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