Sonic's The Reaper Spicy Margarita Mocktail
/As the overly long title says, we review The Reaper Spicy Margarita Mocktail from Sonic. It's infused with real deal Carolina Reaper peppers.
Sonic Red Bull Cherry Limeade Slush
/The Soda Jerks head to Sonic to try out the new Red Bull Cherry Limeade Slush
Xyience Xenergy Grape
/Another beverage from the folks at Xyience and it’s supposed to help with both energy levels and hydration. What I’ve got in front of me is a can of Xyience Xenergy Grape. From my previous Xenergy reviews I know that this is going to be more of a Gatorade/Powerade type beverage in terms of taste. Hopefully it stands out enough from the pack that I can reward it with a good review. Personally I think it’ll taste alright, but not be anything to write about...even though I’m about to. Here’s to me being wrong.
Twist was a Xyience major in college...the first time.
A stronger than suspected grape aroma jumps out of the mouth of the can. Immediately my doubts are turned into cautious optimism. Will a truly delightful grape taste be awaiting me instead of the somewhat watered down version I was expecting?
Ok, we’re working with a couple of positives and a couple of negatives here. Positive number one is the strength of the grape. It is stronger than your G’s and P’s, but not quite as strong as a grape soda. Even though it’s not carbonated there’s even a little bit of a punch to the finish. It’s a very smooth drink and I would even classify it as refreshing.
The negatives, or negative in this case, stops this from being an above average drink experience. With each sip I get a burst of Pedialyte taste. Now while I’ve learned that many folks like the taste of Pedialyte I am not one of them. This just opens up memories of when I was sick as a child. You may have noticed that I use the Pedialyte comparison quite a bit when it comes to lifestyle beverages. I think this is because their makeup is similar and their goal of hydration is the same. Unfortunately I have negative thoughts regarding this taste so the review score usuall suffers.
In the case of Xyience Xenergy though I will give them credit for having a decent grape taste. They do a really good job with their flavor even though they are sugar and calorie free. So I at least recommend you pick up a can the next time you see it.
~A
This beverage was supplied to us by Xyience.
Xyience Xenergy Pineapple
/Twist felt flat today, but his thighs looked GREAT!
Today’s Xyience experiment is pineapple flavored. Technically this can of Xenergy is +Lemonade, whatever that means, in addition to being pineapple flavored. I’m honestly not sure what to expect here, but I’m rolling with it. Like all the other Xyience products that we’ve reviewed it’s sugar free and has zero calories. They’ve been hit or miss so far in the flavor department so it will be interesting to see what side of the fence pineapple lemonade falls.
As the can cracks open the faint aroma that arrives is more lemonade than pineapple. In fact I’d be amazed if I could identify this as pineapple flavored based on the scent alone. Hopefully the taste doesn’t leave that much to mystery.
The initial taste I get is the tart bite of a lemon. Slowly it washes away and transforms into the pineapple lemonade we were promised. Truthfully it’s lemonade pineapple as the real star of the show cannot be mistaken. Throughout the entire gulp the lemon teases the tip of my tongue with a tingle of sour. This leaves the rest of my mouth awash with an average tasting lemonade. It’s on par with Minute Maid lemonade, which to me is on the weaker side of the big name brands.
Xyience Xenergy Pineapple is a very refreshing beverage. Something I would happily reach for on a sweltering day. It goes down smoothly which makes it easy to return for another sip. The lack of sugar isn’t overly noticeable and the flavor while pleasant isn’t memorable. All in all it’s a good energy drink, but an average tasting beverage.
~A
This beverage supplied to us by Xyience
Xyience Xenergy Tropical Punch
/So the last time I tried a Xyience Xenergy beverage I was quite impressed. It was refreshing, the taste was pretty good, it was all I needed it to be. Well today’s review is of Xyience Xenergy Tropical Punch where the key idea is Hydration. Tropical Punch flavor is caffeine free, sugar free, and loaded up with B vitamins. It’s also enhanced with electrolytes, but whatever. I just want this to be a tasty fruit punch.
Upon cracking open the can I get a familiar aroma. This smells a lot like Hawaiian Punch, but not quite as fierce. So they have the proto-typical fruit punch aroma happening. Will it translate into the flavor?
Meh, kinda. This tastes like watered down tropical punch which makes sense because it’s a “Hydration” product. I guess I should really be comparing the taste of this to Gatorade or Powerade, but I have my own standards of delicious tropical punch taste. In this case the “punch” is limited and the “tropical” is boring. As powerful as the flavors were in the last beverage I reviewed, typically much more subtle flavors at that, I expected topical punch to blow me away.
Twist was the muse behind 1999: A Space Oddity
Aside from being “watered down” there’s something in the aftertaste that just seems out of place. It’s a combination of burn and bitter that lasts for just long enough to sour my opinion on this beverage. The more that I chug it the more medicinal the aftertaste becomes. Wandering away from tropical punch and moving toward Pedialyte. I’ll be able to finish it this one time, but it’s not really something I’d be reaching for again.
So you’re saying to your monitor right now “Monitor, why be angry that a drink made for hydration is watered down?” You monitor will respond with this next sentence.
“Dave, The Soda Jerks rank beverages based on taste and little else”
So after you unplug your computer to kill it remember what it said. It Xyience Xenergy an alright hydrator? Sure. Do you want to have more than one in your fridge at any given time just to drink? Unless you want a weak tropical punch flavored beverage with the aftertaste of medicine, no...probably not.
~A
This beverage supplied to us by Xyience
Xyience Xenergy Honey Ginseng
/I don’t normally review non-carbonated beverages, but when the company who creates that beverage reaches out to me then who am I to say no. Today’s drink up on deck is Xyience Xenergy Honey Ginseng. Those of you who are fans of the UFC should recognize Xyience Xenergy as the official energy drink of the UFC. If you didn’t know that, then perhaps they should rework their ad campaign.
Xyience Xenergy is sugar free, zero calorie, and vitamin fortified. The Honey Ginseng flavor I’ve chosen includes Green Tea in the ingredients list along with several other words that you may have seen alongside some B vitamins and several other words that are much harder to say.
In case you weren’t aware Xyience means extreme science, and Xenergy is a blend of Zen and Energy. With all nomenclature explained we should be ok to move on.
The faintest of faint aromas sits at the mouth of my newly opened can. It smells slightly of honey and green tea...which is good because that’s what they’re going for. Hopefully the taste is as inoffensive as the scent.
Four word review. “Yay. Huh? Eh. Alright.” Now let’s break it down.
Yay. A cool refreshing burst of honey and green tea washes across my mouth. It cools everything it comes in contact with, satisfying a thirst I wasn’t even aware I had.
Twist is a Mad Xyientist.
Huh? The gears change direction and now the ginseng and chemicals take over. It’s not a complete 180 from what I first experienced, but I much preferred the initial taste to what I have now.
Eh. So I guess I’m stuck with this new taste, but my mouth has quickly accepted this fate. It’s not so bad and it’s still tastier than most energy drinks. I really wished that first flavor would have lasted longer.
Alright. So my wish is sorta coming true. During the aftertaste the ginseng gives way once again to the honey and greet tea I initially enjoyed. The only difference is that ginseng is still chilling there in the corner sulking because I didn’t like him as much. The sweetness from the honey leaves a lasting impression and makes it very easy to return the can to my mouth.
Xyience Xenergy Honey Ginseng is a fantastic energy drink and a pretty solid regular drink to boot. I could honestly see myself drinking this just because I enjoyed the flavor. Yeah, there is a bit of weakness shown in the middle of each sip, but XXHG doesn’t tap out. See what I did there? I worked in an MMA reference to make part of the review quirky. I should probably stop while I’m ahead.
~A
This soda supplied to us by Xyience
Nawgan Lemonade
/I’ve had energy drinks, sleepy time drinks, “sexual prowess” drinks, and many other life style beverages. The folks at ThirstMonger have sent me an “alertness beverage” to try. That’s a first. Now I know you’re probably thinking that an alertness beverage is just a fancy name for an energy drink and you’re right, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it called as such, and I approve. The name of the alertness beverage is Nawgan and its flavor is Lemonade. The Nawgan logo is a brain which leads me to believe that Nawgan is just a fancy spelling of noggin. You know, like the Nick Jr. successor. Nawgan has zero calories, vitamins B and E, and a host of chemicals that will hopefully make this taste like a delicious glass of lemonade. Let’s find out together shall we?
This can of Nawgan has the most satisfying “CRACK” open noise I’ve ever heard. Good lord that was loud and made me want to instantly start chugging it. Lemons jumped out of this newly created hole and punched me in the nose. The scent is strong. There I said it two different ways. I’m rather excited to try this now. I find it odd how a sound that has nothing to do with the flavor excites me to what the drink might taste like.
Twist completed the brain maze in only 2 hours.
Nawgan is non-carbonated and for being zero calories, has a pretty good lemon taste to it. The initial sip does have a bit of a chemical feel, but it’s quickly washed away by the somewhat sweet lemon flavoring. By itself Nawgan could fool you into thinking it is indeed lemonade. If you were to compare it side by side with the real deal you’d probably find the real thing to be a bit stronger. It has a very light mouth feel, but a noticeable lemon aftertaste that I don’t mind experiencing again and again. Nawgan lemonade is a really easy drink to chug, which I would expect is something that you would want to do if you needed to get that jolt of energy as quickly as possible.
WHAT?! I just looked on the can and this has Stevia in it?! I never would have guessed. Great job covering up the aftertaste that usually leaves. Wow, stevia done right. It happens so infrequently.
For being a lemonade “alertness beverage”, Nawgan does a great job. It’s easy to drink, the flavor is enjoyable, and I could see myself purchasing multiples of this. It’s not going to replace lemonade, but at this point I’m pretty sure nothing is. Nawgan Lemonade is one of the tastier energy drinks by far.
~A
A-Game Citrus
/This week’s beverage from Thirstmonger describes itself as a “Cross Functional Beverage” that will help you with rehydration, energy, and nutrition. A-Game Citrus is what sits in the bottle to my right and judging by that last sentence it’s a sports drink that would like to differentiate itself from the other sports drinks you might find on the shelf at your local grocer. It immediately gains points from me because of its name, A-Game. My name as you know is Aaron, so anything that starts with an A and is followed by a hyphen and another word is always a potential nickname for me. The A-Train is one of my favorite fake nicknames. In this case any time I’m picked for a sports team, or beat someone at chess I can hit my chest twice and declare “I always bring my A-Game!” Now I might lose friends in the process, but at least I sound cool.
The second reason I’m initially impressed with A-Game citrus is that it contains sea salt and honey. Now I’m not really sure what the difference is between salt and sea salt, but man does sea salt sound so much tastier. Honestly, it’s the honey that impressed me as you don’t see many drinks use it as a sweetener. Checking the ingredients I also see that Crystalline Fructose and Dextrose are also used for sweetening, so it’s not like honey is all that’s in the bottle. Vitamins A through E are all represented in some way so that’s got to count for something, right?
So the ingredient list is respectable and it’s got a name I can get behind. So far A-Game Citrus is really making some headway and I haven’t even opened the bottle. Speaking of opening the bottle, perhaps I should open the bottle after shaking well.
The aroma that sits right at the mouth of the bottle is certainly citrus scented. Orange Tang is what I’m reminded of each time I inhale and I’d be perfectly ok if it tasted like that, but would that really be an example of them bringing their A-Game? No, no it wouldn’t. That would be an example of them bringing Orange Tang. Taste time.
Ok, so while it’s not full of flavor, the orange flavor that is there is quite tasty. You’re not going to find a good sports drink that shoves flavor down your throat, that’s not their motivation. If you had sports drinks that tasted like Dr Pepper you wouldn’t be able to drink them as quickly. These are made to be slammed, not sipped. With all of that said we now come to the part of the review where I remind you that I don’t care that this is a sports drink. I care if it tastes good as a beverage. With that said it’s time to start the proper review.
The orange flavor is very noticeable to the point where I’m not sure why they have labeled this citrus. If I allow my tongue a few more moments to take in what it just experienced it can pick out a bit of lemon as well which renders the previous sentence as foolish. Of course there is no carbonation, but I figured I’d throw that in there just in case you got confused. The sweetness level of A-Game Citrus is just right. It doesn’t taste like I’m drinking a soda, but it still feels like a treat of sorts. The negatives are few, but still need to be mentioned. After each sip there is a slight coating of A-Game Citrus that remains in my mouth. Now the aftertaste it leaves isn’t a negative one. In fact it resembles the actual flavor of the beverage like you would think all aftertastes would. Think of it this way. Even though you like your best friend; if they lived with you, you would still want some “me time”. My taste buds just want some “me time” after each sip. That’s all. While the Citrus (Orange/Lemon) flavor is tasty, it’s not delicious. Again, I’m aware this is a sports drink, but I’m still looking for delicious. That’s it, there’s nothing else. See how painless that was?
Ultimately folks are going to want a comparison to the major players when it comes to a beverage like this. When compared to lemon/lime Gatorade I have to say (well I don’t have to, but I am) that I prefer A-Game Citrus. Now remember that I do very little physical activity so my experience with sports drinks is limited, so take that into consideration as well. A-Game Citrus is a tasty beverage that I will continue to buy if I’m ever in need of being rehydrated.
~A
Twist was overly happy with how well it matched the new thrown together background
Elixir Floral Infusions – Lavender
/So another review courtesy of ThirstMonger is in front of your face. Today’s soda needs a little bit of assembly as it’s a mixer of sorts. Elixir Floral Infusions Lavender is what I’ll be mixing with some cool carbonated water today. When you visit their site it seems Elixir is primarily made for mixing with alcoholic beverages. Since I’m not one to imbibe I’ll be using their “soda” recipe and reviewing that. Before I go into creation mode I would like to note that Elixir is all-natural, made with purified water, cane sugar, natural lavender extract, natural food color, organic blueberry extract, citric acid, and cultured sugar. That’s quite the impressive ingredient list in terms of quality. My hopes have risen just a bit. Now to the recipe for soda.
Underneath the picture of a lightly purple drink I’m told that to make soda I need an 8 to 1 ratio of carbonated water and Elixir. Already I’m looking at this picture and thinking that it won’t be strong enough for me to truly enjoy. That soda looks waaay to fancy for my liking, so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to take the chance and use my own math to make a better Elixir experience for myself… hopefully. My Elixir Lavender will have a 4 to 1 ratio, thus allowing me to truly taste the lavender goodness. Thankfully I have a Sodastream so that I can use my very own water in this experimental version of lavender soda. Here goes something!
What I’ve created looks a lot like grape/purple Kool-Aid. I’m sure it won’t taste of Kool-Aid, but that’s fine as I’m not interested in that particular sugar water at this point in time. I’m interested in this new and “improved” Elixir Lavender. On to the smell test!
Only when I press my nose up to it do I smell, amazingly enough, the sweet aroma of lavender. I figured it would have a rather pungent scent since I’ve doubled the amount recommended. Perhaps even this super charged version will still be weaker than I’d prefer.
Here is the part where I tell you how pleased I am with myself for increasing the flavor. I can really taste the lavender. It’s not some frilly beverage I’d drink at a cocktail party in tiny sips. No, this is LAVENDER SODA and I like it. Did I think I’d like it, no… not at all? That’s because I was thinking it’d be more like my Dry Soda experience which left me feeling empty.
The carbonation I created is tiny yet noticeable. As I previously stated this was made in my Sodastream and I gave it “three buzzes” worth of carbonation which was the recommended level. I will say that Elixir Lavender does taste a bit alcoholic yet there is no alcohol in site. Of course it supposedly pairs well with alcohol, so perhaps this is why the flavor is shadowed. Each time I take a swig out of my glass my nostrils fill with a lavender scent that thankfully does not rival the potpourri you might otherwise find lavender in. While I know it’s impossible, I also get a slight grape flavor with each sip I take. I’m thinking this falsity lies within the fact that I like most people associate purple soda with grape. If I were a betting man I’d bet that this taste I’m transforming into grape is created by the blueberry extract that resides within the bottle. It’s this very blueberry extract that I believe is balancing out the lavender taste so that my brain can both comprehend and enjoy what I’m partaking in.
Now with that said, I’m sure lavender soda isn’t for everyone, heck I feel a bit odd with each sip I take. Thankfully the gardens at Elixir are home to a few other flowers as well. Perhaps they’ll have one you might enjoy. So there you have it. I broke all the rules (1 rule) and made a super Elixir Lavender Soda and I enjoyed it. Give it a shot (HA! Puns!).
~A
Stop and smell the iguanas!
C&C Tropic Punch
/I was limited to which C&C flavor I could drink today by the amount of Thanksgiving food stuffing my refrigerator. Actually I was thinking about not writing a review today based on how full/busy the last week has been. Well fortunately for “Creative Me” I’ve found some stomach space and time for a cool red bottle of C&C Tropic Punch. I picked the tropical punch today because it’s non-carbonated and that will allow a bit of a reprieve from the pressure that has been abusing my stomach walls. Without looking too much into this I’m going to go ahead and guess that this is C&C’s version of Hawaiian Punch. While I’m a fan of Hawaiian Punch I’ll be even more impressed if C&C came up with something more original in flavor. Onward!
My noses recognizes a mixture of citrus, pineapple, and cherry with the later ingredient being a slight favorite in terms of how much is there. The scent that wafts from the top is indeed similar to Hawaiian Punch which worries me that I’m dealing with a copycat drink. Let’s find out if I’m counting my chickens before they gather moss.
I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong about it being a copycat and happily so. Where Hawaiian Punch likes to brag about hitting you in the mouth with the fists of its mascot, C&C Tropic Punch is a smoother concoction that seems to focus more on the pineapple and cherry flavors. All the familiar flavors that I listed are there, but how easily it’s ingested is what’s the most surprising to me. There’s no assault on your throat that some punch might treat you to, in fact it’s a fairly relaxing drink. C&C Tropic Punch is noticeably sweet, but not so much that you it would overload whatever meal you might “pair” it with. I must say that I find it amusing to picture someone pairing C&C Tropic Punch with a roasted duck or grilled squirrel, but different strokes for different folks.
While the ratio of fruit flavors is divvied out skillfully, some may be put off by the syrupy mouth feel you get at the finish of each gulp and ultimately (other than being primarily made with chemicals and HFCS) that’s the weakest limb on the body of C&C Tropic Punch. This isn’t a stand out beverage, but it is a beyond decent tropical punch. Give it a shot, you’ll probably like it.
~A
How about a nice Hawaiian Twist?
Dublin Tart n Sweet Lemonade
/When I blindly reached into my fridge today picking out the soda I would review imagine my surprise when a bottle of lemonade came out. I wasn’t all that surprised mind you, as I knew the lemonade was one of five beverages I could have grabbed. You all know that we rarely review non-carbonated beverages, but of course I’m going to give a pass to Dublin since they (1) Sent us a bunch of free beverages for the sole purpose of reviewing and (B) probably make some dang good lemonade. Like all the Dublin drinks this one is sweetened with pure cane sugar so hopefully it utilizes it well. Before I begin I must tell you about this tiny elf-like man on the bottle greeting me amongst the retro art, as if to welcome me into his lemonade home. Thanks, Elf-man. Thelfman.
The lemonade is titled Tart n Sweet and I must say the “tart” comes out in droves in the smell department. It’s not cleaning product strong, but I found my taste buds flinching in anticipation of the sour nectar that’s about to envelop them.
Well it’s not as tart as I thought it was going to be, but I’m not disappointed as it still packs a pinch. On the “tart-scale” from 1-10, with 1 being a nun and 10 being that ex-girlfriend you were too good for, I’d give this about a 6 which means nothing to you. Even though it’s not shocking my ‘buds, Dublin Tart n Sweet Lemonade is still sour enough to resonate in my mouth after each sip. Oddly, this is what I would imagine the lemonade at a lemonade stand tasting like. Now sadly I’ve never tasted any lemonade stand lemonade, but now I can play the home version and it’s almost as good. I’m pretty sure the kids running the lemonade stand wouldn’t use Ester Gum or Sodium Benzoate though. Ignorant Children.
The sweetness factor is noticed and appreciated as it doesn’t mind playing second fiddle to the tart mouth-feel. If you’ve ever had lemonade that was too sugary you know that it doesn’t take much for that experience to start going downhill in a hurry. Dublin Tart n Sweet has a fantastic bland of its titular adjectives. Thankfully it’s not a very syrupy drink. I find that it sits a few pounds heavier than light upon my tongue as I finish each gulp. As far as lemonades go it’s about one step better than your standard fare. Overall a pretty good showing.
Now for the sentence that renders the last four paragraphs pointless. Dublin Tart n Sweet Lemonade tastes like you made it at home with its tart lemon flavor and a sweetness that can only be described as simple.
~A
With Twist in the picture it's Tart n Sweet n Sweet... D'awwww
