IZZE Sparkling Clementine

As much as we liked the IZZE brand when we first started this site, we sure haven’t reviewed many of their flavors.  I’m going to correct this action by reviewing on right this second.  IZZE Sparkling Clementine is up to bat and I have a feeling it’ll do just fine.  You see, IZZE is an all-natural soda composed of fruit juice (apple, white grape, orange, and clementine) and sparkling water.  In this case they also have some Citric Acid, Gum Arabic, and Beta Carotene (for color), but something tells me the flavor is still going to be fantastic.  I love clementine oranges due to their flavor, tiny size, and easy peel-ability.  With all that said, I think it’s about time to open the bottle.

This smells a lot like orange juice which shouldn’t be surprising as orange juice is one of the ingredients.  I just figured I would have the sweeter clementine aroma greet my olfactory glands when I opened this bottle.  Hopefully this won’t taste like carbonated OJ as I’ve had that before and I’m looking for something a little different.

The initial flavor attacked my tongue in such a way that I wasn’t sure what to think.  It reminds me a lot of what orange punch would taste like.  I think I’m mostly tasting the orange and white grape juice here and that’s confusing my mouth just a bit.  The carbonation level of IZZE Sparkling Clementine is fairly low, comprised of tiny bursts of tingle that last throughout the drinking experience.  Tingle(s) are actually measured in bursts, I’m not sure if you knew that so I figured now would be the best time to tell you.  I really wanted this drink to be sweeter… like a clementine.  The orange/white grape juice is too overpowering for the clementine juice to be fully appreciated.  Looking back at the label I see that this bottle of IZZE is equal to two servings of fruit based on the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines, impressive!  While I like everything IZZE is about I feel they missed the boat a little on their Sparkling Clementine beverage.  If they could mute the citrusy orange flavor a bit and raise the sweet clementine flavor this would be an outstanding soda.  Until that happens (and unless they read my reviews and take my advice like I actually know something… which I doubt they will) I’m going to have rate this lower than I’d like. 

~A

Faux Fact:  The IZZE logo is based off of Twist's inner child.

Reed's Rx

Ever been nauseous?  The answer is yes whether you want to admit it or not.  What if I told you that there was a soda that could combat nausea.  Would you be amazed?  It’s doubtful you would be since ginger ale has been in existence for a very long time that I don’t care to look up.  Ok, so what if there was a soda that’s main purpose was to combat nausea and that it was made by our friends at Reed’s?  Guess what?  There is!  Guess what?  I’m reviewing it RIGHT NOW!  Today’s review is for Reed’s Rx.  It comes in a tiny (5.5 oz.) purple can and claims it will combat morning sickness, motion sickness, and upset stomachs.  Since ginger has been proven to help all of those listed ailments, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that they’re telling the truth as well.  I have a sensitive stomach myself, ok my stomach is a wuss, but a ginger ale will always quiet it down back to normal stomach levels.  Along with the12 grams of fresh ginger the ingredients are as follows:  Carbonated filtered water, fructose, pineapple juice from concentrate, honey, lemon juice from concentrate, lime juice from concentrate, and spices.  Reed’s Rx also has a good dose of B3, B6, and B12… so we’re working with some pretty good stuff here.  While I’m very happy that Reed’s has produced this beverage it still has to taste good.  Who wants a cure for tummy aches when the drink itself is gross?  It’s time for me to open this tiny can and see what emerges.

That’s a spicy meatball… um… soda.  Well the smell is spicy at least.  Doing a little math I can tell you that Reed’s Rx has more ginger per fluid oz. than their Original Ginger Brew, and just slightly more than their Extra Ginger Brew.  Short story short… this might be kind of intense.  Time to pretend I’m a giant as I pick up this wee little can and take a sip.

It’s a tasty ginger beverage I can say that much, but my throat immediately felt that ginger burn that I expected it would.  The burn itself it not overwhelming though, I’m not going to have a problem finishing the rest of this can thus completing the tummy ache removal process.  Taste wise I can make out the pineapple and lemon, but the lime is a bit too subtle for my palate.  Your mouth is certainly aware of Reed’s Rx’s presence but as I said earlier it’s nothing overbearing.  While I love Reed’s Ginger Brew’s I found myself only able to finish about half a bottle until the ginger burn became too much for me.  Since this can is approximately half a bottle I’d say it’s the perfect size especially for its purpose.  So if you have any kind of nausea, motion sickness, or morning sickness give Reed’s Rx a try.  According to the folks at Reed’s you can pick this particular product up at your neighborhood CVS, but there weren’t any stocked in my area.  If you can’t find any or you just don’t want to buy it then just buy some ginger ale… just make sure it’s actually made with ginger.

~A

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

Faux Fact: I had to knock those cans down with a softball to win the pineapple for Twist.

Fever-Tree Ginger Ale

I went on a search for some new soda to review, as I’m very low at the moment, and went into what I thought would be a goldmine of sodas.  Sadly this was no goldmine, but it did have one nugget to give me to make sure I didn’t leave empty handed.  Fever-Tree Ginger Ale is the subject of today’s review… and oddly enough it is gold from head to toe.  Fever-Tree Ginger Ale is bottled in such a way you’d expect to find this in a mini-bar in a very nice hotel room.  It’s a full 6.8 oz. of light gold liquid so it has the ‘hip tiny bottle factor’ going for it as well.  I must also say that I enjoy the simple gold bottle cap with the "Fever-Tree" printed on it.  The ingredients in Fever-Tree Ginger Ale are as follows, Spring Water, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural Gingers, Natural Flavours, and Natural Caramel.  That’s a fairly simple recipe for ginger ale… let’s see if it works for them.

Silly me, I just tried to twist the cap off and found myself in need of a bottle opener.  How could I have forgotten that I’m dealing with Fever-Tree… la ti da!  Immediately upon opening I get the very recognizable scent of ginger entering my nostrils.  The aroma was so strong that I’d almost think I was about to drink a ginger beer instead of the much tamer ginger ale.  Well I guess there’s only one way to find out.

As the ingredients would have me expect, this is a very pleasant soda.  It has the initial mouth feel of a ginger beer but quickly slows down to the speed of the much calmer ale.  Pretend you’re driving a DeLorean, just cruisin’ the streets.  You pull up next to some guy riding a bicycle and act as if you’re going to drag race him.  Revving the engines a couple of times you make your intentions all the more clear.  When the light turns green you gun it, racing off for about 25 feet before you turn to the guy on the bike and laugh, then slowing down to the posted speed still enjoying the fact that you drive a DeLorean.  That’s what my first impressions of Fever-Tree Ginger Ale are, and I don’t really care if the analogy makes any sense.  I like this initial burn.  It scared me for a split second when I thought my throat was going to be toasted by the end of this review, but it’s good to be scared every now and again.  The overall flavor is fairly clean, but there’s always a reminder that you’re dealing with real deal ginger.  This isn’t really something you’d drink on a hot day, although I’m not sure there’s a ginger ale that fits that particular bill.  

While I do enjoy several aspects about this Fever-Tree Ginger Ale I do have some complaints.  First off is once you get past the burn you’re greeted with a reliable ginger taste but it doesn’t hold up for very long and becomes a bit watery.  Second the ingredients are kind of vague.  It says that there are natural gingers in the bottle but I can’t seem to find the actual measurement.  Maybe Reed’s has spoiled me in the ginger department, but if you want to be the best ginger ale then Reed’s is a name you’re going to have to trump.  By the way, I’m re-reading my review of Reed’s Original Ginger Brew to refresh my mind of how I felt about it and I noticed something odd.  That review was written about a year ago but I referenced DeLoreans in it as well.  Maybe there’s something about good ginger ale that makes me think of Back to the Future… or maybe I’m just a nerd.

~A

Twist was born in a Fever-Tree.

Maine Root Lemon Lime

Ok, I may discredit myself as a soda review by saying this but… lemon lime soda is boring.  Wait, wait, wait!  Don’t leave just yet; let me explain.  A good lime soda isn’t boring, in fact it’s one of my most coveted sodas.  A good lemon soda… well I haven’t really had one to write home about yet, but it’d be unique.  Lemon Lime soda though… well in my opinion has the biggest chance to be a very boring soda.  It’s so overdone and the flavor is never anything spectacular.  Sure I love 7up, but I’m not going to shove a bottle into your hand unless I find out you’re sick.  Sure I tolerate Sierra Mist, but I’m not going to force you to drink it unless you want the clear carbonated liquid from Taco Bell.  Sure I don’t really like Sprite.  Wait for it… nothing.  So today I’m giving Maine Root (a highly ranked soda company by our standards) a chance with their Maine Root Lemon Lime Soda.  Already looking through the bottle I can tell you that this has a ridiculous amount of sediment.  I’m looking at pieces so large I could literally chew them.  Already Maine Root Lemon Lime Soda has taken a turn for the unique, a place few lemon lime sodas ever go.  Let’s smell it shall we?

My nostrils greet a familiar smell.  This smells like lemon lime Twang.  Now I’m sure I’ve mentioned Twang in a past review but I’m feeling far too lazy to search for it at this moment.  If the word “integer” is a link in this sentence then you’ll know I became un-lazy and found it.  As I was saying the scent coming from this bottle is a very sharp and sour lemon lime aroma.  Honestly I’m excited!  Hopefully here goes something!

Wow this does taste a little like Twang, but without the instant throat fire.  It’s like a super lemon lime soda that allows you to taste the individual lemon and lime flavors.  The carbonation factor works well with the taste and burns you just a little bit more after you’re done with your sip.  I really thought I’d be able to feel the sediment drifting down my gullet on each sip much like I would experience in a Boba tea… or the ill-fated Orbitz.  Since I wrote that last sentence you should easily deduce that I can’t feel the sediment at all.  Hooray for no icky sediment feeling!  All in all this is a great lemon lime soda, and while I wouldn’t say it completely makes my “lemon lime is boring” argument null and void it does a lot for its own cause.

~A

Lemon Lime Iguana Goodness!

Stander - Mint Soda

   “We're a German based non-alcoholic mint flavoured Premium Soda”.  Those are some of the words written to me in an e-mail by the nice people at Ständer.  Of course I had to oblige.  There isn’t much in that description that I could say no to for very long.  What I got from them was a package of Ständer soda along with a coaster and a bar napkin.  I have so many questions now!  Will I hate this?  Will I love it?  Am I hip enough to drink something from an 8 oz. black metal bottle?  Will this freshen my breath in any way?  Going back one question and speaking of the 8 oz. black metal bottle… this is some of the coolest packaging I’ve ever seen associated with a soda.  Looking at the ingredients on the side I feel even better about my soon to be consumed beverage:  Filtered Sparkling Water, Natural Beet Sugar, Natural Lemon and Spearmint Flavor, Citric Acid, Natural Caffeine, Vitamins B6, B12, B7 and B5.  The only bit of color on the black bottle is a picture of three mint leaves (in the appropriate color) with the words “mint your mind” underneath them.  I’m not really sure what “minting my mind” consists of but I’m willing to try anything once… well not ANYTHING but “soda anything”.  Ok, I can’t handle writing about what this might be like any more.  I have to try it now!

   WOW!  That is certainly filled with mint.  It smells like I just crushed up mint leaves in my hands and inhaled them.  That is THE most unique smelling soda I’ve ever encountered.  Obviously I’ve smelled mint before but never coming out of my soda bottle.  I can’t state the strength of the smell enough.  It’s a very strong, very minty, almost alcoholic (but it’s not) scent.  Enough chatter… time for the drinking.

   Ok… that’s odd.  Initially I experience a refreshing taste that’s light on carbonation.  You can definitely taste the spearmint and as of right now it may be too much for my palate.  I’ve also given a taste of this to my co-worker and he says he liked it but he’s also a huge fan of spearmint.  I’ll include his rating at the end of this review along with mine.  I’m finding that if I take larger sips/gulps it helps with the strong spearmint taste… maybe because the rest of my tongue gets to experience it instead of just a concentrated area.  If I did indeed drink alcoholic beverages this seems like it would mix amazingly with some of them.  Sorry, I haven’t taken you through the drink gamut yet.  Hold on, here we go!  As soon as you drink Ständer you are greeted with that spearmint flavor that I’ve now mentioned too many times.  That washes away leaving a cleaner aftertaste but not letting you forget about the unique flavor you just consumed.  At no point in this process do you ever forget that you’re drinking mint soda and for that they should be applauded.  I’ve reviewed Lavender and Juniper Berry  flavored soda both of which tasted more like somewhat flavored sparkling water.  Ständer on the other hand is not backing off the flavor listed on their label in the slightest.  You take your awesome looking black metal bottle; you beat off the hipsters in the club groping as said bottle trying to look cooler to their respective peers.  Then you open said bottle and inhale what is obviously spearmint.  Drinking it you try not to look too surprised at what you taste, although you are, because if you look surprised you lose the look of “that cool guy with the hip metal bottle.”  Then flocks of hipster chicks/guys make their way toward you so that they too can experience mint soda.  Now… were my questions answered?

Will I hate this?  - No, not at all.  The spearmint flavoring was off putting at first but I got used to it.

Will I love it?  - No, I don’t love it either but I do like it.

Am I hip enough to drink something from an 8 oz. black metal bottle?  - I’m pretty sure this 8 oz. bottle would at least make me feel like I had more cred at a club.

Will this freshen my breath in any way? – As far as I can tell… no, not really.

Were my questions answered? – Well, yes.  You just read them.

(Note: This soda was given to us by Ständer)

The only being in the universe that is scientifically cooler than a Ständer bottle... is Twist

Zevia Cream Soda

Zevia.  They don’t use sugar.  They use the stevia leaf to sweeten.  They’re all natural.  They have zero calories.  They have simple but enjoyable can art.  Most every flavor we’ve tried has had a horrible aftertaste completely negating the awesomeness of the previous sentences.  With that said I’m going to try Zevia Cream Soda and hope, hope, hope, that it doesn’t follow the formula of its bretheren.

The scent is that of a cream soda so my mind has already partially forgotten about the aftertaste that I will more than likely find at the end of each sip.  If I could just enjoy this by smelling it then I’d be a happy camper up to this point.

So close.  The cream soda flavor held on for as long as it possibly could until giving way to the ogre that is the aftertaste.  As the old saying goes “once you let an ogre in your hut there’s an ogre in your hut.”  That’s not an old saying or even a saying for that matter but it still rings true in the case of any Zevia soda.  Once you taste the slightest bit of that aftertaste it just builds upon itself until it has ruined the entire experience.  The first half of each sip tastes like a decent cream soda… nothing special but nothing I’d turn down.  The amount of carbonation you experience is light but that’s to be expected with any cream soda.  I will say that the aftertaste is more muted in Zevia Cream Soda than it has been in any of the previous flavors I’ve tried.  That’s not to say that it isn’t there but that it’s much more bearable.  “Oh!  He said it was bearable!  That must mean it’s going to get a better review than the other flavors!”  Nope.  I don’t look for drinks that are bearable.  I look for drinks that are good… drinks that I can recommend to others without being chastised later.  If you can’t have sugar or you’re on a diet of some sort then this is the cream soda for you!  I agree with that statement 100% because I don’t want you to think that there isn’t a place in the market for Zevia brand sodas.  They are very healthy sodas (as sodas go) and shouldn’t be ignored just because I’m not a fan of them.  On the flip side… even though there’s a place in the market for them there is not such a place in my fridge.

~A

That's the closest Twist could bare to bring his tongue to the can for fear of aftertaste

Zevia Ginger Ale

As you may have noticed we’ve gotten an influx of Zevia reviews in the past few weeks.  This is because the kind folks at Zevia sent us a sample of all their flavors.  One of the two I’ve chosen to review is Zevia Ginger Ale.  Zevia of course is sweetened with the stevia leaf, a natural sugar alternative that has zero caloric value.  Zevia soda is also 100% all natural… something we can all get behind.  Adorning the side of the can I’m about to open are the words “It’s what soda should always have been.”  Hold up there Zevia, let’s just see about that.  I’ve had stevia sweetened drinks before and while initially the taste is good the aftertaste always ruins the party.  This is one reason I chose ginger ale as one of my two flavors to review.  I believe that ginger ale should have a muted enough aftertaste to hopefully knock out any trace of stevia.  Let’s find out!

Upon sniffing said all natural soda I find a light ginger scent wafting out of the drink hole.  Putting my face this close to the can makes me realize that I never mentioned the can art itself.  I like it.  It’s a simple olive/forest green background with the bubbly Zevia logo floating along with the bubbles.  It’s not flashy but it’s unique enough to catch the eye.  I’ll have to find out if they make shirts.  Time for a taste.

Ok, well my initial fear is somewhat quelled.  Zevia Ginger Ale is one of the lighter flavored ginger ales I’ve tasted to this point.  The taste that you experience throughout the Zevia Ginger Ale drinking process never changes.  It’s a lightly flavored ginger soda that tastes a little chemically due to what I can only imagine is the stevia.  Since the drink itself tastes oddly chemically there is no chemical aftertaste… because the taste never changes enough for me to consider it an aftertaste.  I really wish I could like this soda but I probably won’t drink it ever again.  I can finish this can and at the end of the review I’ll suggest that you do the same.  (*Note* I tried to finish the can and got to the point where I didn’t want to try anymore.  Ultimately this is what dropped the score. *End Note*) The stevia aftertaste, which in this case is the actual taste, isn’t for everyone which means it’s also for someone.  I’m just one of those people that isn’t a fan of it.  I like the concept behind stevia sweetened sodas but the delivery always falls short.  I will say that we’ve reviewed a beverage that was half sugar, half stevia sweetened and that it was fantastic!  Maybe that’s what needs to happen here.  Is zero calories so much better than half the calories of a normal soda when the taste is put into jeopardy?  It’d still be all natural but the aftertaste that many of my reviewers have noted would probably be gone.  As a diet soda it’s a great alternative!  I mean it’s an all-natural diet soda… that’s wonderful but at the end of the day I have to judge this on a normal soda scale.  If you were reading then the upcoming verdict should be of no shock.  Great ingredients, good can art, meh flavor that gets worse the more you drink it.

~A

(note:  This beverage was supplied to us by Zevia)

So refreshing... the iguana not the drink

SAPS Cola

   A nice man from the website DizzyFrinks.com (see what he did there) contacted me and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.  If I was more into the Godfather I’d make a better joke here.  I went and checked out DizzyFrinks.com and really liked what I saw.  Great design, nice layout… heck if I had any kind of experience in web design it’s pretty much what our site would look like.  I noticed he had a good selection of German beverages and I was curious to try one.  After carefully looking over them all I eventually became the proud owner of a bottle of SAPS Cola.  So I must thank the fine folks at DizzyFrinks.com for opening my eyes to a beverage I probably wouldn’t have even thought of procuring.   Now that you’ve passed over three, count them, three hyperlinks to said website hopefully you’ll visit after you’re done reading this review. 

   Being from Germany, SAPS Cola’s bottle is filled with fun German words and phrases.  “Koffeinfrei” is the first one I notice and my rudimentary understanding of German deciphers that it means “Caffeine Free”.  Next up is the sentence “Mit Biohonig Gesuesst”.  Again my 3 years of high school German crack this coded sentence to mean “With Biohoney Gesuesst.”  Ok… so maybe I need to look this one up.  Ah, here we go… “Sweetened with Organic Honey”.  Thanks so much Google Translate.  The bottle design is kind of fun with a short stocky body attached to a long slender neck.  Sadly the label itself is fairly boring with the exception being a cartoon bee resting upon the “a” in the word “Cola”.  I looked up a little information on SAPS Cola and found out that it’s 100% natural, has won some awards, and has no preservatives.  All of these things normally point towards a great drink.  Let’s sniff it out a little more before we put a blue ribbon on the hog.  (Honestly I just wanted to write a made up country saying there.  I think I did pretty well.)

   Wow.  I never thought I’d be able to smell the honey so strongly upon opening this bottle.  If this review continues to go this well maybe more beverages should use Biohonig.  I literally only smell cola and honey and now I’m even more intrigued.  Shall I drink it now?  Yes I shall.

   That tastes nothing like I thought it would, which is a nice surprise.  I didn’t expect it to be gross or anything but the cola flavoring is much more muted than I predicted.  The initial flavor is a bit off putting but very familiar to me.  Well I guess it’s not completely familiar because I can’t pin point where I’ve tasted it before.  I know I’ve had at least one other soda that included this mystery flavor.  I’m starting to think that this is similar to the first half of a sip of Moxie.  As we all know the second half of Moxie tastes like carbonated tires.  Sadly I can’t claim that humorous description of Moxie but it was placed on the site and I enjoyed it to the point of adopting it.  I know they’re trying to get the cola taste through all natural means but the honey is the winning combatant in this battle.  I think that the flavor is one that most American palates would find unique and maybe a bit off putting at first but I must say the more I drink it the better it tastes.  It’s almost like the honey has a mind of its own and it slowing taking over my mouth.  Not to the point where a swarm of bees has claimed residence in my throat awkwardly flying out one by one to the confusion of everyone around me.  That would almost be worth it though.  I would randomly produce a bee from my mouth only to watch everyone in the room freak out until the bee landed safely back on my tongue only to go back home behind my molars.  One can dream can’t they?  One…can…dream.  Anywho, back to the beverage at hand.  The level of carbonation is low but that can be attributed to the fact that SAPS Cola is sweetened with honey.  Carbon Dioxide doesn’t bond as well with honey (or other natural but alternative sweeteners) as it does with sugar.  This in turn leads to a perfectly new soda tasting “flat”.  I wish I could say I knew that because of my immense chemistry background but in actuality I was told this by a soda manufacturer.  I used to be bothered by this flat taste when I started reviewing but I’ve come to appreciate the mouth feel of these drinks now.  They don’t attack your mouth and throat as much allowing you to focus on the beverage at hand instead of reacting to the initial buzz (haha, get it, buzz?) of the carbonation.  With all that said it’s time to put down a verdict.  I can honestly say that the ingredient list bumps this cola up a notch.  Would this by my drink of choice if I lived in Germany?  No, probably not.  Do I recommend you purchase this from overseas?  Nope.  If you live in Germany already but haven’t had the chance to try this should you?  Yes.  In fact…

Twist ist durstig

Reed's Original Ginger Brew

   We've reviewed so manyReed’s Gingerproducts it amazed me to find out that we’ve never tried their Original Ginger Brew.  Well guess what, and unless you’re horrible at guessing you’ll probably guess correctly.  That’s right we’re shutting the site down out of embarrassment… after of course we review Reed’s Original Ginger Brew, review several other sodas, make a profit off of the site, open a store that rivals Wal-Mart in terms of power, achieve a cult like following, and buy golden DeLoreans only to have endangered owls race them to a fiery, fiery, aftermath.  So let’s get to it!

   Much like the other Reed’s Ginger products, this one has quite the ginger aroma.  No it doesn’t smell like a red-head… that would be creepy.  What it does have is 17 grams of fresh ginger per bottle.  Now this concerns me a bit because the bottle says “All Natural Jamaican Style Ginger Ale”, but this is starting to seem more like a ginger beer.  Only one way to find out… inject it into my veins.  Sadly my Ginger Injection Machine (G.I.M) is on the fritz, so I’ll just drink it instead.  Have I mentioned that I’m feeling a bit off today? I have no idea why.

   Delicious!  So far it’s as promised… rich, flavorful, ginger ale!  While the side of the bottle clearly says “Strong Ginger Bite”, I think I’m home free from experiencing something that would set my tonsil holes ablaze.  It’s very light in carbonation, which normally would be bad for a ginger ale in my book, but the rich flavor of ginger really makes me not care much about anything else.  “Wait Aaron… if the ginger flavor is so rich, why isn’t it burning your mouth?”  Who said that?  Oh, you!  First off, leave my house… wait don’t forget your wallet.  Secondly, I compare it to having really rich chocolate that doesn’t taste overly sweet.  Ok… the answer is that I don’t really know.  I see that this has 8 grams less than Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew (which is a ginger beer), so I’m sure that plays a large factor.  I had a bit of a stomach ache earlier, and the ginger is effectively knocking that out as well as giving my stomach a warming sensation.  Thanks Reed’s.  Threeds.  The only negative thing I can say about this is that it leaves a bit of a film in your mouth.   The film has the same consistency of what you might find in the after effects of a swig of grape juice, of course that only applies if you have the same reaction to grape juice as I.  Even with that tiny complaint, this still ranks as one of the best ginger ales that I’ve ever tasted. 

~A

Faux Fact: Iguanas are a combination of water, ginger, and scales

Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock Soda

   As promised I’m going to try something a little different today with the review today.  In front of me is the head of a dog.  I don’t know if the dog’s name is Fentiman, or if Fentiman is a particularly unattractive person who happens to look like a dog.  It doesn’t matter who/what Fentiman is.  What does matter is that I have a bottle of his Dandelion & Burdock soda in front of me, given to us by Dustin H.  Since I haven’t the slightest idea of what this could taste like, I thought it might be fun to do the review without trying the soda… then taste the soda and give the real review.   Care to play?  Yes, let’s.

***Faux Review:

Ok let’s take some time to smell the roses…er… dandelions, and open this beautiful bottle up.  Wow, the smell isn’t quite as strong as I thought it’d be, but what I do smell has a fruity scent to it.  The closest thing I can describe the smell to is mixed berry yogurt, Yoplait of course.  Ok, enough smelling… time to drink!

Hmm… that’s a hard flavor to describe (especially when I haven’t tasted it yet, tee hee).  While I definitely still taste the berries I initially smelled, I also get kind of an earthy flavor hitting me in the spot my tonsils used to reside.  I like this, but I don’t think I’d drink it every day.  The sweetness is just about perfect, but I wish there was a bit more fizz to this.  I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I’m glad I ended up giving it a try.  Speaking of trying new things…

Faux Verdict – Buy a Pack***

   Ok, how was that?  Hopefully it’s fairly accurate, but we’re about to find out for realsies.  Let’s open this bad boy up.

   Ok it definitely does have a fruity smell, but much closer to a combination of cherries and grape Robitussin.  I can smell the slight amount of alcohol in this.  Just a heads up, it is fermented, and has less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.  I decided to drink this because it was given to us by a fan, but it technically doesn’t meet all of our standards for a soda we’d normally review.  Enough chatter, let’s take a swig.

   That is a peculiar flavor, and I don’t really taste much sugar at all.  Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock starts off with a flavor comparable to cough syrup, which transforms into… well, cough syrup.  It’s obviously not thick like cough syrup so I guess that’s a plus.  Oh no!  Someone has put a gun to my head, and is making me describe it in one sentence!  It tastes like cough syrup soda without the vapory feeling cough syrup gives your mouth.  Fwew!  He’s gone… thanks for all your help!  Oh, another thing.   It also has a bit of a black licorice finish to it, but it’s so slight I reluctantly added it only after Twist made me.  One positive comment I will say about Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock is that you don’t have to search for the flavor… unlike my previous experience with Dry Soda Co. Lavender.  Sadly though, it seems that this really isn’t up my alley… and that’s fine.  If you’re a big fan of the ‘Tussin maybe you should give it a try.  I for one like a little ‘Tussin.

~A

Twist got soooooo WASTED!

Topo Chico Lime

   I’m a bit late posting this, but today’s drink is actually last Friday’s drink.  Last Friday’s drink was Topo Chico Lime Flavor.  If you happened to listen to the Popcast from last Friday, and you’re missing some good stuff if you didn’t, you already know how this review ends up.  Actually I’m going to break format today and turn this into a rant.  First off, let’s get the review portion of this out of the way…

   Topo Chico Lime Flavor has somewhat of a lime smell, but it’s really only to taunt you.  After consuming this you’ll immediately learn that it is basically seltzer water with the hintiest hints of lime.  That’s it, review over, check the end for the rating.  Sorry if that wasn’t all your dreams lead you to believe it would be, but I’m tired.

   Tired you say?  Yes, I’m tired of the lack of good lime flavored beverages.  I’m not talking Key Lime, or Cherry Limeade, or that made up “Lymon” nonsense… I’m talking LIME.  You know lime; he’s lemon’s overlooked, but equally awesome brother.  Lime is one of my favorite flavors, but soda companies seem to mute it, over sweeten it, or pair it with another flavor when they make a soda out of it.  I want to find an AWESOME lime soda.  I want to find a lime soda that hits you in the mouth with how tart it is, then rocks you back to sleep with some sweetness.  It should be refreshing on a hot day, and have a light mouth/stomach feel to it.  While I’m making demands, it should also use cane sugar for sweetener.  Actual limes should be used in the beverage itself, and you should be able to taste them.  Topo Chico uses lime essential oils in this “lime flavored” beverage.  I’m pretty sure they aren’t all that “essential” to the limes that are missing them, because they hold none of the flavor.  So this is my challenge to you soda manufacturers, jerks, and jerkettes… find me a good lime flavored soda.  By finding one you will be helping me see that our friend the lime isn’t being overlooked.  For smurfs sake they make passion flower flavored soda!  Now make me some lime soda; you’ll be improving the lives of so many if you do.  Oh yeah, one more thing…

~A

Twist the Iguana has more lime flavor than this

OKF Sparkling Fresh Grape

   Have you ever seen a clear can?  Well I hadn’t either until I picked up OKF Sparkling Fresh Grape.  Technically the can in question isn’t aluminum, but plastic… much like the lower half of a 20 oz bottle.  It’s really more of a can/bottle hybrid, but the important thing is that it’s in front of me.  If you listen to our Popcast you already know how we feel about this drink, and that I won’t have any problem reviewing it again in text form.  Here’s a fun fact that OKF Sparkling Fresh Grape taught us… the word Raisin is French for Grape.  Who knew?  The French I guess.  Whelp, it's time to open the canotle… botan… cattle… can/bottle.  (You really can’t combine the words that well)

   The drink has a fresh smelling grape juice aroma, which makes sense since it’s one of the six listed ingredients (even though it is only 1% of the total beverage).  It even smells a little sweet, so we’re off to a good start here.  Let’s drink.

   Just as we described on the Popcast, that while this drink is lightly flavored, it’s just the right amount for what it is.  I really think the cane sugar helps bring out the grape juice flavoring, and that’s honestly what puts it over the top for me flavor wise.  The carbonation is also light, making this just fizzy enough to separate itself from flavored water, but light enough to still be refreshing.  Fortunately the taste matches the light grape juice smell, with just a touch more sweetness added to it.  Now, I could easily drink more than the 8.3 oz that come in this bottle, but having such a small portion really makes it seem like a reward instead of a drink.  All in all, OKF Sparkling Grape is a pleasant beverage by all aspects; it’s healthy, all natural, light, sweet, and comes in a cool container.  With all that said…

~A

Twist finally made it over to Mike's house... and proceeded to eat all of his Zelda collectibles

Safeway Select - French Berry Lemonade

   I hold in my hand 11oz of Safeway Select – French Berry Lemonade.  The term Safeway Select seems kind of like an oxymoron to me.  Seriously, how could anything be a “Select” brand when it comes from Safeway?  Dan the Fan brought this to me, and I was immediately intrigued by the aspect of drinking carbonated lemonade.  I’ve recently, in the past 3 years or so, started appreciating lemonade much more than I did in my youth.  This lemonade, lucky me, has strawberry infused with it.  As I look at the ingredient label on this oddly shaped bottle, I’m pleased with what I read.  This soda contains carbonated water, sugar, natural lemon flavor, natural strawberry flavor, citric acid, and grape skin extract for color.  That’s a top notch ingredient list, especially when you notice the lack of sodium benzoate.  The label has a French stylization to it, which makes me think I’m about to drink something fancy… that is until I look up and see the word Safeway.  Enough rambling, time to open this up.

   I wish this had a normal bottle cap on it, not one of those bottle caps with the longer sides.  This has a very sweet smell that seems to lean toward the strawberry side.  Let’s take a walk on the strawberry side, shall we?

   Impressive amount of fizz here in this first sip… hopefully that holds up.  It starts off with the same tongue tingling sensation that a flavored sparkling water does, but fortunately this actually has the flavor to back it up.  The flavor itself isn’t over powering, but I’m definitely enjoying it.  The lemon flavor gives way to the strawberry, much as its odor did.  Even though the strawberry flavoring is the more prevalent of the two, the lemon is still tasted in the later stages of the drinking process.  I found the aftertaste to be pleasant as well; in fact it’s a little sweet.  I’m very impressed with this Safeway Select – French Berry Lemonade.  It has a very light mouth feel, an enjoyable flavor, and top notch ingredients.

~A

Faux Fact:  All iguanas are of French origin

ESSN Energy - Pomegranate Lime Flower

   Today’s drink comes once again from B. Neal.  He’s given us a wide variety of drinks, from the very good… to the very horrible.  Let’s hope this drink, ESSN Energy – Pomegranate Lime flower, is the prior.

   The 2nd largest word on the can is “Organic” so they seem to think pretty highly of the fact that this is indeed an Organic energy drink without “those chemicals, funky tasting preservatives and not-so-pleasant jitters.”  We’ve had an all natural energy drink before by Reed’s, and it was surprisingly good.  Here’s hoping once again.  Let’s open it up.

   I’m immediately scared because it smells like lime (good), flowers (good, good), and airplane glue (what?!).  Against my better judgment, it’s time to drink.

   Ok, while it may be totally organic, it tastes like it’s made of chemicals.  Airplane glue perhaps?  The side of the can mentions how well the “crisp berry taste blends perfectly with the lime flower.”   I’ll tell you right now that if it truly is blended perfectly, then they never should have been blended in the first place.  This is one of the most vile energy drinks I’ve ever had the opportunity to taste.  It wouldn’t be so bad if the side of the can didn’t brag about how much better this tastes than chemical filled drinks.  It tastes to me how acetone smells, and I refuse to drink any more of this.  Now I’ve had this in my fridge for a while, so I’m going to check the “drink by” date on the bottom of the can to make sure I didn’t judge this in haste.  Ok, it does say “Best by April 2010” so by their standards I’m in the clear.  The only positives I have for this is that the can is a nice color, and it’s not as bad as Malta Hatuey (but garners the same score)…so, hooray?

~A

Twist is the better drink in this picture

Dry Soda: Juniper Berry

   Juniper Berry… what is it?  The first sentence on the Juniper Berry Wikipedia page states that…

Ajuniper berryis the femaleseed coneproduced by the various species ofjunipers.

Well that's fine and dandy like sour candy, but it doesn't tell me what it'll taste like.  Let me start over.  I'm drinking another concoction of Dry Soda; in fact their Juniper Berry flavored soda.  The last Dry Soda I had was lavender flavored, and it confused me.  I know to expect a very lightly flavored drink with some bitterness to follow.  Let's find out if this Juniper Berry Soda is as predictable as I think it will be.

This drink smells like a flower in a garden.  I can’t even imagine the taste, so that means I probably can’t predict the flavor.  Time to upend, and serve.

   Upon first drink you’re initially hit with a seltzer water flavor, which is a bit off putting.   The side of the bottle does say that it has a “pine essence”.  While I don’t know what that means in the world of flavor, it could be what I tasted.  Afterwards, and you do have to wait a bit, you’re greeted with the most subtle berry flavoring you’ve ever experienced.  It’s just enough to take away the bitterness of the previous flavor.  They have cane sugar listed as an ingredient, but this has little to no sweetness.  I will say that it’s a very crisp drink, and I’m noticing with each sip the berry flavor starts to outweigh the initial seltzer.  I have a one big gulp left, and I really think it’s time to ramp it up a bit and CHUG SOME JUNIPER BERRY!  Wow, the floral aroma really hits you while chugging.   It’s an odd sensation to drink a flower, but this is probably the closest I’ll ever get.  Random Fact:  According to the Dry Soda website this pairs well with Quail.  So you know… the next time you’re enjoying some quail… pull out your Juniper Berry flavored Dry Soda.  When I drink Dry Soda I almost feel like my palette isn’t complex enough to fully comprehend it, and then I see them suggest quail as a pairing… and I sigh.  Dry Soda Juniper Berry, and Dry Soda as a whole it seems, is not for someone who thinks they love soda.  Juniper Berry, much like lavender, is so complex it’s intimidating.  I know I was all over the place with this review, but it’s so unique that my verdict will mirror Lavender… and probably every other Dry Soda I try from here on out.

~A

Twist insisted this picture be grainy... something about a skin flaw.

Reed's Natural Energy Elixir

   My apologies for putting this review up so late after we completed the Popcast.  We try and have them up within a few days after recording, but with the holidays, and all, I got behind.  Wait a second… why am I apologizing?  I’m a Jerk!  Today I hold in my hand a beverage with an erupting volcano on the front, Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir.  I’ll tell you right now that I’m excited to drink this for a couple of reasons.  Reason one is that it’s from Reed’s, and they very rarely steer us in the wrong direction.  The second reason is that this beverage holds the title of an elixir.  I wish there were more elixirs on the market.

   Since this is an energy drink you would assume it has a chemical taste.  Well had you listened to the Popcast you’d know that it does not, and that can be attributed to its long list of natural ingredients.  Here’s the list that they put on the side of the can, with each of their benefits.

Ginger – powerful antioxidant, increases metabolism, elevates mood, improves digestion and nutrition absorption.

Green Tea – rich in epigallacatechin gallate (EGCG) a powerful antioxidant, a natural source of caffeine, lowers bad cholesterol.

Ginseng – a powerful adaptogen that counters stress and increases endurance.

Goji – Himalayan longevity secret with powerful antioxidants, counters aging, and increases resistance to disease.

Açaí – a rainforest super fruit packed with antioxidants, energy, and nutrition

Camu Camu – a rainforest super fruit with the highest concentration of vitamin C on any plant, antioxidant, mood balancing, antidepressant.

Jiaogulan – called the immortality herb, a powerful adaptogen that increases the body’s resistance to stress.

L-Theanine – an amino acid that creates a sense of relaxation and alertness similar to meditation.

B Vitamins – essential nutrients that help counteract stressful living.

   With this being my second can of Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir, I am sure I will achieve strenght, and immortality with the above ingredients.  I will overpower Mike (since he foolishly only had one can) and become the lone Soda Jerk.  Being a Soda Jerk is a lot like being a Highlander… except real.  Let’s move on shall we.

   After I crack open the top, I immediately get the strong smell of ginger, with a hint of honey.  It’s not exactly an inviting odor to me, but it doesn’t scare me away either.  It is nice to have such a powerful aroma coming off the top of a drink though; it means that each sip will more than likely be flavorful.  Let’s drink.

   As stated earlier, this drink doesn’t have the chemical taste of other energy beverages.  In fact if you look at the ingredient list as you drink, you can pick out the individual flavors.  You can taste the honey, the lemon/lime… this elixir has a complicated set of flavors if you look for it.  Ginger root is still the strongest flavor in the can, and it’s pretty well documented that I don’t like the burning sensation ginger produces when consumed, and Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir is a culprit as well.  I will say that it doesn’t have the burn of a ginger beer, and it’s tolerable by my own standards.  Since we judge all beverages the same, I will say that as sodas go it’s just alright.  On a second note, this drink does work well at giving you energy.  I don't feel jittery after trying it, just much more aware of what's going on around me.  The score won’t reflect how good of an energy drink it is, and let me tell you it’s a good one.  

~A

Twist has enjoyed 5 cans so far... there can be only one!

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

Hot Lips Black Raspberry Soda

   Today’s installment is for Hot Lips Black Raspberry Soda.  We’ve reviewed a couple of Hot Lips sodas before.  One was the delightful Pear Soda, and the other was the less delightful Strawberry.  I say less delightful because the lemon juice was overpowering in the flavor of the Strawberry soda. 

   Since I really enjoy the ingredient list on the side of Hot Lips brand soda I will list it here.

Carbonated Water, Black Raspberries grown in Willamette Valley, OR, Can Sugar, Organic Lemon Juice

   As I push my nose closer to the opening of the bottle I notice that the beverage has a light, but healthy raspberry smell.  I really enjoy raspberries, as previously stated, so I now look forward to what I’m about to experience.

   Upon initial taste I notice very little carbonation, and have to remind myself that the bottle lists this beverage as “lightly carbonated”.  There is a slight raspberry tartness to it, as well as a noticeable sweetness.  Thankfully the sweetness is not overpowering, allowing the natural flavor of the berry to be tasted.  Fortunately for this beverage, the lemon juice listed on the ingredients does not overpower, unlike its strawberry counterpart.  I just got a black raspberry seed lodged in my tooth.  Normally I wouldn’t like this sensation, but in this case you know the Hot Lips Company is serious when they write that their sodas are made of natural ingredients.  While I wouldn’t reach for this beverage to be refreshed, it does a fairly good job of quenching a thirst.  (Sound like Déjà vu?) I would have to suggest that it be enjoyed by itself, as I personally don’t think its natural flavor would play well with others.  Much like the strawberry, this beverage is for a select audience, but if I saw it listed at a restaurant I would order it off the menu just to impress those that I’m with.  For those who think soda is bad for you… pick up any Hot Lips soda to be proven wrong.

Twist thinks he has "hot lips"... just play along

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

Virgil's Orange Cream Soda

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

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

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

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

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

Hot Lips Strawberry Soda

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

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

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

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

~A

Twist likes strawberries

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

Romano's Sour Apple

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

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

~A

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

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