Death Valley Cola

Without looking for confirmation, I’m pretty sure we haven’t reviewed a cola in a long while.  Let me confirm that… ok so I reviewed Pepsi X less than a week ago, but that’s a cola with fruit in it.  The last pure cola we reviewed was back on March one.  Alright, let me start over.  It’s been a little over a month since a cola has been reviewed on this site.  Today’s selection sounded particularly tasty when I held it in my hand.  Death Valley Cola is what I’ll be consuming and the bottle says that it’s “A Taste of the Old West”.  The label includes a lone tumbleweed and a stagecoach drawn by 4 horses.  This illustration looks to be printed on a piece of parchment completing the “Old West” feel.  Seems pretty manly to me and since I just finished up moving a load of bricks this must be the right choice of beverage.

 The first ingredient is Indian Wells Artesian Spring Water followed by cane sugar.  These two ingredients delight me for a couple of reasons.  First off you need to have a good source of water for the basis of your soda.  Now I have no idea if the above listed source of water is any good, but it sounds good so they’re already in my brain.  Reason two I’m appreciative of those ingredients is that they just have “cane sugar” listed on the bottle.  Not, pure cane sure, untouched by human hands cane sugar, raw cane sugar… just cane sugar.  That’s all I need.  I don’t need the type of sugar fancied up.  If pure cane sugar is somehow different than cane sugar I’m sorry, but I honestly don’t think it is.  Smell time.

A mild cola scent quickly escapes the bottle.  In my opinion the aroma of Death Valley Cola should stay and fight, punching your nose with a fist tattooed with the word “COLA”.  Instead I get a rather weak cola smell.  Taste time.

While I haven’t been punched in the face I am happy to report that the taste is stronger than the scent.  Death Valley Cola has an interesting cola flavor backed up with what seems to be a caramel/root beer hybrid.  The last half of each sip seems to be populated by that hybrid flavor.  This doesn’t hurt the soda in any way; I feel it just softens the potential harshness that Death Valley Cola could wreak on the back of my throat.  Now I personally like a cola that makes me cringe a little with each sip.  Since Coke is the number one soda in the world I’d say that most enjoy the sharp sensation it brings.  Death Valley Cola is soft in comparison as the carbonation shows you the door to the rough sensation, but never opens it. 

Even though I feel that it could be a more complete cola I’m still happy with the overall experience it brings to the table.  It’s a robust beverage that doesn’t taste watery at all and the ingredients used are noticed though out.  There is not a heavy mouth feel to the aftertaste which can be attributed to the pure raw unfiltered cane sugar and the “Artesian Spring Water” keeps the taste clean.  Death Valley Cola is good stuff; it just doesn’t happen to fall into an elite group.

~A

Twist got into a gun fight once... ONCE!

Unfiltered Fresh Ginger: Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost – Pomegranate with Hibiscus

Ok, it has happened.  I am about to review the longest named soda I’ve ever seen.  Keep in mind at this point TheSodaJerks.net is home to nearly 500 reviews and this is by far the most obscenely long name we’ve come across.  Fresh Ginger: Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost – Pomegranate with Hibiscus is what’s in front of me and it will hence forth be called Bruce’s Pomegranate.  The first thing I noticed about Bruce’s Pomegranate is the amount of sediment sitting at the bottom of this bottle.  There are large chunks of something… like terrifyingly large chunks.  Some of them look are small dog treat sized and it’s frightening.  I’m now looking at the ingredients to see what this could be and I’m pleased to see it uses pure cane sugar as a sweetener.  It also seems to include brewed hibiscus with filtered water.  Maybe the large chunks are bits of hibiscus?  After consulting the website I’ve now learned that these large chunks are ginger and upending this bottle a few times should re-mix the formula I’m about to consume.  For the record this didn’t make me feel any better.  Smell time.

A floral yet lemon scent wafts out of the mouth of the bottle.  While the bird sizes pieces of ginger may still frighten me the aroma has calmed some of my nerves and pushes me to take a sip.  It does smell a bit like a cleaning solution, but since Bruce’s Pomegranate uses fresh lemon juice this can be excused.  Taste time.

That’s certainly the very definition of a natural ginger ale.  The burn hits the back of my throat almost immediately and I welcomed it.  What I can only assume is the pomegranate adds a slight twist on the normal ginger flavor with the smallest amounts of fruit sensation.  I’m not sure there are many flavors out there that could go toe to toe with this level of ginger and come out the victor.  I honestly have no idea what to look for in the way of hibiscus flavoring, but I can tell you the pomegranate is not alone.  There is a tiny friend of pom that rushes past on occasion adding a bitter aftertaste to every few sips. 

The carbonation levels are lower than you might think while still being noticeable to the overall experience.  Meanwhile the back of my throat has caught fire and here is where I realize that I’ve grown as a soda drinker.  When I started this site a natural ginger ale would scare me off with the level of pain it could cause to my mouth.  Now I appreciate a good burn although I would compare Bruce’s Pomegranate to more of a ginger beer due to the flame being set so high.  With the last few sips disappearing into my stomach what I think is the hibiscus flavor is making a push towards the front.

 I’ve started consuming most of the sediment and honestly I didn’t even notice I was doing it.  With a final gulp this ginger ale is finished.  While an all-natural ginger ale at heart the pomegranate/hibiscus combination added a little something to the drink overall.  Heck, even the lemon juice was present at times.  It may be a bit too harsh on the throat for some, but if you’re a fan of ginger ale at all then I recommend you pick this up. 

~A

Whenever we go out. The people always shout.  There goes Unfiltered Fresh Ginger: Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost- Pomegranate with Hibiscus... Dah dah dah dah, dah dah dah!

Sidral Mundet Manzana Verde

We love apple soda.  Apple soda is something we love.  With that said when we first proclaimed our love for apple soda it was suggested that we try Sidral Mundet because we’d love it.  We tried it and we did not love it.  In fact we told folks to steer clear of it.  “You should have had it in the glass bottle!” they said in reply.  While not reviewed on this site, Mike did try it in a glass bottle and formulated the same opinion.  Today is round three and it was given to us by Abel A.  Sidral Mundet Manzana Verde (Green Apple) is what sits in front of me, in a glass bottle nonetheless.  Of all the apple flavored sodas green is my favorite, no… my favourite.  That’s right I love it so much that I have to use the British spelling to convey said love.  The soda itself is a delightful mint green and is very appealing to the eye.  Being a product of Mexico it is of course sweetened with sugar and will more than likely require a bottle opener.  Smell time.

It did require said opener and upon removing the cap a blast of green apple aroma shot out of the bottle.  My faith is building that I may perhaps enjoy this beverage called Manzana Verde… by Sidral Mundet.  Taste time.

This is so much better than regular Sidral Mundet.  The apple flavor is stronger and not watered down.  I can decipher that it’s a green apple soda and not just an apple soda that’s green.  The carbonation is very light and hardly noticeable unless I swish it a bit.  Only after doing so do I notice a hint of bubble brushing against my cheeks.  The mouth feel throughout it was pleasant until I reached the end of my journey and found it to be a bit syrupy.  Even with this somewhat syrupy finale I would still recommend Sidral Mundet Manzana Verde as a drink to grab if you’re in need of some serious refreshment.  Overall I’m very pleased with this beverage and will ultimately recommend you purchase multiples.  Its strong points are color, taste, and carbonation with its only weak point being mouth feel.  Manzana Verde is a very nice entry into the genre of green apple sodas.  If I see it in a convenience store I’m sure I’ll pick one up for the journey ahead and suggest you should too.  Oooh, maybe with some Zesty Salsa Tortilla Combos!

~A

They're having a "green off".  Twist will win.

Pepsi X

Ok, I know I’m late on this one, but according to the date on the can it’s still fine to open and consume this Pepsi X.  If you watched X Factor at all this is the Pepsi flavor that was attached to it and may still be; I have no idea if that is still a thing that exists.  I’m not even going to make X Factor jokes as I honestly couldn’t care less about their tie in.  I am glad Pepsi made a new flavor, the name is dumb (tie in or not), but I always appreciate a new flavor no matter the reason.  Speaking of that new flavor, Pepsi X is dragon fruit flavored cola.  Dragon fruit flavored cola sounds like a horrible idea to me as I can’t think of many fruits that would mix well with a cola flavor outside of cherry and possibly lemon/lime if you’re just into that sort of thing.  Well… maybe apple would to, but that’s about it.  Needless to say my expectations are low for this limited edition soda that all the other soda review sites were talking about 5 months ago.  Let’s give it the old smell test.

It mostly smells like Pepsi, mostly.  One note before I continue describing the aroma of Pepsi X.  My dog is eating his food behind me and it sounds like he’s enjoying the ever loving love out of it.  The noises he’s creating “wolfing” (ha!) down his food is almost making me jealous of his dog food.  Perhaps this jealousy of dog food will help sway Pepsi X’s flavor in my favor.  Back to the review.  It mostly smells like Pepsi, mostly.  There is a secondary player at work here, the dragon fruit of course and I’m surprised to see that it’s represented well enough to appear in the smell test.  I still don’t think it will mix well with the taste of cola, but at least the Pepsi people didn’t just slip in a drop of dragon fruit and call it a day.  Taste time.

That is a peculiar Pepsi flavor.  The very beginning and end of the taste I just experienced is most certainly cola, but the middle is a sweet hodgepodge of flower and spice.  Not being familiar with the actual flavor of dragon fruit I can’t honestly say if it tastes like one or not although I will say that the flavor I was greeted with doesn’t seem like one nature would make on her own.  A second and third sip reveals more and more levels of spice that my first sip didn’t.  It seems as if there’s some cinnamon or nutmeg flavoring throughout, but before I’m able to greet each of them properly a hardy smack to the face is delivered by artificial sweeteners.  The cola aftertaste I first experienced has dwindled down to what seems like a chemical cola bath of tastes.  I was incorrect in thinking that dragon fruit and cola couldn’t mix, they do mix quite well.  I’m just saying that Pepsi X is not the pinnacle of dragon fruit/cola friendship.  Hopefully someone will or maybe already has created a higher end dragon fruit/cola mix.  I’m sure things taste a bit better when their made to taste pleasant instead of promoting a television show.  Dang it… I brought up the tie in again.

~A

Twist was on Star Search, he was one of the many runners up to Sam Harris

Sync

The fine folks in charge of the energy drink Sync were kind enough to send me some samples of their product.  The letter that came with it wanted me to tell you how it affected me in terms of energy and a few other items like that.  Our primary goal is to make sure you’re trying tasty sodas; we have little interest in if they “do their job”.  I’m not sure who I was quoting then, it just kind of happened.  So while Sync may turn me into a god among men, if it doesn’t taste great then it won’t be rated as such.

Sync refers to itself (on the label that is) as “Harmony in a Can”.  That’s a pretty bold claim, but it doesn’t stop there.  At the top of the can I see that by drinking it I will “Enlighten Your Tate Buds”.   Alright so now I’ve been told two things it will do for me.  At the bottom of the can I’m left with one more sentence, “Vitalizes the body and mind”.  This one is my favorite of the three because they could have used revitalizes, but didn’t.  You so rarely see anyone use the term “vitalize” and I was happy to see it here.  Good for you Sync… let’s check out the ingredients label.  Oh… wait…one more sentence.  “Sync Energy Drink is the ultimate drink that vitalizes both the mind and body.”  The use of “vitalize” impresses me less upon a second viewing.  I really hope down the line when Sync is a bit more established their next batch of labels has half the sentences on it hyping their beverage. 

Ingredients wise Sync has some B6, B12, Pantothenic Acid, and 27 grams of sugar which is in the form of HFCS.  The odd one to me is how much sodium is in this can.  200mg of sodium or 8% of your daily value seems like a lot.  Let’s see how much Coke has in it for a baseline.  Coke has 35mg of sodium and a Reed’s Ginger Brew has 5mg.  I’m being unfair… let’s see how much sodium a Red Bull has in it.  200mg, ok I learned something today.  It’s normal for energy drinks to have more sodium than your typical soda.  Look at you Sync, teaching me stuff.  Perhaps I’ll be blown away by the taste, but first you know what we must do.  Smell time.

It smells of grapefruit with a dash of bubble gum.  SON OF A… I found another sentence!  “Sync Improves performance and boosts the body’s energy during times of stress and strain.  Sync increases endurance, concentration, improves reaction time and stimulates metabolism.”  As I was saying, Sync’s scent is primarily citrus, but there is a sugary something lurking in the background.  Taste time.

I will say that it has an unusual taste that is primarily citrus like the scent told me it would be.  The carbonation level is strong, but mostly composed of tiny bubbles that rush over my teeth and gums.  There is a slight bubble gum flavor as seems common with most energy drinks that appears with each sip and eventually dissipates into the “citrus” flavor.  Oddly enough this beverage feels kind of heavy in my mouth.  I’m not sure if it’s the HFCS or the chemicals, but a “curtain” of “citrus” sits on my teeth, tongue, and hangs from the roof of my mouth.  I’m not really fond of the mouth-feel I’m getting from Sync. 

Since the label art includes a leaf I would have been much more impressed if this were an all-natural energy drink.  As far as I can see it’s fairly standard in regards to ingredients and flavor.  That’s not to say that it tastes badly, in fact I’d probably pick up a Sync before I would a Red Bull.  The taste is just different enough that I prefer it to the leading brand.  So they have that going for them.  In the world of soda though there are several better tastes out there.  With that said I did finish my can and YES I do feel more energized… there it did it’s “job”.  If you’re given the chance to choose between Sync and another energy drink I suggest giving it a try.  If you want a delicious soda well then click here instead.

~A

This Beverage Supplied to us by BidEuphoria

Twist drank all the samples even the one in the kitchen.  He drank it all even the kitchen SYNC!  HAR HAR HAR.  sorry.

Cool Mountain Peach

Peach soda is usually a pleasant experience for me, but there’s just something about this bottle of Cool Mountain Peach that seems really, really generic.  The liquid inside is the appropriate color (if not a little on the pink side) and the label works with this scheme as well.  Keeping in line with the Real Soda bottling ways there is a message on the bottle that says “Chief Long Neck” which I can only assume is the “Native American name” of this particular bottle of Cool Mountain Peach.  Made with pure cane sugar, filtered water, and a host of nonsense this soda is very much a grab bag in terms of if I’ll like it or not.  Smell time.

While the scent does resemble that of a peach, when I placed it to the nose of our cat she backed away in an unsure manner.  Perhaps she could also smell the potentially over-sweetened aroma even my mere human nose discerned.  Taste time.

Like the old saying goes, “Trust the cat’s nose to know what’s best”.  Ok, so that’s not really a saying, but it still rings true in the scenario that just played out before me.  Cool Mountain Peach, a terrific name for a classic country song or an indie band, tastes of overly sweetened peach tasting chemicals.  Peach is already a dangerously sweet flavor so you must be careful when adding any additional sugars.  In this case it seems they went a few hairs in the wrong direction and created a beverage that would be better if the peach flavor held more of the stage.  Man, I use that “play” analogy a lot, but it works in so many aspects.

The carbonation level is fine, but it doesn’t really add anything extra to the beverage other than the typical fizz one might expect.  Overall Cool Mountain Peach is an average soda with way too sweet a taste for what could have been done.  I understand that sodas are typically sweet, but in this case it feels like they missed out on some potentially great flavors by making it so.

~A

Cool Mountain Peach... more like Cool Mountain BLEACH!  That statement isn't true at all, it was just fun to type.

Sprecher Red Apple

I don’t know if there has been a bottle of Sprecher’s soda that I wasn’t excited to see.  Imagine my mind exploding as I found a bottle of Seasonal Sprecher Red Apple Soda for my taste buds to enjoy.  Sprecher makes some of the most flavorful sodas around and should be given a chance by all.  This particular flavor is sweetened with Glucose Syrup.  Is it made with corn?  We’ll never know, but we also can’t rule out a variety of other starches as well.  The crow on the label seems to be tempting me with two and three quarter’s worth of apples.  Where did that final quarter go?  Perhaps it disappeared in the making of this soda as it does have actual apple juice in the ingredients.  Smell time.

Well the smell test is back.  It’s good news, Sir.  You’ve tested positive for apple.  Sprecher Red Apple has the aroma of… get this… apple.  There’s a hint of “not apple” waving off in the distance, but it might as well not be there.  It’s the dust on the camera lens that most people look past.  Taste time.

The initial taste of Sprecher Red apple is bursting with red apple flavor.  There is also the noticeable sweetness of honey greeting every aspect of my mouth.  The carbonation is fun and almost could be described as fluffy.  Large foamy bubbles roll over my back teeth inviting them all to partake in the amazing party that’s about to be had.  Then you have to ment…

Nothing.  The drink ends prematurely.  All of the fun that you and your mouth were having ends abruptly.  It’s like someone broke into your house and stole your TV.  You can still see on the wall where the TV clearly was, but it’s not there anymore.  Where is the finish to this drink?  I want more of this beverage!  That’s why there’s three quarters of an apple on the label, because it’s three quarters of a soda.  So much is going right with the flavor, sweetness, fizz combination only to have it stop.  Now the positive side to this is that I wouldn’t be complaining if it were a bad beverage; I’d be thanking my lucky stars.  Sadly(?) this is a delicious apple filled treat and it’s ripped away from you all too soon.  You could have had a perfect score Sprecher Red Apple, but instead you’re just merely excellent.

~A

Twist told me a joke the other day.  Did you hear about the blueberry?  It was too....

Capt'n Eli's Strawberry Pop

Well friends it’s time once again for the adventures of Capt’n Eli and his faithful parrot Murphy.  This time those two scallywags are delivering an overabundance of strawberries from the neighboring town that’s apparently separated by a large body of water.  The neighboring town seems to have all the prime real estate when it comes to producing blueberries, strawberries, and root beer.  I’m also not really sure why they don’t give Eli and Murphy some lids for those barrels as you’d think they’d be easier to transport and there’d be less chance for spillage.  What are they going to make with those strawberries?  Well, Capt’n Eli’s Strawberry Pop of course.  This beverage should taste extra strawberry-y as it has both natural and artificial strawberry flavors.  Sweetened with cane sugar it’s sure to be a treat like the other Capt’n Eli beverages I’ve reviewed.

A rich, fulfilling strawberry aroma eases its way out of the bottle.  The scent is heavy and only tinges on artificial occasionally.  While the smell isn’t exactly drawing any maps for me I do hope that this strawberry pop doesn’t falter where so many others do by being too sweet.

Interesting first take.  I was reminded of pink cotton candy upon my first sip, but it wasn’t so sweet that my taste buds balked at it.  The strawberry flavor is there hidden behind a candy exterior.  Honestly this is a bit of a disappointment as I was looking to have a well done strawberry soda and I was greeted with sweetened, fizzy, liquid strawberry cotton candy.  I will still stick to my assessment that it isn’t overly sweet so that’s a plus.  There’s just too much artificial surrounding it.  It keeps the strawberry off the stage and places it to the side pulling the curtain.  Sure you see him every now and again, but honestly it seems like a mistake when he shows up. 

Capt’n Eli’s Strawberry Pop is one of those odd instances where the soda would be tastier if you didn’t know what flavor it was trying to be.  Since I know what the goal they wanted to achieve is (based on the label of a boy hauling fresh strawberries across a body of water) I’m left more disappointed than I would be if someone had just walked up to me and said “Hey try this fruity soda.”  On the positive side though the carbonation is really enjoyable and has kept me going back for more just to experience the sharp, almost pop-rockish, mouth-feel.  Another positive note is that Capt’ Eli’s Strawberry Pop doesn’t really linger in my mouth.   Yes, I can taste strawberry a good while after each gulp, but it’s not the syrupy curtain I reference so often.  Overall it’s a tasty soda with poor execution of what seems to be its intended plan.

~A

Twist was first mate for a number of ships in the Queen's Navy

Avery's Half Grapefruit Half Lemon

While I was perusing my local Ace Hardware’s oddly extensive soda selection I happened upon the oldest looking label I’d seen to date.  The label on Avery’s Half Grapefruit Half Lemon Soda looks like something you would find back in the fledgling stages of glass bottled sodas.  It’s completely text based with the exception of a coin printed right in the middle with what looks to be wheat on it.  According to this bottle coin the Avery’s brand was established in 1904… seems about right.  Even the flavor lives up to being from a simpler time of sodas.  “What kind of soda is this?” you might ask as you look at the bottle.  The cap clearly states that this soda is Half Grapefruit Half Lemon.  There’s you’re two flavors and their respective percentages.  Done.  What’s a little scary is there isn’t an ingredient list anywhere on the bottle, just a blurb that tells me they use cane sugar and the finest quality ingredients.  Perhaps the legal ingredient list was on the original pack of Avery’s and since I only purchased a bottle I’m not privy to such information.  Judging by the two flavors listed on the cap I’m going to go ahead and assume that this will be a rather tart beverage; guess the only thing left to do is try it.

Yes, Avery’s Half Grapefruit Half Lemon Soda does smell a bit like a household cleaner, but I honestly wouldn’t be much of a soda reviewer if I expected much differently.  It’s a very strong citrus wind that blows from the mouth of the bottle.  I truly hope this makes my mouth regret drinking it with at least a split second of sour.

Avery’s HGHL Soda does have more than your average bite to it in the flavor department.  The grapefruit and lemon (as described on the cap) are both given equal opportunity to shine.  When you think the grapefruit flavor is ending the lemon comes in and performs and just when you think the lemon is done back comes the grapefruit.  They really do work rather harmoniously together.  The carbonation is lower than other sodas so it really shows me that all of the tart I’m experiencing is coming from the flavor and not an illusion created by harsh bubbles.  After each sip my mouth is awash with citrus flavor and I think if this were a traditional fruit soda (cherry, grape, orange) that it would be off putting.  The subtle flavors of grapefruit and lemon however don’t really build upon themselves that much so the lasting after taste I receive is almost identical to the initial swig.  As great of a soda as this is there isn’t anything that takes it to the next level for me so I’m having trouble rating it.  I would like multiples of this on hand at any given time, but something tells me a pallet would be too much.  If you’re a grapefruit/lemon fan though don’t listen to me, just go right out there and buy this soda.  You won’t regret it.

~A

Twist is an eighth grapefruit

C&C Cola

I finish off my run with C&C by reviewing their flagship soda, C&C Cola.  Will it taste like Coke, Pepsi, RC Cola, or will it be a different animal all together?  The red label makes me think they want to draw comparisons to Coke, but honestly there’s only one way to find out.  My cat keeps knocking the pens off my desk and it’s getting a bit distracting so bear with me as I take a plunge into the world of cola.

The hiss of the bottle opening distracts my cat long enough to forget the pen she was currently pawing to its death.  A familiar scent, much like RC Cola, reaches my nostrils just as she gets her attention back long enough to finish off the foolish writing implement that thought it could thwart her.  Coke red label with an RC scent?  I’m intrigued and the cat has ventured off into another part of the house never to be seen again… for a few hours.

C&C Cola is a good strong cola that gives the inside of my cheeks a bit of burn with my first swig.  It has the mouth feel of Coke with the taste of RC, a wise combination in my opinion.  The cola flavor is powerful, but not overly so as I’m not going into any coughing fits each time I take a sip.  Carbonation levels are good, keeping my mind from even associating this beverage with the word flat.  Is C&C Cola a game changer by any means?  No, it’s not, but I can tell some care was put into this soda as it’s one of their better entries into the non-alcoholic carbonated flavored beverage field.  I honestly don’t feel like I need to write much more about it.  It’s a simple cola that gets the job done as well as (or better than in some cases, I’m looking at you Pepsi) any mainstream brand I’ve come across.

 So that ends my 24 soda run with C&C, and I must thank them for their generosity.  I’m happy I reviewed C&C Cola last as it left me with a good taste in my mouth.  Was that pun intended or just a fluke?  You’ll never know.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist says it was intended.  He's right, it was.

C&C Cotton Candy

Ok, I’m going to try and make this review short as I’m not sure how much time I have to write it.  Today’s soda is C&C Cotton Candy which I think would better be named C&C’s C.C.  The label looks like an Easter street fight as baby blue and pink battle for who is the most dominate.  I will say that I’m happy C&C used only the true cotton candy colors.  I’m not sure when purple got into the mix and tried to pass itself off as a legit flavor of sugar air, but c’mon we all know he’s a phony.  It seems blue won the Easter street fight and in doing so is the actual color of the soda as well.  Of all the things I don’t know about this soda I do know that it will be sweet.  If you’re soda based on air sugar isn’t sweet then it might be time to go back to clown college.  So gather up 27 of your closest friends and join me as I venture into the world of C&C Cotton Candy soda.

Kudos to having the scent of the soda match cotton candy right on the money… minus a few scents/cents.  There is a touch of the aroma that doesn’t quite add up, but it’s easily forgivable since cotton candy has like two ingredients and this has several more.

This is sweet like cotton candy and tastes like cotton candy.  I’d call this mission accomplished for the folks at C&C.  Now I’m not a huge fan of cotton candy (a word I’m getting tired of typing) because of how sweet it is.  If you’re like me then cotton candy seems like a great idea at the time, but somewhere between you engulfing the first half and just letting it dissolve against your tongue you begin to tire of the sweetness.  C&C Cotton Candy is thankfully not as sweet as its carnival counterpart.  With each sip my mouth is awash with cotton candy (blue) taste.  As that gulp finds its way down my gullet I’m left with a pleasant aftertaste of… cotton candy.  C&C has done a really good job with this soda and I’m pleased to say it doesn’t stop with the flavor. 

The carbonation level of C&C Cotton Candy is right where I would expect a cotton candy soda to be.  It doesn’t need to be overpowering because then the harshness of the bubbles would take away some of the dessert like feel.  If the fizz level was too low then it would feel like you were drinking cotton candy syrup and that doesn’t sound pleasant at all.  No, the folks at C&C got the carbonation levels right on the money. 

Right now you might be saying “You haven’t said anything negative about this soda.  Perfect score, right?”  Sorry no.  While it’s a tasty soda it’s just not mind blowing to me.  It does taste exactly like cotton candy and that’s fun for a while, but I just don’t see myself drinking multiples of it.  Let it be known that I do like this soda more than actual cotton candy, but that flavor just doesn’t make me say “wow, you gotta taste this!”  With all that said I will place C&C Cotton Candy in the upper half of our grading scale.  See, aren’t you happy we don’t have a cop-out middle ranking that tells you nothing.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist used to date the tattooed lady.  On her back was the battle of Waterloo, beside it the wreck of Hesperus too.

Leninade

When I opened my fridge today I just couldn’t resist grabbing the bottle of Leninade that’s been staring at me for the past month or so.  I’ve wanted to try Leninade for the past two or three years so when I found it in my local ACE Hardware I immediately placed into my basket.  Leninade is of course a reddish beverage who’s bottle sports such slogans as “Join the Party!”, “Get Hammered & Sickled!” and the slightly more obscure “A Taste Worth Standing in Line For!”.  The back has a few words written in Russian as well as another amusing statement, “Our 5-Year Plan:  Drink a bottle a day for five years and become a Hero of Socialist Flavor.”  So Leninade is already winning the war in style points.  They’ve themed this bottle to an impressive point and I’ve taken notice.  It’s one of the reasons I’ve wanted to try this beverage for so long.  Looking at the ingredients I see that Cane Sugar is the sweetener of choice for Leninade.  Good for them.  I can only assume that with a name like Leninade I’m about to consume a soda that tastes somewhat like lemonade.  It rhymes, so why would it taste like anything else.  That’s solid logic… right?  Ok, so I need to hush up and drink now.  See you on the other side of the smell paragraph.

Ok, before I start this I noticed something stamped on my bottle.  Not something printed on the official label, but stamped… like the expiration date kind of stamped.  It’s a sentence that reads “Imagine All the Soda”.  That’s it and it makes me really happy for some reason because I am imagining “All the Soda”.  Anywho… the aroma that is assaulting my nose is that of a very caustic sour lemon.  So apparently my rhyming logic may end up proving true.  I have no doubts that this beverage will declare war on my throat because it’s made by Real Soda, a brand that has burnt my mouth on more than one occasion. 

Well this isn’t as caustic or amazing as I thought it would be.  It certainly is lemonade based like I predicted, but to be more specific it’s “pink” lemonade.  The communist jokes just keep on coming for the folks at Real Soda.  The amount of tart has been increased just a bit from your common pink lemonade and of course it’s carbonated.  Lemonade with carbonation is normally a win/win situation.  You get the tastiness of lemonade with the fun fizziness of carbonation.  Like I said, win/win.  Leninade does indeed have the fun combo, but nothing else really stands out about this product.  With all the theming they put into the bottle I really hoped that the soda inside would be more than average.  If you want a fizzy, somewhat-sour pink lemonade with an average aftertaste then look no further because mediocrity is staring you in the face.  Now, if you’re a collector of amusing bottles or fake U.S.S.R. memorabilia then Leninade was made for you and should be used at your birthday/wedding/funeral.  Your decision, Comrade.

~A

Twist served in the Soviet Army back in the late 1800's... something about impressing a woman.

Boylan Shirley Temple

The fine folks at Boylan wrote me the other day and asked if they could send a four pack of their new Spring Seasonal - Shirley Temple over for review.  Having enjoyed Boylan’s before, I of course lept at the opportunity and now here I sit with Boylan Shirley Temple in front of me.  If you’re not familiar with what a Shirley Temple is besides the cutest little star this side of 1934, I’ll tell you.  A Shirley Temple is a non-alcoholic beverage made with ginger-ale, a splash of grenadine, and a couple of maraschino cherries.  That is the classic recipe at least.  Nowadays the ginger ale is usually substituted with a lemon/lime soda for a reason unknown to me.  Well bottlers at Boylan decided it’d be a great idea to bottle this flavor and once again here I sit ready to drink this cane sugar sweetened concoction.  The color of the liquid is a beautiful shade of rose.  The classic Boylan label adorns the bottle with a spring time color theme that seems very appropriate for the drink at hand.  Enough waiting, more drinking.

I wish I had a flower garden that smelled of Boylan Shirley Temple.  A brisk cherry scent floated about until kissing my nose with delight.  There’s also a hint of Twizzler which brings me back to reality and says that I should stay cautious.

So very fizzy.  The quick burst of cherry is almost immediately consumed by a flurry of tiny bubbles.  When the chaos ends I’m happy to see that the cherry flavor has survived and is sitting happily upon my tongue awaiting my review.  While the flavor does indeed linger after each sip it only overstays its welcome for a few moments.  You see, the mouth-feel of Boylan Shirley Temple is very effervescent at first and only begins to weigh down near the conclusion of my sip.  Unfortunately this involves the cherry taste building upon itself with subsequent sips which weakens the overall taste of the beverage.  I’m not struggling to drink it by any means, but the first impression I got does not match my last.  Thankfully the built up flavor never reaches a level of disgust, just unpleasantness.  It’s difficult for fruit based sodas to avoid building upon themselves and I can only think of a few where it actually improves the taste of the beverage.  I do wish the cherry flavoring tasted a bit more natural, but the flavor of maraschino cherries isn’t exactly found in nature.  All in all Boylan Shirley Temple is a delightful beverage.  While improvements could be made I don’t think I’d mind a pack being in my fridge right now.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by Boylan

Twist was on his way out the door for a meeting

MTN Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch

Alright, so yesterday I reviewed Kickstart Orange Citrus from Mountain Dew.  If you haven’t read the review please do so that you might be caught up on all that is involved with this pair of reviews.  Today’s flavor of Mountain Dew Kickstart is Fruit Punch.  Now initially I had higher hopes for the Orange Citrus, but was let down somewhat when the second half of the flavor fell flat for me.  Here’s hoping Fruit Punch ends up being a better way for my mouth to wake up in the morning.  Onward!

The scent that comes from Mountain Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch isn’t nearly as powerful as the Citrus Orange.  I really have to put my nose to the can to get a discernible fruit punch smell.  It has a light fruity aroma, but nothing that really gives me any insight as to what this might taste like.

Immediately this can of Kickstart shows me that it means business.  Where the Citrus Orange tickled my mouth with bubbles for the first half of the sip; the Fruit Punch waits for me to swallow then goes at the back of my throat with a sharp knife.  It’s definitely an experience that would wake you up.  As for the flavor I’m not all that impressed.  If you have ever been an infant or have infants of your own you’ve probably tasted Pedialyte.  Mountain Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch is Pedialyte soda and you can imagine that doesn’t fare well for me.  The taste feels incomplete as a good fruit punch flavor becomes bogged down with the other nonsense in the can.  Pretend you have a friend who’s a good person, but their significant other just turns them into a miserable mess.  When you look at them you can tell they’re trying to still be good at heart.  They force smiles and laughs all the while dying inside.  Kickstart Fruit Punch is that good friend of yours.  If only they would separate from that awful person then you might enjoy there company again. 

My mouth is coated in a medicinal syrup that just won’t let go of the inside of my cheeks.  I want to like this I really do, but it’s just not happening.  Each sip just keeps taking me on the same experience.  It’s like going through the tunnel of love with someone that likes you, but the feeling’s not mutual.  The first time is awkward.  The tenth is a nightmare as it just keeps building upon itself eventually becoming no fun for even the initially happy person in the boat.  On that note, were tunnels of love ever an actual thing or did they just appear in cartoons as a comic device?  Sorry, I just don’t want to drink anymore.  The only thing saving this beverage from our lowest score is the potential the fruit punch shows before it’s dragged back down by the other faults of the beverage.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by PepsiCo

Twist is a Pedialyte fiend.

MTN Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus

I’ve received a lot of merchandise over the years reviewing sodas.  Most of it consists of the sodas themselves freely given to me so that I might review them.  Sometimes I’m given hats, stickers, shirts, or the occasional coaster.  My mind exploded yesterday when I got a promotional package from Mountain Dew for their new Kickstart line of beverages.  Before I continue let me explain what Kickstart is. 

Kickstart is basically the Mountain Dew you’re supposed to drink in the morning and you can do so with either Orange Citrus or Fruit Punch.  To quote the promotional material I received it “combines the great taste of DEW with real fruit juice and just the right amount of kick to start your day.”  So instead of grabbing for that cup of coffee or that tiny bottle of mediocre tasting energy drink, they folks at Mountain Dew want you to grab a can of Kickstart instead.  Ok, so I’m not big on drinking sodas when I wake up, but I can’t argue that there isn’t a market for it.  People drink all kinds of wake me up juice in the morning.  Who am I to judge?  Let me back up to what this promotional box of Kickstart held for me.

Twist was also impressed with the build quality of the box

The first thing that caught my eye was the iPod Shuffle, then the Spy+ glasses, then the Beats by Dre headphones.  I tell you what was in the box so you know that I got swag attached to my soda.  I feel it’s only fair to be truthful about these kinds of things and also believe that you should know I’ve given some of it away.  Personally I don’t believe I can be swayed by material goods and I’m not saying that Mountain Dew was trying to sway me into giving a false review because I honestly believe they aren’t.  The only time I would feel odd reviewing a soda is if I worked for the company that made It and in that case probably wouldn’t review it.  With that said, I still felt it necessary to disclose everything attached to said swag box so you would know all of the variables before I drank this.  Oh, the note attached reads “We’ve included everything you need right here to get your day started right.  So crack open the can, throw on your Spys and turn up your Beats.  Get up, get out and let Kickstart by Mountain DEW KICKSTART YOUR DAY!” Review begins now.

Mountain Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus comes large in a 16 oz. can.  It’s made with 5% juice, has 100% value of the Vitamin C you need in a day, 80% B6 and a few other things as well.  There are only 20 grams of sugar in this which honestly surprises me so I’m guessing the Kickstart must come from the C, B, and Caffeine included in the beverage.  With a little research I find that this finds itself somewhere in the middle of the scale when it comes to comparing how much caffeine it has with other Mountain Dew types.  I’m not sure I need to say it’s sweetened with HFCS, but there you have that as well.  The bright orange can paired with the fact that concentrated orange juice is in the ingredients is making me wonder if this will taste anything like Orangina.  I guess there’s only one way to find out.

What smells like a delightfully light orange soda rushes out of the mouth of the can.  The more it wafts into my nostrils the more I get the scent of actual orange juice.  By aroma alone this is shaping up to be a delightful beverage.

Alright, that’s not half bad.  I was honestly expecting this to be a somewhat awkward missmash of orange and dew.  If I’d thought about it for longer than a second I would realize that the citrus of Dew would obviously pair well with another citrus flavor.  The mouth feel I initially experience is rather pleasant as it completely encompasses my mouth in tiny fizzy bubbles.  A decent orange soda flavor is also present for the first half of each sip, but that’s where the happy times end.  First act of Mountain Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus is like going to a local theatre group.  The actors are all doing pretty well and you’re enjoying the play just fine.  Sure the scenery might not be ultra-realistic, but you’re having a good time.  The second act is comparable to a junior high play.  Lines are flubbed, snickers are heard when the word “damn” is said, and the popular kid keeps looking out in the audience at his girlfriend.  You never get fully lost in the play.  What that means in review speak is that it seems like the chemicals and vitamins catch up to the flavor of the drink during the second half of each sip.  My mouth is left with a little bit of a syrupy feel after I’ve taken a gulp and the residue flavor isn’t all that wonderful.  The orange begins to taste like 3 year old Halloween candy and all of the fun I experienced in the first half goes by the wayside.  When all is said and done I’m left with an odd tasting orange soda. 

Will this help me start my day awake?  Of course it will; it has more caffeine than Mountain Dew.  I’d have to be a corpse for this not to wake me up somewhat.  Would I grab this before a coffee?  Yes, but I hate coffee.  Does it taste better than 5 Hour Energy?  Well I haven’t had all of the flavors, but yes it does taste better than 5 Hour Energy.  With all that said this site is about reviewing the taste of a beverage and ultimately this goes up against every orange soda I’ve tried and it stacks up as average.  So if you want to give breakfast Mountain Dew a chance to wake you up in the morning you probably won’t be disappointed and you should check out this website.  If you want to enjoy a delicious orange soda, look elsewhere.

A

This beverage supplied to us by PepsiCo

Featuring Twist by Dre

C&C Pineapple

With the completion of this review my count of remaining C&C brand sodas reaches two!  I’m not excited to be done with C&C because they’re awful or anything, they taste just fine thank you.  My excitement stems from getting back into a variety of soda types and flavors.  Believe my I’m gracious for the 24 sodas sent my way thanks to C&C, but our time together is ending and that’s ok too.  What am I reviewing?  While I’m happy you asked that with this paragraph soon coming to an end.  Today’s bottle of sugary bubble water is C&C Pineapple.  Unfortunately, pineapple soda all tastes rather average to me as I’ve yet to be completely blown away by one.  Who knows, maybe today will be the review that changes all that. 

A healthy, but somewhat chemically enhance odor bursts from the bottle’s mouth.  While it’s not  an exact replica of pineapple juice the aroma was close enough for me to not give up hope on this being a delicious rendition of pineapple soda.  Now it’s time to find out if my day will end in disappointment ore exuberance. 

Well I’m not disappointed nor am I exuberated.  Fun fact, I typed exuberated expecting it to be a word I just made up… imagine my surprise when I did not find the squiggly red line of misspell parked underneath it.  Speaking of surprise, the only aspect of C&C Pineapple soda that garners such a reaction is how mediciney (there’s my red squiggle friend) it tastes.  Yes, there’s no mistaking that the flavor of pineapple is every present, but it is become less enjoyable with each sip.  With my first sip I was greeted with a fairly nice pineapple soda.  For every following sip the medicine pineapple taste begins to build on itself creating a somewhat unpleasant tasting curtain of syrup in my mouth.  The carbonation level could be higher as I feel a sharper bite might help mask this doctor prescribed flavor.  It’s odd that I gave points to the amoxicillin flavored C&C Topical Fruit Punch, yet I take away from C&C Pineapple because it tastes like a medicine I have no fond memories of.  Ah well, thems the breaks.  C&C Pineapple isn’t a great soda, heck I wouldn’t even call it good, but I’ve consumed worse things.  With that said though, I just can’t recommend you buy it.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist suggested a cottage cheese soda to accompany.  I politely refused.

C&C Grape

Alright C&C, you’ve entered my wheelhouse.  If there’s something I love it’s a good generic grape soda and judging by your label art this one has the potential of being super generic.  Simply called C&C Grape, the bottle stands in front of me shaking out of fear… or because my desk is easily shaken by the slightest percussion of my fingers.  With delicious generic grape to be had I will wait no more to taste the HFCS sweetened nectar that waits.

Oooh, the delicate aroma of grape drink hits my nostrils in a chemical blast.  I can only assume that this is what the “purple stuff” in the back of the fridge seen in those old Sunny D commercials smelled like.  If the taste of C&C Grape is as good as its odor then I’m in for a real treat.  There’s only one way to find out.  Well I guess I could ask someone, but where’s the fun in that?

Interesting, this has more of a natural grape taste than I was assuming it would.  Here I figured this would taste completely fake yet the first thing my tongue told my brain it tasted was grape juice.  With that grape juice taste comes just enough carbonation to remind me that I’m drinking a soda.  There is a touch of burn that tickles my throat with each sip.  I would like that burn to be stronger to remind me that I’m alive.  Besides being reminded of my mortality I would also like the burn to be more noticeable because it would give this beverage a bit more depth.  What I’m left with is a grape juice-esque tasting soda that is slightly sweeter than the juice it resembles.  Now I may be showing my disappointment that I didn’t get a super fake chemical tasting soda, but I think I’m justified in that opinion.  If I wanted grape juice I’d drink some grape juice and be done with it.  The fact that it tastes more “natural” than your typical grape soda was a pleasant surprise, although not enough for me to give it point for doing so.  Overall C&C Grape soda may be a decent alternative for those who dislike the taste of purple sugar water.  They’ve tried to stand apart from the aforementioned “purple stuff” and I feel that they were successful in doing so… it just wasn’t my thing.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Grape soda with a Twist.  Ha. Ha. Ha.

C&C Golden Peach

With 5 more C&C beverages to go we’re nearing the end of our time with the soda manufacturer.  Today I’ve chosen a personal favorite flavor in world of sodas… peach.  Technically it’s C&C Golden Peach and I will say that adding the adjective “golden” increases m y want factor of this beverage. Look, peaches come from a can.  They were put there by a man.  In a factory downtown.  Then someone tasted those peaches and decided they should be in a soda.  Peach soda is one of those sodas that don’t need to be all natural to be good.  Since C&C is chock full of chemicals as long as this soda has a strong enough flavor and tastes like peach then they should have no issue with me enjoying it.  So let’s take a page from James and jump right on into this giant bottle of peach soda.

The familiar smell of rich, chemically enhanced, peach throws itself down my nostrils.  Like I said before, sometimes the chemicals help the cause and while I enjoy an all-natural soda as much as the next person you can’t discount peach in any form.

This has a uniquely familiar flavor to it.  It tastes like it was made with millions of peaches.  Peaches for me!  Ok, so that reference was forced... it is tasty though.  With all of the other peach sodas I’ve had one of the key traits is how sweet they taste.  C&C Golden Peach seems to understand that sweetness is important with a peach flavor beverage, but not everything.  The tart bite of a peach is what C&C used to fill the left over flavor room they had by not just loading this soda up with sugar.  In doing so I’m treated to a very natural tasting soda in terms of “does this taste like an actual peach”.  Of course it’s not going to replicate it perfectly, but C&C Golden Peach is a very strong entry in the peach soda market.  The excellent flavor is enhanced by the fact that the carbonation levels are strong enough to give your throat a slight burn and not make it seem like you’re just sitting in your house drinking peach syrup out of a can.  Speaking of syrup, the HFCS used in the making of this soda does not weigh heavily in your mouth after each sip.  I’m about a third of the way finished with the bottle and it doesn’t seem to be building on itself that much either.  Could this soda be improved?  Sure it could, it could use natural ingredients, have better bottle art, and be a bit lighter in the mouth feel department.  I’m still going to recommend you pick up multiples of it though.  Look out.

~A

If Twist had his little way he'd eat peaches everyday

C&C Tropical Fruit Punch

Today’s beverage from C&C is looking pretty appetizing to me.  C&C Tropical Fruit Punch is what sits in front of me tempting me with its potentially fruity flavor.  I don’t know what it is about today, but some part of me is craving a carbonated fruit punch beverage with some citrus kick to it and hopefully C&C Tropical Fruit Punch will deliver.  The color looks to be somewhere between bright red and deep red which is a great color for your typical fruit punch.  I never really got behind Hawaiian Punch when they did all their flavors because the colors just seemed off to me.  Blue fruit punch?  That’s like when they tried (and maybe still sell) green ketchup.  You’re not here for my opinions on ketchup though; you’re here for my opinions on soda… and I thank you for that as a ketchup blog would be interesting, but probably short lived.  I wonder if there is a ketchup blog, I’m going to find out. **time passes** It’s not a blog per say, but someone from The Nibble reviewed (or described) 42 brands of ketchup.  I don’t normally link stuff, but this person deserves some mention for trying these ketchups.  What am I doing again?  Oh, yeah!  Hopefully I’m about to drink a delicious Tropical Fruit Punch from C&C.

A sharp citrus scent slowly makes its way out of the mouth of the bottle and gently singes my nose hairs.  I’m not exactly sure how strong or watery this is going to taste.  Of course I’m hoping that this fruit punch will be on the stronger side as we all want to relive that amazing punch that we first had at the Sadie Hawkins dance that no one ever invited us to ever because of no good reason.

Well that’s odd.  C&C Tropical Fruit Punch tastes a bit like bubble gum flavored amoxicillin.  You’ve probably had amoxicillin when you were a kid.  It’s a pink milky liquid that you had to drink whenever you had an infection.  When you’re a grown up it’s in pill form, but as a child you got the sweet gum flavored liquid poured down your throat at regular intervals.  While this could be an off putting flavor for many folks I personally enjoyed the taste of amoxicillin growing up and tasting something similar to it brought back a piece of my childhood.  While bubble gum amoxicillin is the base flavor for this beverage the taste that tries to chase it away and fails is that of fruit punch.  The only time I get to actually taste something that seems like fruit punch is in the middle of each sip when my throat is punched by the fruit of said action; and while I do somewhat enjoy the medicine flavor by no means should it be the opening and closing act of this soda play.  Could I finish this bottle?  Probably, but I don’t really care to since I opened this expecting fruit punch.  That doesn’t seem like too big of an expectation does it, for fruit punch to taste like fruit punch for more than 1/3 of the time.  Ah well, at least I my mind got to be transported back to when I was a child… sick with infections.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist appears as an overgrown bacteria at his local playhouse.

C&C Mango

I’m happy to say that the next entry in the C&C collection is a flavor that rarely greets us in soda form, mango.  C&C Mango has a delightful orange (with a hint of pink) color and several slices of cartoon mango on the label.  Like the rest of the C&C collection it’s sweetened with HFCS and chock full of chemicals.  Oddly enough I have no amusing antidotes about mango, so I guess I’ll just be on my way.

A very rich and velvety mango scent welcomes my nose to its home.  It reminds me of cutting open a juicy mango and inhaling the delicious aroma it produces.  So far C&C Mango seems to be exceeding the expectations I have set for it.  Hopefully this trend continues in the taste portion.

Why aren’t there more mango flavored sodas?  C&C Mango’s flavor does not disappoint as it matches the rich and flavorful scent blow for blow.  While I wouldn’t quite equate it with drinking mango juice the powerful taste of mango permeates all possible spaces within my mouth.  Unfortunately the HFCS gums up the works a bit though as the syrupy coating sits in my mouth like a hot dog on a cool floor. 

The carbonation is fairly low which allows the mouth-feel of C&C Mango to be smooth and enjoyable; although I feel that the bubbles could be a bit more plentiful without losing this pleasant effect.  This smooth feeling ends when a brief quick of tart greets the back of your throat at your sips finale.  This kick lightens up the feel of the drink just enough to tease your mind with a different texture.  Another point in the case for more carbonation would be how heavily this sits in my stomach.  I believe that if it were a bit bubblier the weight in my stomach would be lifted to the point of not being noticed.  With all that said though C&C Mango is still a pleasant surprise that I would recommend to my fellow soda drinkers.

~A

This beverage supplied to us by C&C

Twist loves mangoes.  He was legally married to one for 17 years until she left him in a fit of rage.  It's a rather sensitive subject that we don't talk about much around here.