibrant.  The bottle art is just a clementine sliced in half, but it looks good enough to eat.  I saved this out of envy and now I must hope that same envy doesn’t change what could be a magical experience.

The clementine aroma escapes, but has more in common with airport orange juice than with the freshly squeezed citrus.  Is this the jealousy rearing its ugly head, not allowing me to enjoy this beverage to the fullest?  Only one way to find out.

The carbonation slams against the back of my tongue, creating a stage for the following fruit juices to dance upon.  Sadly I can taste a hefty amount of apple and pear (two of the listed ingredients) more than I can the sweet clementines I expected.  To me Virgil’s Clementine almost tastes like an apple juice/orange juice hybrid.  This is truly a soda that allows you to compare apples to oranges in a single sip.  In the early stages of each gulp I’m greeted with a flavor that reminds me of fermented fruit.  I’m fully aware that this drink isn’t fermented at all, but the flavor still exists and takes away from my experience.  I thought this would taste a bit smoother and sweeter than what I’m currently experiencing.  That may be a problem I’m creating for myself though as I may want the flavor of clementine candy, but instead get the real thing in liquid form.  As always the ingredients listed are top notch and that should be rewarded, but today taste rules.  As amazing as it should be Virgil’s Clementine is just “alright” for me.  Now maybe that’s the curse of betraying a fellow soda reviewer, but until  can prove that I’ll just have to stick by my guns.

~A

Twist was even green with... nope, can't do it.

MASH Grapefruit Citrus Zing

At the time I’m writing this review I’m supposed to be asleep.  Why am I not asleep you probably didn’t ask.  I’m hot.  There are several miserable ways to wake up that don’t involve emergencies of some sort and being hot is at the top of my list.  Your body just sort of develops this thin layer of sweat that tries its darndest to cool you off to no avail.  Fortunately I recently reviewed a soda, MASH Lemon Peel Ginger Root, which was incredibly refreshing.  Even more fortunately I have three more flavors in my fridge.  So after I decided that continuing to sleep wasn’t going to happen I walked to my refrigerator and pulled out the most thirst quenching name… MASH Grapefruit Citrus Zing.  As many grapefruit drinks are this one is a light pink color with label art to match.  Since I’ve already reviewed what goes into a MASH beverage I’ll go ahead and quench my thirst now.

Wow, my allergies are kicking and I can still smell the pungent grapefruit aroma that this large mouth bottle allows.  From scent alone I’m starting to wonder if this beverage is going to be “too grapefruity” for my liking.

Meh.  The flavor doesn’t hold the same strength as the scent, but it’s still clearly a grapefruit flavored beverage.  Once again the carbonation is light and actually a little stronger than the Lemon Peel Ginger Root Flavor.  You mouth is greeted by a quick wash of grapefruit flavoring that grows watery by the second while the tiny bubbles try their hardest to tickle your tongue.  Fortunately the taste doesn’t stay in your mouth long enough to reach a negative level of watery…ness...ness.  The “Citrus Zing” is only felt at the beginning of each sip as a shock of generic citrus flavor.  This flavor sets the table for the rest of your MASH Grapefruit Citrus Zing experience.  On a slightly different note, I’ll be happy when I’m done reviewing these MASH beverages because they have obscenely long names.  Sadly this flavor of MASH isn’t quite as thirst quenching (I don’t think there’s a better way to say “thirst quenching”) as the previous version I tried, but it’s getting the job done.  Remember when you were asked to make the bed as a kid and instead of neatly completing the task you just through the comforter over and smoothed it out?  Yeah… like that.  While I’m ok with this bottle of MASH Grapefruit Citrus Zing it’s just not living up to the level I expected it to.  In fact it’s about a notch below and will be rated as such.

~A

Dr. B

Dr Pepper is an odd duck.  It’s not a cola, it’s not a root beer, it lives in its own category.  Mr. Pibb, Dr Pepper’s neighbor, even left the street because he couldn’t hang with the good Dr.  Now Pibb Xtra walks the streets looking for its identity while Dr Pepper lives without care.  If you haven’t realized it yet I’m a Texan.  This increases my love of Dr Pepper by a great degree and while I’m not happy with what happened in Dublin I can’t say that I’d never drink a Dr Pepper again… I’d just be fooling myself.  What I’m poorly setting up here is that it’s hard for me to review products that are supposed to taste like Dr Pepper.  In my time reviewing sodas I’ve only come across one that is equal to or beats the flavor of Pepper… Doc Zola.  Today I have a bottle of Dr. B in front of me.  Dr. B is a grocery store made soda, HEB to be exact.  Before you immediately write it off HEB Cola is a very good cola in its own right.  I put HEB Cola above both Coke and Pepsi.  HEB does indeed put some love and care into their “Pure Cane Sugar” sweetened sodas and Dr. B is just that.  So here we go again, another Dr Pepper knock off about to be reviewed.  Will it go by the wayside as so many do, or will it prove worthy to stand next to Dr Pepper and Doc Zola?  Let’s find out, shall we?

The scent I just inhaled is almost exactly that of Dr Pepper.  I don’t think that’s a very telling characteristic, but I suppose it’s the first thing you need to do to keep me interested.  Onward… and hopefully upward.

Twist went back and removed all of the periods after Dr (Pepper) for me.

Ok, so Dr. B is obviously going to have some taste similarities to Dr Pepper so we’re going to talk about what’s different instead.  The first thing I notice is that Dr. B is a smoother drink than Dr Pepper, which is somewhat impressive because Dr Pepper prides itself on how smooth the taste is.  Secondly, Dr. B is a notch sweeter that what you find in that maroon and white can.  I would think that the added sweetness would be noticeable by most, but not to the point where it tastes like Dr Pepper Cotton Candy (patent pending!).   The carbonation level is also muted a bit, but I assume that’s because of the sweetener used (sugar).  I wish I had a sugar sweetened Dr Pepper to compare this too right in front of me, but I guess you gotta work with what you got.  Overall Dr. B is a great product, but it won’t be replacing Dr Pepper in my life (much like HEB Cola has replaced Coke and Pepsi).  I like the added burn of Dr Pepper even if it is slight.  I also associate so many positive things with Dr Pepper that Dr. B just couldn’t catch up to.  Dr. B is Doctor Peppers equal in every way in terms of being a good soda, but Dr Pepper has a nostalgia factor for me personally.  This won’t change the rating of the drink, but Doc Zola is still the reigning champion when it comes to Dr Pepper knock offs. 

~A

UPDATE - I'M A FORGETFUL DOOFUS

I reviewed this soda again without even checking to see if I had already... here's the three year update on Dr. B.

July 9, 2015 Update

I enjoyed HEB Original Cola quite a bit if I remember correctly… and by “remember” I mean quickly glance at the review I wrote five years ago.  That said, I’m not really sure why it took me that long to pick up a bottle of their Dr. B.  As you might have guessed Dr. B is the HEB (a grocery store in Texas) version of Dr Pepper.  It’s sweetened with “pure” cane sugar instead of all that “tainted” cane sugar the other guys use.  If only it was “Real Pure Cane Sugar”, then I’d be impressed.

The bottle Dr. B is housed in is a pleasant shape and quite simple in labeling.  The cap was not a screw top as evidenced by my foolish attempt to remove it.  Thankfully I have a bottle opener on my keychain to assist me in such situations.

Hey, guess what?  It smells like Dr Pepper.  Moving on.

Very nice.  Dr. B does a pretty good job of mimicking the Dr Pepper flavor, to the point I’m not sure if I could tell the difference if it was poured in a cup,

Ok, so I just did a blind taste test with some fountain Dr Pepper and I totally couldn’t tell the difference.  The first cup was a little richer than the first which made me think it was the original Dr Pepper… alas it was not.

Dr. B, apparently, has a bit of a boost in the flavor department but it’s just small enough to confuse me.  If I remembered the price I paid for this bottle I could tell you if it was worth buying over glass bottled Dr Pepper… my guess is yes if you only care about flavor.

Where Dr. B will always suffer is that it does not have nearly the nostalgia with people that Dr Pepper does so they’ll reach for the known quantity more times than not.  As for me though I’ll probably take another step towards being a soda snob and drink Dr. B while telling folks it tastes exactly the same if not a little better than fountain Dr Pepper.

~A

I bought this at an HEB grocery store… weren’t you listening?

MASH Lemon Peel Ginger Root

I ran out of sodas last week so I plodded on down to my local grocer to see if they had anything I might be able to consume.  When all seemed lost I noticed a refrigerated case at the front of the store with all sorts of energy drinks in them… all of which had been reviewed or are in line to be.  Saddened I made like Tom Dooley and hung down my head and cried.  Apparently the folks at Boylan Bottling Co. didn’t want me to meet the same fate as the aforementioned Dooley because my eyes fell upon a bottle of Mash.  Technically there were four different flavors of Mash at my fingertips, but I guess there could be more somewhere out there.  This particular flavor of Mash, Lemon Peel Ginger Root, is like all the other flavors in the way that they’re all defined as Low Calorie Water Drinks.  I quickly checked the ingredients, searching for carbonation.  Check.  Upon doing this I also noticed that Lemon Peel Ginger Root Mash only has 10 grams of sugar per 8 oz.  Curious about how many oz. this stubby little bottle held I checked the side and was surprised to see 20 fl oz.  I like this shorter, chunkier, 20 oz. bottle… not sure why I just do.  Glancing at the ingredients once again I’m not sure how much flavor this beverage is going to pack.  There isn’t even any ginger listed as an ingredient of any kind.  I take that back; I guess it could be covered under the very vague “natural flavors”.  It should be interesting to see how they incorporate a listed flavor without said listed ingredient.  I guess there’s only one way to tell.

Before I even get the cap completely off a ginger/lemon scent comes wafting out of the mouth.  The aroma coming from this is very enticing to me.  There is something about it that makes me thing my thirst is about to be quenched to a very high degree.  Let’s find out.

This pleases me greatly.  The flavor is definitely more lemon peel than ginger root, but the two paragraphs before this should have told you it was going to be.  The carbonation level is almost non-existent, but needed to keep this from falling flat in your mouth.  Much like I anticipated this is a very refreshing beverage.  I’d happily have this by my side while out in any Texas heat.  While Mash is probably more watery than your standard soda, that doesn’t hinder its taste at all.  The lemon juice’s flavor comes through perfectly clear.  Minute Maid lemonade doesn’t have this level of lemon strength, but they are probably my least favorite lemonade out there so maybe I’m just throwing daggers.  My stomach feels the hints of a burn that would be caused by ginger and I guess you could imagine the flavor has those same hints, but it’s so little I wouldn’t even have listed it on the bottle.  Over all Mash Lemon Peel Ginger Root is a very long name and a pretty good soda; it’s low in sugar, low in calories (40), and refreshing.  This particular flavor isn’t amazing enough to warrant you going out and buying large quantities of it, but I look forward to the other three bottles that rest in my fridge.

~A

Twist was disappointed in the lack of bangers

Virgil's Blueberry Pomegranate

Ok, so I’ve got good news and bad news.  Bad news first?  I’m not going to sugar coat it… just gonna say it…I’m out of soda… my stock pile has run dry.  I do have a few on the way, but this ultimately means I must go out and scour the earth for new things to drink.  Actually I enjoy searching for new things to drink so this is sort of a happy time for all of us.  The much anticipated good news is that today’s soda up for review is Virgil’s Blueberry Pomegranate!  You may remember a few months ago a member of the Carbo-Nation reviewed this for us (C.W.) and loved it.  Well fortunately for me he gave me a bottle that I can call my very own.  Virgil’s Blueberry Pomegranate is all natural, 90% fruit juice, and that’s about it.  There are no preservatives, caffeine, or gluten in this bottle… it’s pretty much 100% good stuff.  That doesn’t mean it’s a health drink, but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess it’s healthier than your ordinary soda.  Virgil’s Blueberry Pomegranate is a lovely rose color and dons the traditional Virgil’s bottle cap that sits atop the rest of their beverages.  I must admit the typical Virgil’s bottle cap looks a bit odd on this because I’ve always associated it with cola’s, root beer, cream sodas, and the like.  Maybe that’s just a bit off putting to me, but I’m crazy like that.  Drink on!

While the scent escaping form the bottle is light I can sense a whole host of fruity aromas.  Apple is the strongest to me, followed by pear.  Those two seem to barge ahead of any other potential fruit smells and hog most of my attention.  The other scents sit quietly in the back waiting, hopefully, for their time to shine when consumed.

There they are.  Hi guys!  Virgil’s Blueberry Pomegranate has a crisp and fizzy mouth-feel.  The pomegranate really gets to shine throughout the entire duration of the consumption process.  I’m struggling to taste the blueberry as Big Apple and Humungo Pear keep blocking him from my taste buds.  This tastes a little fermented to me, but I know it’s not.  That would normally be a huge turn off to me, but that aspect of the drink isn’t noticeable enough to sway me in a negative direction.  The more I drink this the more I like it.  The flavor never sits idle upon your tongue it feels like the 2nd sip every time.  Obviously it can’t feel like the first sip every time or it would be as addictive as those addictive things kids are always taking as they ruin the blah blah blah and that’s why shoelaces cost so dang much.  Virgil’s Blueberry Pomegranate is an “Anytime Soda”, meaning that this would go well with a meal or drinking is solo.  Ingredient wise this should receive a perfect score, but the lack of blueberry takes it down a notch for me.  I wanted so very desperately for blueberry to have the stage at some point, but the comically large hook keeps pulling him off.  Other than this this was a fantastic drinking experience that I highly recommend to you.  Thanks, Virgil’s.  Thirgil’s.

~A

Twist is also 90% Fruit Juice

Boylan's Creamy Red Birch Beer

There is a long standing argument between Mike and myself that birch beer has qualities that discern it from root beer.  Before we even started this site the few times Mike got me to try a birch beer I really couldn’t have picked it out of a row of root beers.  You see, Mike likes root beer… yet hates birch beer if I remember correctly and that blows my mind.  The two are so similar I can’t imagine liking one but not the other.  Today though I think I may have found a feather for Mike’s cap which is nice because you don’t see feathered caps anymore.  Boylan’s Creamy Red Birch Beer seems like a birch beer that is different enough, with it being red in color, that maybe it will set itself apart from the root beer family.  We’ve reviewed Boylan’s products before, root beer included, and they do a good job at making sodas so I’m not worried about the quality.  The ingredients even have “Pure Birch Oils” listed at #3 so I’m feeling pretty good that I’ll be able to taste said “difference”.  I really hope I like Boylan’s Creamy Red Birch Beer because I have an amusing play on words already lined up in my head.  Ok, ain’t nothing to it, but to do it.

Right off the bat this birch beer smells like a root beer.  There is a sharpness to the scent though that I normally only find in a licorice heavy root beer.  With the first battle won (Go Team Aaron!) it’s time to move on to the war itself… the tasting.

Curse you Mike.  Boylan’s Creamy Red Birch Beer is most certainly not a root beer.  I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was slightly root-beer-esque, but this clearly stands on its own.  The bubbles are small and powerful as they dance rapidly on my tongue, almost to the point of being ticklish.  While Boylan’s Creamy Red Birch Beer isn’t as smooth as say a vanilla heavy root beer, it’s still a joy to drink.  The birch oils make this beverage tip its hat to the bitter side.  It’s nothing that would make you scrunch up your face, but I could see some not liking it.  Another difference this has to root beer is that it doesn’t sit heavily in your mouth.  While you try and get that terrible visual image out of your head I’ll explain.  Picture yourself drinking your favorite creamy root beer… not Barq’s, I said creamy.  After the root beer has done its job and you’ve taken a gulp a heavy velvet curtain lowers in your mouth.  It usually just sits there and there’s nothing you can do about it.  Sure, maybe the velvet curtain is nice to look at, but no matter if it is or isn’t it will be there for a while.  Boylan’s Creamy Red Birch Beer has a curtain as well, but it’s not made from heavy velvet.  Boylan’s has a lighter polyester curtain that makes itself known, but not with the same oomph.  After drinking this I’ve learned that I’m more of a root beer person myself, but to Mike I have one thing to say to you.  If you’re havin’ soda problems I feel bad for you, son.  I’ve got 99 problems, but a birch ain’t one.

~A

You're gonna get bored watching the throne because Twist won't give it up

Taylor's Tonics Gingerbread House

March 26th officially marks the end of the holiday season here at TheSodaJerks as we’re finally finishing up with our themed sodas.  Today’s selection is Taylor’s Tonics Gingerbread House, which in my opinion could either be delicious or horrible.  Now that I’ve wowed you with my deductive reasoning it’s time to get this over with before the smiling gingerbread face on the bottle guilt’s me out of drinking him.

It certainly has a spicy aroma; one that’s burning my nose like a house hold cleaner or maybe a fancy candle your parents may own.  Either way I’m now a bit more hesitant to try this, but hey… gotta pay the bills somehow.  Wait a second… this doesn’t pay the bills at all.  Why would I subject myself to reviewing this if there isn’t anything in it for me?  Boredom?  Masochism? Curiosity?  Pick whichever one amuses you the most and that’s your answer.

Taylors Tonics Gingerbread House just ran over my tongue like a steam roller.  The ginger clove and cinnamon shoved their fist down my throat and forced all of my taste buds to be abused by this very festive concoction.  Now that I have stopped coughing from my first taste, let’s see if the second isn’t any smoother.  Ok, now that I’m prepared for it I can keep my body from trying to reject it immediately and I must say it’s rather pleasant; it’s very strong… but pleasant.  I see that there is no apple in here, but my brain is creating the apple flavor for me which balances out nicely.  I wouldn’t necessarily say that this tastes like gingerbread, but the ginger clove does a fine job in keeping Taylor’s Tonics Gingerbread House separate from your normal ginger soda faire.  This beverage lights your mouth on fire like a ginger beer, but it’s a small fire, one that you can build a resistance to.  Of course I wouldn’t drink this every day, but I don’t think Taylor’s Tonics wants you to do that.  Well of course they want you to drink their sodas every day… their profits would go through the roof, but you get the idea.  Overall I’m pleased with what I’ve consumed here, but I can’t recommend buying more than a bottle at a time.

~A

Twist lives in a gingerbread mansion.  It's quite tasty.

Berghoff Famous Root Beer

We already have a fan review up of Berghoff Famous Root Beer, but I’d take 100 reviews of it if possible.  When I say “100 reviews” of Berghoff Famous Root Beer I really mean 100 reviews of any soda out there.  You see, I feel opinions are important so if you see a beverage on our site that we’ve reviewed and you disagree with said review then please feel free to write one of your own and we’ll post it.  With all that said it’s probably time to start this review of Berghoff Famous Root Beer.  Honestly the bottle looks like a fairly generic somewhat upscale root beer and a look at the ingredients show that it’s fairly upscale since sugar is their substance of sweet.  I’m not sure how often you’re concerned with the amount of sodium in your root beer, but Berghoff has “very little sodium”.  Every bottle of root beer out there might say this, but I haven’t noticed it until right now.   Like I said the labeling is boring and not worth much commentary, hopefully the fluid inside will be more lead performer and less plywood tree.

Well the good news is that Berghoff Famous Root Beer has a nice odor to it.  It’s not wowing the ol’ olfactory glands or anything, but it’s a sweet, inviting scent none-the-less.   This is appearing more and more like a single step up from your mainstream root beer.  Sadly I’ve been spoiled in creating this site… I need more than one step up because that one step isn’t always worth the extra cash spent in the purchase.  Drink time.

Hello?  Carbonation?  Are you there?  The idea of carbonation that is contained in this bottle of Berghoff is all that keeps it from being root beer juice.    Root Beer Juice.  I can’t tell if it’d be good or not… my mind leans towards the direction of no.  Alright, now that I kind of grossed myself out with the newly coined product “root beer juice” I should probably continue the review.  Berghoff Famous Root Beer has a bit of a licorice taste to it which might be off putting to some, but licorice is nowhere to be found in the makeup of this soda.  Taste wise, aside from the faux licorice, this is most similar to Barq’s when compared to the big three and the aftertaste is as dirty as 7th grade limerick.  I really can’t seem to get over the lack of carbonation I’m experience (or not experiencing) here.  Honestly I don’t feel that Berghoff is any better than A&W or Barq’s Root Beer… Mug on the other hand it could probably beat.  It’s not a terrible root beer, but it won’t be winning any Twisty’s… the now made up award presented by this site.  **(Now for your obligatory Gary Berghoff reference)** After reading this review you should have known that this rating was coming from over a mile away... much like Gary Berghoff as Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly in the Emmy Award winning television show M*A*S*H.

~A

And now presenting the Twisty for most average root beer...

IVI Carbonated Orangeade

I honestly couldn’t tell you what I’m reviewing today.  It’s sitting here right in front of me, but I can’t pronounce it even if I tried.  You see, today’s drink is from Greece and it’s called hbh Carbonated Orangeade.  The only reason I know it’s carbonated orangeade is because the “English” side of the bottle tells me that, but those are the only words in English I can spot.  The label, other than being 98% Greek displays numerous fun images like an MP3 player and a guitar in an orange tint.  Using a Google Translation I check out their website and see that hbh Carbonated Orangeade is sweetened with sugar and also includes 20% orange juice.  I also found out that it can be called IVI Carbonated Orangeade as well.  I’m going to use that from here on out just to help out the search engines.  Thanks website!  Heck they even have a Youtube video on here showing you how it’s made.  Maybe I’ll check that out after this review.  As for now, I have a somewhat less mysterious soda to drink.

I’m not sure how carbonated this is supposed to be, but it has little to none.  I’m going to go ahead and attribute this to the long distance it travelled being shaken all the way.  Hopefully the taste will still be delightful enough for a good review, but I will definitely factor in that it might actually have carbonation if consumed directly from the store.

Ok, so there is the slightest touch of carbonation, which tells me that IVI Carbonated Orangeade usually has more.  As for the taste, I really like it.  The orange juice and orange soda mixture is done perfectly combining the best of both drinks beautifully.  The sweetness of the orange soda leaves your mouth very pleased with what it’s consuming, but the orange juice almost tricks your brain into thinking what you’re consuming is healthy.  As I was trying to figure out how many grams of sugar are in this (39g btw) I found that IVI Carbonated Orangeade is a Pepsi-Co product.  I thought that website looked pretty fancy for it not to be attached to one of the big two.  I’ve tasted carbonated orange juice before when I reviewed Orangina and I must say that IVI Carbonated Orangeade is the better of the two.  Now you’ll probably find Orangina a bit more easily in the states, but if for some reason you travel to a place that has them both, maybe Santa Paula, California Citrus or Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China… you should probably chose the IVI.  While I truly enjoy this beverage I’m going to stop drinking it because I’m not really sure when, or if, it has expired.  If it hasn’t expired then it’s a fantastic beverage that will fulfill any want or need for oranges you might have… minus vitamin C of course.  Now if this bottle of IVI Carbonated Orangeade has indeed expired then I’m not sure my tongue could stand to see what it tasted like “fresh”.  For now though I’m going to grade it on the flavor and mouth feel I just experienced.  Know that this rating is probably lower than it deserves, but until I crack open a brand new bottle it’ll have to work.

~A

Nothing is Greek to Twist.

Taylor's Tonics Candy Cane Shake

March always reminds me of candy canes.  The cool mint on my tongue, the red and white stripes, the way it turns down at one end.  Those are all horrible comparisons to the month of March, but then again this bottle of Taylor’s Tonics Candy Cane Shake was supposed to be consumed in December.  This is the third out of four times that I will reference the fact that I’m drinking a soda at the wrong time of year.  As you might imagine Taylors Tonics Candy Cane Shake has peppermint in the ingredients.  While I’ve had spearmint in a soda before, this might be the first time I’ve consumed liquid peppermint… aside from PeptoBismol which I do indeed like the flavor of.  According to the bottle this soda is a “Minty & Majestic Peppermint Stick Fizz”.  The words “Majestic Peppermint Stick” reminds me of the best peppermint sticks out there…King Leo Peppermint Sticks.  Truly they are amazing and you should purchase them, but we’re talking soda here. 

The scent wafting from the mouth of the bottle is an inviting sweet vanilla mint.  It does remind me of candy canes, so that seems to be on the right track.  Drink on!

Liquid candy cane, well done.  The initial sip tastes fairly minty, but the candy cane goodness doesn’t hit until about a second after.  The weakest point in each sip is the aftertaste, but I have a theory on this.  I’m not sure if my mouth just can’t wrap itself around…wait… that’s going to a terrible place.  Let’s reword shall we?  I’m not sure if my brain can comprehend “liquid candy cane” so the finish causes me to tilt my head like a confused dog.  Taylor’s Tonics Candy Cane Shake is not something you’re going to drink with a meal; this is definitely a stand-alone beverage in my opinion.  Ever eaten a candy cane with your scrambled eggs?  How about with a burrito?  Candy Canes and pickles?  Actually, let me key you in on a very odd, but surprisingly good recipe.

Take a sour pickle, movie theatre size, and cut off the very end of it.  Next take a candy cane and stuff it through the middle of the pickle… much like your hand would go in a puppet.  The curve of the candy cane is now your handle, and the pickle/mint treat on the other is oddly tasty.  Give it a shot, what have you got to lose… except all your friends and family.  Back to the review.

So as you see this soda isn’t for many occasions, but it still delivers on its promise of being liquid candy cane.  I’m still not quite sure why it’s called a “candy cane SHAKE” though.  Does the use of vanilla allow for the word “shake” to be used?  It does cut a little into the mintyness allowing you to consume said beverage with a bit more ease.  No matter!  This beverage is unique enough and tasty enough to warrant you purchasing a bottle.

~A

Twist takes his Candy Cane Shake stirred.

Kutztown Red Cream Soda

Mike used to be the one that reviewed Kutztown beverages.  Sigh, I remember Mike.  Anywho, he’s unavailable for this review so I guess the boy from Texas will have to review this northern delicacy of Kutztown Red Cream Soda.  As I’m sure we’ve mentioned before, Kutztown is indeed a town… in Pennsylvania.  It’s made at the Kutztown Soda Works, which was established in 1851.  The “go ahead and buy this” sentence on the back of the bottle reads as such.

“Sweeten your day with an old-fashioned mug of Kutztown Red Cream Soda!  So velvety smooth, it’s good for any occasion… or for just nutzin’ around!  Drink ‘til it’s all!”

Let’s avoid the obvious jokes that we might think of using “nutzin’ around” and just agree that they were using their name as a verb.  I don’t understand the last part of the paragraph, “Drink ‘til it’s all!”.  Maybe it’s some sort of Pennsylvanian colloquialism.  So if any of you could please explain this to me that’d be great.  Anywho, this is a sugar sweetened soda and I’m tired of not drinking it so we’re going to move on to that portion of the review.

Ah, the sweet smell of red cream soda.  It reminds me of a day my father and I wandered through Leonard’s Grocery Store and he picked up a bottle for the family movie night.  Of course he picked up the generic two liter bottle of red cream soda, but I still had no idea what it might taste like at that stop in my life.  The memory scent I get from this, which is much like a normal cream soda with a little more tang, will hopefully not sway me in a positive direction based on nostalgia alone.

While I wouldn’t call it velvety smooth it still has a nice mouth feel.  Kutztown Red Cream Soda has a very soft carbonation feel, almost like having a tiny kitten snuggle down upon your taste buds.  That description should really go at the end of this review as it’s the final sensation your mouth experiences when your sip of soda is complete.  I guess I should start with the negatives, but it’s a bit too late for that so here’s the point where I get to it eventually.  Initially the taste isn’t what I’d associate with a smooth cream soda, but it’s only slightly off putting and for only a split second of the drink experience.  Another thing is that the cream soda flavor isn’t all that rich, but it still might get the job done for most. 

My mind keeps going back to the words “velvety smooth” and my tongue keeps searching for said texture with no luck.  I think if the vanilla level was raised just a bit they’d have quite the beverage here.  As it stands now they have an above average red cream soda with a unique mouth feel.  Of course this is something they should be proud of, but I bet with just a tweak more it could be outstanding.  I do like the fact that the flavor doesn’t hang onto the walls of my mouth like many creams sodas would do.  While I’m not sure if I just got done “nutzin’ around” (and I’m pretty sure I would know if I had been), the bottle is now empty and I’m satisfied with what I consumed.

~A

It's only so red because he's so green.

Taylor's Tonics Eggnog Fizz

Once again I have a soda in front of me that is Holiday themed, but the holiday season has passed us so this review might seem a little out of place.  Oh well, I’d rather an out of place review than a wasted soda in my fridge.  Today’s review is Taylor’s Tonics Eggnog Fizz.  Even if you like eggnog… as I do, you probably cringe at the idea of an eggnog soda… as I do.  It’s great that it’s all natural and the ingredients include nutmeg, vanilla bean, allspice, and rum flavoring (just to name a few), but eggnog flavored anything is off-putting to me.  Even those eggnog shakes that come around your favorite or least favorite, fast fooderies don’t even come close to tempting me.  Enough stalling, time to drink!  I mean it has been almost 2 months already.

Good news?  It doesn’t really smell like eggnog.  I’d compare the aroma to a very spicy cream soda, which others might compare to eggnog, which puts us back at square one.  I’m not longer afraid of the eggnoggy taste because I don’t believe it’s going to be there.  I feel this will be a lot like Taylor’s Tonics Chai Cola just a bit smoother due to the vanilla.  Time for drinking.

My scent description was almost right on.  While there are the smallest hints of eggnog flavoring, this tastes more like an oddly flavored cream soda to me.  Sorry to say though, I’m not a fan.  Even though it’s an all-natural beverage it tastes like a concoction of chemicals.  The vanilla isn’t strong enough for my liking, but the nutmeg and allspice add a nice flavor.  It would probably help to tell you that I’m not all that big a fan of rum and this does have rum flavors in it and I think that might be where it’s losing me.  The drink contains no alcohol though.  The majority of the taste while consuming gives me negative thoughts.  There are dashes of “yay eggnog soda”, but like lightning those positive memories are removed from my brain.  Sad really, the Cranberry Dream made by the same company was one of the most deliciously unique sodas I’ve ever tried.  Eggnog Fizz tastes like its cousin that no one talks about because you don’t want to create an awkward silence in the room.  Like I said before, maybe a bit more vanilla would help mask the overall flavor of Eggnog Fizz, but I’m not even sure that would help it because of how powerful the taste that disagrees with me is.  Bleh, I’m not even going to finish this.  I can’t even get into a good rhythm to write a well worded review.

~A

Twist invented Eggnog, then un-invented eggnog, then someone came in and made a completely different product.