Gamer Soda Orange

   Gamer soda is back in our hands, and this time it has the flavor of oranges.  As you may know we’ve already tried two of the Gamer soda flavors… cherry and citrus.  I’m a fan of orange soda, so I’m quite interested to see how well this clear concoction delivers.   Let’s open it shall we?

   The smell is most definitely orange.  It’s not a chemically smelling orange either; in fact it smells like the fine mist that occurs when you squeeze an orange peel.   For now I’m going to file that in the “Yay” book.  Drinkin’ time.

   Well that’s odd.  The smell definitely has a more lingering orange experience to it than the taste.  Gamer Orange doesn’t have a diet taste to it, but the mouth feel is that of a diet drink.  What I mean by that is it doesn’t sit heavy in your mouth like say a Sunkist Orange Soda would.  A light mouth feel is fine and dandy (like sour candy) but this is just a bit too light for me.  Picture one of those people who own a pet parrot, but are really too close to it.  You know the people I’m talking about, they allow the birds head into their mouth so it can pick at their teeth.  Now picture a parrot of your choosing picking at the teeth of its owner, who we will now call Raphael.  This particular parrot accidentally dropped a candy orange slice on the back of the Raphael’s tongue (no questions on how he got one, parrots are crafty creatures), but then being greedy the parrot immediately picked the orange slice back up again.  This only teased Raphael’s taste buds to the fantastic flavor of orange he could be experiencing had he not raised a greedy parrot.  That is what Gamer Orange tastes like… without the taste of parrot feathers of course.  The beverage taunts you with what it could be if the flavor only lasted a little longer.  Sure you have a decent aftertaste, and in a lot of cases that would be enough for me, but not in this one.  After this rant you might think that I’d rate this beverage lower, but the orange flavor they tease you with really is tasty… like crackers.

~A

**Update!**

We received an e-mail from Gamer Soda explaining the way the flavor hits your tongue!

Considering your parrot analogy, when you sweeten with real (cane) sugar, the flavor comes & goes quicker because it doesn’t coat your mouth like syrup. HFCS has been commercially used for so long now that most consumers have gotten used to it’s yuckiness. You can really tell the difference when comparing side-by-side, and if you ever compare the 2 at room temperature, there’s a huge difference (not that you’d drink a soda at room temperature…this almost qualifies as a sin). The cane sugar soda tastes fine, but the HFCS can barely be tolerated. Lastly, cane sugar sodas don’t need nearly the same carbonation, because you don’t have to trick your taste buds like you do when using corn syrup. As they say, you get what you pay for!

Thanks to Gamer Soda for showing an interest in the site, and helping teach us all a little bit more about soda.

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Gamer Soda)

After one too many oranges I can get Twist to clean my teeth

Saint Arnold Root Beer

   Funny story… we’ve reviewed Saint Arnold’s Root Beer before, but we lost the review.  So here it is again… kinda.  Many people in Houston feel that Saint Arnold’s Root could be the best root beer out there.  I think this has to do with the Saint Arnold’s Brewery being located in Houston (Saint Arnold is the patron saint of hop-pickers and Belgian brewers), but you can’t blame citizens being proud of something from their hometown.  I was born and raised here in Houston, so let’s find out if by the end of this review Saint Arnold doesn’t get a title upgrade.  Wait… what’s higher than a Saint?  Never mind…  it’s time to open.  Wait, I can't continue without mentioning this.  The bottle cap says "Saint Arnold - Yummy Root Beer" Really?!  Ok, REVIEW ON!

   The smell is quite nice, vanilla is definitely noticed which is pleasant.  If I had to compare it to a brand that most everyone has tried then I’d say it’s very similar to IBC in odor.  Let’s check out the taste.

   That whole “smell is 80% of taste” thing just might have some validity behind it, as this tastes similar to IBC Root Beer as well.  The vanilla I tasted is also featured, but quickly ducks behind the curtains only to shove carbonation onto the stage.  That was just a fancy way of saying that I tasted the vanilla, but then the burn from the bubbles took over my mouth.  So far so good right?  Not so fast there Sport.  The finish of this root beer is quite watery.  Not obscenely watery mind you, but something that’s going to take its rating down a notch.  “But I like watery root beer” you say, well what if that watery finish was followed by a dirty aftertaste?  “But…but…but…” you’d stammer, and then I’d tell you to visit our site and try again.  Saint Arnold’s got halfway to a good root beer and then stopped.  The first half of your taste experience is great, and sets your mind to positive thoughts.  Sadly the second half just doesn’t deliver.  Let’s try this Generation Y example… the first half of the beverage is TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze… the second half is TMNT 3: Turtles in Time.  If you thought that TMNT 3 was awesome, then I have no more words for you… well except these.

~A

Faux Fact:  Twist is the patron saint of bottle caps.

Bundaberg Australian Ginger Beer

   Oh boy!  It’s time to remind myself of how much of a wuss I am as I attempt to consume a Bundaberg Australian Ginger Beer.  Read as I curl into the fetal position because the main ingredient is “fire”.  There is no actual fire in this bottle, but something tells me that if I can’t drink an American ginger beer without discomfort, an Australian one will leave me in tears.  If you don’t know our history of reviewing ginger beer, here’s a short lesson.  Neither one of us can finish a bottle because our throats cry as much as you do when you watch Steel Magnolias.  BURN!  Yes, we’re talking about the burn.  You know the packaging… cool top, cool kangaroo, and pieces of ginger floating within.  Let’s take a whiff.

   Smells like ginger… I was always a Mary Ann kinda guy myself though.  BRING ON THE PAIN!

   The first drink is how I remember most ginger beer, a little bit of bite, with an almost gingersnap aftertaste.  It’s like the ginger beer is luring you into a safe place, waiting to pounce on you with napalm.  Let’s us now continue… counting along the way to see how many drinks it will take before I can takes no more!  Two.  I felt a little bit of the fire on this one, but nothing that’s going to scare me off.  Three.  The flames are lingering a bit more, but I’m still enjoying the flavor enough to keep on going.  Four.  That gulp had some bite in it… not so much fire as the initial sting of the ginger.  I kind of liked it.  Am I becoming a man?  Five.  Tamer than four, and I think I’m going to stop counting now and see if I can’t just finish this off.  I’ve now consumed more than half the bottle, and while my throat is in a little bit of discomfort, finishing this beverage will make me feel better about myself. (88 MPH)  Finished, and the only time I felt any true discomfort was on the last swig.  While I know I shouldn’t, I genuinely feel tougher.  Yes look at me; I’m so tough I can drink an Australian ginger beer.  Ha HA!  Watch as my fist goes through this brick wall, into a bank safe, and comes out with a fist full of diamond dust that I created by crushing a piece of coal.  To be honest I’ve had harsher ginger beer, but I could never truly appreciate them due to my kitten like sensitivities.  With Bundaberg Australian Ginger Beer I’m able to drink, taste, and enjoy it while getting a feeling of accomplishment at the end.  This has a great ginger flavor, a tolerable amount of burn, and a rockin’ kangaroo on the bottle.  If you like ginger beer at all you’ll probably want to…

~A

Oddly enough, Twist had kangaroo for dinner

Zuberfizz Grape Soda

  Oh Zuberfizz, how you perplex us.  One minute I can be enjoying a delicious beverage from your factory, and the next I can open a different drink of the same flavor only to find it watery.  In front of me I have a bottle of Zuberfizz Grape Soda, and since I’m such a “Grape” guy, it’s my job to review it.  I already know Mike’s call on this beverage… he claimed that it was watery.  He also made that claim before we knew that Zuberfizz Soda was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde.  Now that we know that there are both, I have to hope this is one of the good ones.  If in fact it is watery, I have to hold it against them.  Hopefully, like Hot Lips did, they will explain why some of their beverages don’t quite match up to others.  Let’s open this up.

  Well some good news is the fact that it smells like a grape jolly rancher.  I really do hope that means the flavor is strong as well.  I always enjoy it when the cool refreshing cloud escapes from the neck of the bottle… if only it were the color of the beverage it was fleeing.   Time to drink.

  How sad, it’s watery.  While there is a decent amount of grape flavoring, it has no real bite.  It’s a smooth soda, but I’m not sure I like that for a grape flavored beverage.  I want to be able to feel this punch me in the back of the throat.  While I like that they use real cane sugar, this tastes to me like watered down grape soda that’s trying to hide behind its sugar.  What I mean by that is since there is no bite for the sweetness to compete with; it makes the drink seem too sweet.  It’s not a gross flavor by any means, but I can’t recommend you buy this when there is better tasting, cheaper, grape sodas out there.  Could this be a watery batch… sure, but until I taste a better one.

~A

Twist hid my camera, so I had to take a weird angle shot with my phone

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Zuberfizz)

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

Gamer Soda Cherry

   Remember Crystal Pepsi?  As a child I was amazed that Pepsi could be clear, and still have the same flavor as its original counterpart.  My mind literally exploded out of my ears when I learned that there could be a clear, non citrus flavored beverage.  How far science had taken us in the 10 short years I’d been alive.  I wax poetically on Crystal Pepsi because in front of me sits a clear cherry flavored beverage called Gamer Soda.  This cherry flavored Gamer Soda was sent to us by the fine folks at Gamer Soda, and to back up our end of the bargain we’re gonna review it.  By all accounts this beverage is right up our alley.  We both enjoy video games, and obviously we both enjoy soda.  The bottle art has a red hue to it so that it might represent the cherry flavoring, and the nutritional information is listed clearly at the top of the bottle… almost like a status bar in a video game.  The logo for Gamer Soda is somewhat witty as they use what looks to be a generic console controller as the “M” in the word Gamer.  All in all the appearance is nice, not over the top, but still original enough to maybe catch your eye.

   I open the bottle expecting a very light cherry odor to come out of the top of the bottle.  To my surprise the cherry scent comes rolling out at a much higher abundance than I imagined.  It’s not at a Cherry Crush level of scent, but it’s still stronger than you’d think.  Let’s drink this.

   Light is the first word that comes to my mind.  That’s not the flavor description, but the actual mouth feel of the soda is light.  This isn’t as heavy of a drink like something you might experience in an IBC Black Cherry, which I am also a fan of.  While I do normally associate a heavier taste with cherry flavored beverages, the fact that this one isn’t quite at powerful actually works for it.  I consume heavier beverages with less frequency than those that sit more lightly in my stomach, and I think the lack of coloring is helping that cause.  What I’m trying, and failing to say is this, it seems that the fine folks at Gamer Soda have reached a very good place when it comes to the amount of flavor, and how rich the beverage is.  Coupled with the fact that they use both Vitamin B, and cane sugar in their product and you get a good soda that you’ll be going back to.  After trying cherry I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to reviewing the Grape flavored Gamer Soda.  We said it best during the Popcast when it came down to giving it a score, so if you want the full explanation you’ll have to listen.  For now you’ll just get this…

~A

Faux Fact:  Twist can turn invisible

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Gamer Soda)

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

Dad's Root Beer

   Today’s installment from the Popcast is Dad’s Root Beer… which I know Mike hates.  How do I know this, well he seems to tear off bits of my soul with his stare when I mention it.  I know it’s not going to be that bad, so here goes the review.   The label is pretty boring, but it’s an older drink so I guess we can let that slide.  Moxie on the other hand is one of the oldest drinks, but has a fantastic label… so I take back my previous “slide” for Dad’s.

   Upon opening Dad’s it smells rather odd for a root beer.  It almost has a minty smell, with some cinnamon undertones.  It’s like you tried to make your first pie, and just added all the smell good spices in hopes that something positive will come out of doing that.  Well we all know that cinnamon/basil pie wouldn’t be that great, so let’s see what the drink equivalent tastes like.

   While this certainly does not taste like a root beer, Mike’s supreme hatred for this is unwarranted in my book.  Sometimes a drink just tastes badly to someone for no reason other than the fact that their taste buds are wired a bit differently.  My example of oddly wired taste buds is the fact that I don’t like watermelon.  People think I’m crazy for hating its taste, I’m not, but my taste buds missed out on watermelon day when being created.  Moving on.  This to me honestly tastes like Pepto Bismol Root Beer.  Which is another reason why Mike probably hates this, and I don’t mind it.  I like the flavor of Pepto Bismol.  Would I ever mix Pepto and Root Beer?  No, I can assure you I wouldn’t, but now that I’ve tried it I can’t say that it’s horrible.  To summarize… Dad’s Root Beer doesn’t taste like root beer.  It tastes like Pepto Bismol flavored root beer.  Don’t you wish you’d just skipped to the end now?

~A

Twist was feeling nauseous, so he missed picture day

Sunkist Float

   One of our first reviews was for A&W Float in a bottle.  Mike hated that drink, and when I asked why he told me it tasted of rancid milk.  I scoffed at him as I took my first few sips, then realized he was right.  The taste of overdue milk had invaded my mouth, it was ruining everything about my day.  Now over two years later I have its sister in front of me… Sunkist Float in a bottle.  This was given to us by a fan named Abel A, so I thank you Abel A.  Now I’m a fan of Sunkist Orange Soda, it’s one of the better generic brands out there if you ask me.  If this ruins my taste for Sunkist, so help me there will be blood.  Time to crack it open, and take a whiff.

   Sigh… it smells of rancid milk, and oranges.  In a tone only Eeyore could replicate “Let’s drink.”

   Right off the bat I get the taste, and texture, of melted orange sherbet, and nothing else.  There is no real carbonation to be found here, although I know it’s there by looking on the label.  Looking at the label I also see that this is Sugar sweetened, well I learned something new.  Now, this isn’t anything you’re going to want to drink for refreshment; this is strictly a standalone beverage in my opinion.  I am happy to say that so far there is no sign of a spoiled milk flavor creeping up on me.  As you might suspect, Sunkist Float is a very sweet drink, but not overly so.  In trying to create a Float in a Bottle, I give them a C+.  I think if they carbonated it a bit more, and removed a bit of the thick texture it’d be a good beverage.  Overall Sunkist Float isn’t a bad drink, nor is it a great drink.  This is something you’ll see one day in a convenience store, and maybe you’ll buy it if you’re feeling wacky.  I’ll tell you right now that I’ll never buy this again.  That’s not meant to scare you off, I’m just guessing the experience won’t pull you back for more.

~A

Faux Fact: Iguanas eat over 4,500 lbs of oranges a day.

Deerfield Sweet Strawberry Cream

   I haven’t had many Strawberry Cream Sodas, in fact I’ve only had one… and it was delicious.  What I have in front of me is given to us by Dan the Fan, and it as you may have guessed is a strawberry cream soda.  It’s a Deerfield Trading Co. Strawberry Cream soda to be exact, a brand we’ve tasted/loved before, and it's time to review it.

   Upon opening this almost smells like strawberry soda with a bit of fruit punch mixed in.  There really is nothing amazing about the scent, so let’s upend and move on.

   The flavor is good, but it seems watery.  I really wanted to have my taste buds blown away by what should be a naturally powerful strawberry flavor.  To me this tastes like they took generic strawberry punch and... Wait a second, how about we do this in story form? 

   You’re at your High School Dance, and you’re feeling a bit thirsty.  Dressed to the nines you walk over to the concession booth, hand Ms. Grundy a nickel, and get yourself a delicious strawberry punch.  Just after you started on your strawberry punch Veronica/Reggie comes over and asks you to dance.  Being a gentlemen/lady you oblige them and wander out on the dance floor forgetting your strawberry punch, and instead dream you’re dancing with Nancy/Chuck.  If Veronica/Reggie could climb inside your head they would be heartbroken… HEARTBROKEN!  You consider yourself a horrible person, but then think “if Moose can find happiness with Midge, don’t I deserve to be happy too?”  As the song comes to a close you make eyes with Veronica/Reggie hoping they don’t see the dreams behind them.  Wandering back to your table, nursing a now bruised foot, you sit down to enjoy your strawberry punch.  Sadly though, all the ice has melted, and it’s once vibrant red is now a shade lighter.  You take a sip, and you are awash with disappointment as what was once delicious is now average at best.

~A

Twist always rooted for Big Ethel

Nu-Grape

   This week’s review, which you already know if you listen to the Popcast, is Nu-Grape.  If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m the resident Grape Soda reviewer.  Since my title is as such, I must now review Nu-Grape.  Let us begin.

   This is the some of the worst bottle art I’ve seen in a long time, and I realize I bring up bad bottle art more often than not.  It’s like they didn’t even try.  I’m all for simplistic art, in many cases it works better than highly detailed art.  Sadly though a yellow background and three simple stars will never catch my eye, or convince me to purchase something.  Time to open this up.

   The initial smell is that of a standard grape soda, even the chemical scent wafting out of the mouth of the bottle doesn’t scare me away.  While I usually try to stay away from chemicals in my soda, grape soda is the exception.  I’m sure I’ve explained that somewhere on the site before, but let’s just leave it at that for now.  Bottom’s up!

   This tastes like a standard grape soda, with a little more sugar in it than I’m used to.   You can definitely taste the chemicals, but something doesn’t quick sit right with me.  Maybe it’s the nail polish taste I occasionally get from it, maybe it’s the fact that I’d enjoy this flavor more as a Popsicle, or maybe it’s the fact that the label is now all over my hands.  My hands are covered in label ink now; someone must have taken the cheap route when making this label.  I will say that the design is way more interesting with a few smears here and there though.  This can’t really be blamed on Nu-Grape; it probably is the fault of the bottler.  I won’t list their name here incase I’m incorrect.  The long of the short of it is this… this is a basic grape soda.  It’s not overly special, it’s not overly gross.  The perfect situation for drinking it is this.  You’re out in the middle of New Mexico on some lonesome road.  You notice you’re running out of gas and stop at what seems to be an oasis of a gas station.  It looks like it hasn’t been touched by human hands in over 50 years, but that’s ok, all you need is gas.  After filling up you shamble inside out of the heat for just a bit to get something cool to drink.  The wooden floor echoes beneath your boot, as you wander over to the drink section.  This isn’t an ordinary drink section though, it’s just a big wooden box filled to the brim with ice.  In this ice sits one bottle.  Through the smearing label you can see that it reads “Nu-Grape.” So being thirst you buy a bottle.

~A

Twist doesn't like being at Mike's... hence his absence

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

Old Town Root beer Company – Sarsparilla

   Today’s installment, also found on Popcast Episode 11, is Old Town Root Beer Company – Sarsparilla.  It’s spelled “sarsparilla” on the bottle even though Word wants me to spell it sarsaparilla.  First off this has to be one of the most generic bottle labels I’ve ever seen.  Oh look it’s font with a root beer mug.  What’s this?  The bottle cap is a solid gold color... how fancy can you get?  Oh look their website is @msn.com.  Seriously, this is one of the most boring bottles I’ve seen in a long time.  It’s like when you create a team on a video game, and you end up with a two colored clip art image of an exploding basketball/football/baseball/soccer ball/hockey puck/lacrosse ball?/Frisbee/bowling ball/badminton bird/tennis ball/curling stone/rugby ball/fishing rod.  Let’s just open this up with hopes that the aroma can woo me.

   Wow, surprisingly good aroma this drink has.  This sarsparilla has a noticeable sweet vanilla scent when you first open it.  I’d say it’s inviting, but I was going to visit regardless of the smell.  Time to drink.

   I know sarsparilla isn’t the same thing as root beer, but it’s hard for me to convince myself it’s really something else.  Thankfully this has a flavor that differs a bit from root beer… a cream soda/root beer hybrid if that makes sense.  Drinking it creates such a smooth sensation, which I would have to attribute to the vanilla, that I actually enjoy the mouth feel of this drink equal to the flavoring.  I normally like to have longer reviews, but this drink is pretty simplistic.  It won’t wow you in any way, but it’s a very enjoyable beverage.  If you see some, pick it up, it’s that simple.

~A

Twist decided it was time to don his trademark hat again.  Very dapper!

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.

Coco Fizz

  We’ve been looking for a chocolate soda to try, but alas they are all diet.  Thankfully the folks at the Durango Soda Company make Coco Fizz, a non diet chocolate soda.  This beverage also has the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory label on it, so I assume they had a hand in making it too. 

  The label is disappointing in a lot of ways, for one it’s pretty boring.  I don’t think “chocolate” when I see an off white label with brown bubbles.  Secondly there is no actual cocoa in this beverage.  They do have cane sugar, but past that and the triple filtered carbonated water it’s just chemicals.  Maybe it’s hard to actually incorporate cocoa into a carbonated beverage, I don’t know.  I just find it a bit weird that it’s a chocolate soda, with the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory label on it… but there’s no chocolate listed as being in it.  Enough of this, let's upend and open.

  When you first open the bottle the chocolate aroma comes pouring out.  It makes you want to drink the beverage right away.  While I’m not happy that it’s a chemical filled beverage, the smell makes up for a lot of what I said earlier… if it can deliver on taste as well.  We don’t hate chemical beverages if they taste great… just look at Stewart’s Key Lime.  Check your watch, cause it’s time to drink.

  The first thing I think of when I drink Coco Fizz is that it tastes like carbonated Yoohoo.  You are greeted with a good chocolate flavor, but it’s not overpowering.  You aren’t refreshed by any means, but I don’t think you’re supposed to be.  This to me would qualify as a “treat”, or a “dessert soda”.  There is a slight cola undertone, but not nearly enough that you would even put this in the cola category.  When I tried this for the Popcast I thought that Coco Fizz had a very consistent flavor, chocolaty from start to finish.  Now that I’m drinking my review bottle it seems more watery at times; I don’t know if that’s my memory being faulty, or if it’s hard to make a consistently flavored chocolate soda.  The change in flavor does lower my opinion of Coco Fizz a bit though… the drink, not the folks who make it.  The aftertaste is sweet, and very pleasant.  You mouth will remember that you had a chocolate flavored item, and you will be happy that your mouth can do that.  Overall it’s an interesting beverage, a treat as I stated before.  It’s not something that you must have, but it’s something that you’d probably like to try… and maybe share with your friends.

~A

Fun Fact:  Twist is a recovering Choc-o-holic.  We're teasing him by making him pose for this picture.

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by ZuberFizz)

Pig Iron Cola

   Today’s installment is Pig Iron Cola, another soda given to me by Dustin H.  Had you listed to Episode 6 of the Popcast, you'd already know this.  I really don’t know what to think about this beverage.   I can tell you that it’s produced under the authority of Pig Iron BBQ.  I can tell you that their website is www.PigIronBBQ.net.  I can also tell you that their logo is certainly unique.  Now that you have all the knowledge I do, it’s probably best we look a little closer.

   Looking at the ingredients I’m pleased to find that they use cane sugar to sweeten it.  While that’s pretty much the only ingredient that sets it apart from “standard” colas, I’m still happy to see it.  The coloring of the soda itself is a dark brown, with faint red highlights when held up to a light.  The bottle cap adorning the top is your standard black top.  I prefer designs on bottle caps; it makes them stand out more.  Some people collect them, and if yours is a standard color what sets you apart?  Pig Iron Cola could easily do this, if it fits into budget of course.  Maybe one of the stars that circle their pig mascot would work something simple.   Now that I’ve broken down the bottle, it’s time to drink.

   Before I go on I must say that this has a very strong cola scent, one of the most powerful I’ve ever inhaled.  My expectations have gone up considerably.  I would almost recommend this cola on smell alone, but let’s taste it just in case. 

   This is certainly a cola, and a good one at that.  Just so you know what to base its flavor on, I would say that it most resembles RC Cola.  While it does taste like RC, it’s most certainly a stronger version of it.  This is potentially one of the strongest colas I’ve ever tasted.  Personally I think it has a strong amount of carbonation, Mike does not agree.  The cola flavor sticks in your mouth too, but you won’t have a problem with that as it’s quite pleasant.  If you’re like me some sodas affect the way your teeth feel.  In this case my teeth grind together a bit more easily after drinking Pig Iron Cola, not something I’m fond of but it’s a small complaint.  This is still a solid cola in my opinion, very strong, very brash, but the cane sugar still delivers a crisp feel to it.  I would score this higher, but other than being strong it doesn’t stand out to me in any other way.  If they changed the bottle design some, maybe added more natural ingredients, then I could see buying a case.  I realize that this is probably the second thought of someone running a BBQ, but our grading scale eases up for no one.  Still, I know nothing about Pig Iron BBQ, but I would assume that if their cola is this good, their BBQ must be great!  If you happen to stop into Pig Iron BBQ, I might just have the drink to compliment your meal.

~A

Twist likes BBQ too... crickets mostly

Zuberfizz: Key Lime Cream Soda

   I’m getting married soon, sorry ladies, and this past Christmas my best man bought me 8 random sodas, a keg of Virgil’s Root Beer, and a large metal bucket to ice said sodas in.  Couple that with the fact that I’ve known him for 12 or 13 years, and you now know why he’s my best man.   One of the sodas he gave me is Zuberfizz:  Key Lime Cream Soda.  Now having tried another Key Lime soda in the past, I can already tell you I’m excited.  What makes this an even more exciting moment is the fact that Zuberfizz uses sugar instead of HFCS in their sweetening process. 

Twist prefers Dum Dums to Saf-T-Pops

   I’m incredibly thirsty right now, which doesn’t happen very often when I’m about to review a soda.  The label isn’t helping the situation either.  “Classic Draft Soda” is written in a basic black font on the top of the label.  I’m sure they didn’t think anyone was going to care about that part of the label, but it’s making my mouth water.  Something about the phrase “Classic Draft Soda” just sounds so amazingly good to me.  The rest of the label is done in a classic 1940’s western style, which I think would look cool on a shirt.  The bottle cap is even awesome, the classic look they went with here is really winning me over.  Enough chatter, let’s open this up.

   Ever go to the bank, drive up or walk-in… it doesn’t matter.  If you have a totally awesome bank, or doctor, there will usually be a point where you can get a sucker.  They are usually multicolored, and in a bowl of some sort.  Me personally, I always go for the lime green suckers because I’m a sucker for lime. (Har, Har, Har)  This smells just like a lime green bank sucker, that’s all I’m going to say because I want to drink it now.

   It has a great Key Lime taste, a little tart, refreshing… I will already recommend you try this if you find it.  The cream soda aspect of it is certainly there in the mouth feel of this Zuberfizz concoction.  It’s a very creamy aftertaste with little carbonation.  You would think there would be more carbonation since the bottle proclaims “Feel the Fizz” but alas there is not.  It’s not too sweet, it’s just right in most aspects of flavor.  The aftertaste is that of green bank suckers, so the smell is dead on when compared to the flavor.  It leaves a little bit of a film on the back of my throat, that’s the down side to this drink.  If I could perfect this soda, I would make the finish a bit cleaner than it is already. 

A “Twist’s Choice” Recipient

Sjampie

   I asked a friend of mine who lives in the Netherlands to suggest a drink for me to review.  His response was the Dutch beverage Sjampie.  Fortunately he’s the kind of guy that will pick me up an extra bottle, and then take the effort to get it to me.  Thanks K!  Enough chatter, time to review me some Sjampie.

   Before I go any further I feel obligated to give you the correct pronunciation of Sjampie.  It’s pronounced  Shahmp-ee.  That’s not exactly how I would say it, mostly because Sh-jamp-ee is so much more fun to say.  Moving along.  The bottle art is quite plain; it has a few yellow/green bubbles adoring the top and bottom of the beverage, but nothing all that elaborate.  The name of the beverage, Sjampie, sits on the neck of the bottle, while Corvo (which I can only assume the manufacturer) rests on the base.  In-between the two brands read the words “Limonadegazeuse Sjampie”.  This, from my best guess, is the flavor I’m about to consume.  While I associate Limon with lemon/lime, the color of the soda is brown… which leaves me a bit perplexed. 

   Silly me, I tried to twist off a foreign cap forgetting they usually need a bottle opener, time to get my flip-flops. (My mom purchased me some flip-flops with a bottle opener on the bottom… she’s the best)  Wow… upon opening it I get the smell of egg-nog cola, with maybe with a just a hint of chocolate.  I know there is no possible way for that to be the flavor, but needless to say my curiosity keeps going up the longer I hold this bottle in my possession.  Let’s Drink.

   It has the essence of a cola, the bite, the color… but it also seems to have a citrus flavor hiding within.  This is remarkably hard to attach a flavor to it.  It’s almost like a lemon cola with something else going on inside of it.  There is very light carbonation, but that seems to work with Sjampie.  In fact the smell, taste, and light carbonation of Sjampie make it seem like a drink that would normally house alcohol.  The flavor is not overpowering, in fact it’s quite mellow; almost like a flat, slightly watered down RC cola with a handful of lemons dropped inside of it.  I will say that it leaves a film on my teeth, much like drinking a warm Coke would.  Ok… the word “Limonadegazeuse” on the side of the bottle is mocking me… therefore I must look up what it means.  **Time Passes** Oddly enough as one word I couldn’t find a translation, but when I separate them into “Limon” and “Gazeuse” I get Lemonade – Soda Water.  This is a very rough Dutch translation of course, but I’m happy that I was able to at least guess the flavor. 

Twist is 1/128th Dutch

Sangria Señorial

   If you’ve listened to the Popcast you already know what I’m going to say about Sangria Señorial.  If you haven’t, then get ready for a written review that will drive you to drinking… soda that is.  Ok, so here’s the skinny.  A fan of the show, Dan Dubs, gave us a bottle of Sangria Señorial to review.  Neither of us have ever had normal Sangria so we weren’t sure what to expect, so take my review with a grain of salt in this case.

   Looking at the bottle it seems like a classy beverage.  Sure, it could be a lot classier looking if it was placed in a glass bottle, but who am I to complain… oh yeah!  I have to immediately assume that this will have at least a grape taste to it based on the fancy logo, coupled with the fact that Sangria is basically “wine punch”.  Time to drink.

   Upon opening the bottle I can’t really smell anything.  Unfortunately I have to share this with Mike, so I must pour it in a glass.  Wow, apparently letting it breath opens up a whole new side to this beverage.  I now get the distinct smell of acetone wafting off the top of it.  If I could stop after smelling it I would, but as you know we do this for the big bucks, so here we go.  Alright, it’s not half bad for a beverage.  It has a very robust flavor, much like a "grown up" grape juice/soda.  It has a full body, and the odor dissipates the more you drink it.  I’m sure the odor doesn’t go away, but it’s like your taste buds are telling your nose that it’s ok to consume it.  There is a hint of tartness in it, and just enough sweet to battle it back.  Holding it up to the light it has a color much like a merlot.  This is certainly something, which if poured in the right glass, would look like a fantastic beverage to be drinking.  I can’t say that the flavor is addicting, but it’s unique, and certainly grows on you. 

 ~A

Twist had the day off... rough life being an iguana.

Romano's Creamy Strawberry

   My up and down relationship with the drinks from our friends at Romano’s Italian Soda is well documented on this site.  Today’s installment is one I’ve honestly been putting off, Romano’s Italian Soda Creamy Strawberry.  I was just recently was turned onto strawberry soda.  I can’t say that I love it, but it’s a solid flavor… I’m sure the rest of the world is glad I approve of it.  My only qualm with strawberry soda is the fact that it’s usually a bit too sweet for my complete liking.  Since Romano’s punched me in the face with their Sour Apple (in a good way) I thought their strawberry soda would be so sweet I’d be turned to sugar.

   Looking at the color of Romano’s Creamy Strawberry I feel a bit better about my decision to try it.  The only way I can describe it is pink bordering on red.  I like the color of this soda a lot actually; it has a fresh look to it.  I don’t know why, but I just feel that when I drink this I’ll be transported to a garden in spring time.   It’s time to delve down a little further.

   I must say that I’m quite intoxicated by the strawberry smell coming out of the mouth of this bottle.   It’s such a rich odor, there is no doubt that you’re about to enjoy the taste of strawberries.  I was neutral about trying this soda before, now I’m actually craving my first taste.  Let’s drink.

Creamy strawberry soda, the label says it all.  This is without a doubt the best Romano’s soda I’ve tried to date.  Think of drinking your basic strawberry soda, now instead of that bite you get at the end of it… you know the one that kind of hurts your throat a bit?  Instead of that bite you get a smooth cream all the way through the drink.  The lack of bite doesn’t take away from the flavor either.  Romano’s Italian Soda has a solid strawberry essence through, and through.  It’s a sweet drink, and while I got onto them for not making Blackberry tarter, I’m ok with this one being as sweet as it is since it’s labeled as a “creamy” beverage.  The aftertaste is just as delicious as the drink itself.  It doesn’t stick in your mouth; it’s moderately light and pretty refreshing.  While I don’t think I’ve had enough strawberry sodas to consider myself a connoisseur of them, this is the best strawberry soda I’ve ever had. 

~A

Twist was actually the inspiration for the song "Strawberry Fields Forever"

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