Granola Milk
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Sonic's The Reaper Spicy Margarita Mocktail
/As the overly long title says, we review The Reaper Spicy Margarita Mocktail from Sonic. It's infused with real deal Carolina Reaper peppers.
Sonic Red Bull Cherry Limeade Slush
/The Soda Jerks head to Sonic to try out the new Red Bull Cherry Limeade Slush
Hi-C Ecto Cooler
/
Long time readers of the site know that on occasion I’ll review a non-carbonated beverage. Most times I do so because I falsely believed the beverage was carbonated which leads to an embarrassing time for all. Other times it’s because I feel the beverage is culturally important enough at the time to include.
Read MoreXyience Xenergy Grape
/Another beverage from the folks at Xyience and it’s supposed to help with both energy levels and hydration. What I’ve got in front of me is a can of Xyience Xenergy Grape. From my previous Xenergy reviews I know that this is going to be more of a Gatorade/Powerade type beverage in terms of taste. Hopefully it stands out enough from the pack that I can reward it with a good review. Personally I think it’ll taste alright, but not be anything to write about...even though I’m about to. Here’s to me being wrong.
Twist was a Xyience major in college...the first time.
A stronger than suspected grape aroma jumps out of the mouth of the can. Immediately my doubts are turned into cautious optimism. Will a truly delightful grape taste be awaiting me instead of the somewhat watered down version I was expecting?
Ok, we’re working with a couple of positives and a couple of negatives here. Positive number one is the strength of the grape. It is stronger than your G’s and P’s, but not quite as strong as a grape soda. Even though it’s not carbonated there’s even a little bit of a punch to the finish. It’s a very smooth drink and I would even classify it as refreshing.
The negatives, or negative in this case, stops this from being an above average drink experience. With each sip I get a burst of Pedialyte taste. Now while I’ve learned that many folks like the taste of Pedialyte I am not one of them. This just opens up memories of when I was sick as a child. You may have noticed that I use the Pedialyte comparison quite a bit when it comes to lifestyle beverages. I think this is because their makeup is similar and their goal of hydration is the same. Unfortunately I have negative thoughts regarding this taste so the review score usuall suffers.
In the case of Xyience Xenergy though I will give them credit for having a decent grape taste. They do a really good job with their flavor even though they are sugar and calorie free. So I at least recommend you pick up a can the next time you see it.
~A
This beverage was supplied to us by Xyience.
Xyience Xenergy Pineapple
/Twist felt flat today, but his thighs looked GREAT!
Today’s Xyience experiment is pineapple flavored. Technically this can of Xenergy is +Lemonade, whatever that means, in addition to being pineapple flavored. I’m honestly not sure what to expect here, but I’m rolling with it. Like all the other Xyience products that we’ve reviewed it’s sugar free and has zero calories. They’ve been hit or miss so far in the flavor department so it will be interesting to see what side of the fence pineapple lemonade falls.
As the can cracks open the faint aroma that arrives is more lemonade than pineapple. In fact I’d be amazed if I could identify this as pineapple flavored based on the scent alone. Hopefully the taste doesn’t leave that much to mystery.
The initial taste I get is the tart bite of a lemon. Slowly it washes away and transforms into the pineapple lemonade we were promised. Truthfully it’s lemonade pineapple as the real star of the show cannot be mistaken. Throughout the entire gulp the lemon teases the tip of my tongue with a tingle of sour. This leaves the rest of my mouth awash with an average tasting lemonade. It’s on par with Minute Maid lemonade, which to me is on the weaker side of the big name brands.
Xyience Xenergy Pineapple is a very refreshing beverage. Something I would happily reach for on a sweltering day. It goes down smoothly which makes it easy to return for another sip. The lack of sugar isn’t overly noticeable and the flavor while pleasant isn’t memorable. All in all it’s a good energy drink, but an average tasting beverage.
~A
This beverage supplied to us by Xyience
Xyience Xenergy Tropical Punch
/So the last time I tried a Xyience Xenergy beverage I was quite impressed. It was refreshing, the taste was pretty good, it was all I needed it to be. Well today’s review is of Xyience Xenergy Tropical Punch where the key idea is Hydration. Tropical Punch flavor is caffeine free, sugar free, and loaded up with B vitamins. It’s also enhanced with electrolytes, but whatever. I just want this to be a tasty fruit punch.
Upon cracking open the can I get a familiar aroma. This smells a lot like Hawaiian Punch, but not quite as fierce. So they have the proto-typical fruit punch aroma happening. Will it translate into the flavor?
Meh, kinda. This tastes like watered down tropical punch which makes sense because it’s a “Hydration” product. I guess I should really be comparing the taste of this to Gatorade or Powerade, but I have my own standards of delicious tropical punch taste. In this case the “punch” is limited and the “tropical” is boring. As powerful as the flavors were in the last beverage I reviewed, typically much more subtle flavors at that, I expected topical punch to blow me away.
Twist was the muse behind 1999: A Space Oddity
Aside from being “watered down” there’s something in the aftertaste that just seems out of place. It’s a combination of burn and bitter that lasts for just long enough to sour my opinion on this beverage. The more that I chug it the more medicinal the aftertaste becomes. Wandering away from tropical punch and moving toward Pedialyte. I’ll be able to finish it this one time, but it’s not really something I’d be reaching for again.
So you’re saying to your monitor right now “Monitor, why be angry that a drink made for hydration is watered down?” You monitor will respond with this next sentence.
“Dave, The Soda Jerks rank beverages based on taste and little else”
So after you unplug your computer to kill it remember what it said. It Xyience Xenergy an alright hydrator? Sure. Do you want to have more than one in your fridge at any given time just to drink? Unless you want a weak tropical punch flavored beverage with the aftertaste of medicine, no...probably not.
~A
This beverage supplied to us by Xyience
Xyience Xenergy Honey Ginseng
/I don’t normally review non-carbonated beverages, but when the company who creates that beverage reaches out to me then who am I to say no. Today’s drink up on deck is Xyience Xenergy Honey Ginseng. Those of you who are fans of the UFC should recognize Xyience Xenergy as the official energy drink of the UFC. If you didn’t know that, then perhaps they should rework their ad campaign.
Xyience Xenergy is sugar free, zero calorie, and vitamin fortified. The Honey Ginseng flavor I’ve chosen includes Green Tea in the ingredients list along with several other words that you may have seen alongside some B vitamins and several other words that are much harder to say.
In case you weren’t aware Xyience means extreme science, and Xenergy is a blend of Zen and Energy. With all nomenclature explained we should be ok to move on.
The faintest of faint aromas sits at the mouth of my newly opened can. It smells slightly of honey and green tea...which is good because that’s what they’re going for. Hopefully the taste is as inoffensive as the scent.
Four word review. “Yay. Huh? Eh. Alright.” Now let’s break it down.
Yay. A cool refreshing burst of honey and green tea washes across my mouth. It cools everything it comes in contact with, satisfying a thirst I wasn’t even aware I had.
Twist is a Mad Xyientist.
Huh? The gears change direction and now the ginseng and chemicals take over. It’s not a complete 180 from what I first experienced, but I much preferred the initial taste to what I have now.
Eh. So I guess I’m stuck with this new taste, but my mouth has quickly accepted this fate. It’s not so bad and it’s still tastier than most energy drinks. I really wished that first flavor would have lasted longer.
Alright. So my wish is sorta coming true. During the aftertaste the ginseng gives way once again to the honey and greet tea I initially enjoyed. The only difference is that ginseng is still chilling there in the corner sulking because I didn’t like him as much. The sweetness from the honey leaves a lasting impression and makes it very easy to return the can to my mouth.
Xyience Xenergy Honey Ginseng is a fantastic energy drink and a pretty solid regular drink to boot. I could honestly see myself drinking this just because I enjoyed the flavor. Yeah, there is a bit of weakness shown in the middle of each sip, but XXHG doesn’t tap out. See what I did there? I worked in an MMA reference to make part of the review quirky. I should probably stop while I’m ahead.
~A
This soda supplied to us by Xyience
Body Works Relax
/I don’t normally review “shot” type beverages, but hey when you’re supplied a “shot” type beverage you review it. That’s exactly what ThirstMonger sent my way this week; a series of tiny bottles for various situations of life. The brand is Body Works and the drinks have titles like Energy, Wellness, and Sleep with ingredients that promote each. I picked Relax since I didn’t want a boost of energy and didn’t want to go to sleep. We all want to relax, right? The first thing I notice is that this label is flavor free. Sure the color is primarily purple, but nowhere on here can I find a flavor. Perhaps in the ingredients will prove more helpful.
Twist says Relax
Ok, I’m about drink some filtered water, citric acid, natural flavors, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, and sucralose. Well at least I know that the flavor in the bottle is “natural”. According to the bottle I’m supposed to drink then when I’m “Feeling Overworked. Feeling tension. A need to unwind. Stress. Anytime you need to relax”. As I said before, I just picked this because I don’t need to fall asleep and I don’t care to be jumping off the walls. Oh, and the purple color made me hope this was berry flavored. Let’s find out, shall we?
Out of the mouth of this tiny bottle the scent of berries appears. There’s a citrus scent lurking behind the front line berries, but I’m not sure how pungent they will be in the ensuing battle for taste.
Ok, so the immediate flavor that I experience is a very tart, berry explosion that I kind of enjoy. Less than a second after that the berry taste gets shoved into the mud by a bitter, chalky, coffee flavor that decided my drink experience needed to be ruined. I’m aware that people don’t drink “shot” type beverages for the flavor, but guess what I do for a “living”. I review beverages based on the “flavor” and this one isn’t great. I’ve already completed the tiny bottle even though I was trying to nurse it as slowly as possible. Each sip was the exact same experience, drink it, enjoy the berry burst, watch as the bitter, chalky, coffee flavor takes over, and then sigh because you’re about to take another sip. Will Body Works Relax make me relax? Probably so, but it didn’t make me want to drink more of it.
You know how you’ll see quotes promoting things you personally don’t think are all that great. Ever notice how they have ellipses before them or no punctuation at all? It’s just a series of words that the company grabbed from an article that helps make them look good. This next sentence is the one that the company would use. Body Works Relax is the best tasting “shot” type beverage I’ve had to date. With that said, I’ve had three and the other two were awful. Body Works Relax isn’t awful, but I’m not going to classify it as good either.
~A
Positive Energy Orange Juice
/Remember a while back when Mountain, sorry, MTN Dew tried their hand in the breakfast drink market with Kickstart? It all seemed rather forced, but then again I don’t work for Drink Co. and think of multi-million dollar ideas. Why are you trying to make a new breakfast beverage when the ones we have work so well. If you want to wake us up just add caffeine to what we already drink for breakfast. Segue. Positive Energy is the beverage ThirstMonger sent to me today and guess what it is, orange juice with caffeine. They also make a cranberry juice cocktail version, but I’ve been told that the OJ is the bees knees so it’s the one being reviewed.
Positive Energy Orange Juice is not made from concentrate, has no sugar added, and uses green coffee bean caffeine. I don’t really care what kind of caffeine they use, but green coffee bean caffeine is by far the most fun to say. Looking at the back I see that this little bottle has the same amount of wake up juice (why isn’t this called Wake Up Juice?) that your morning cup of coffee has. Positive Energy OJ has been visited by the vitamin fairy as well with giftings of vitamins A, B, and C. Now the task will be simple. Can you put all of this in orange juice and still have it be tasty? I just finished my bowl of Grape Nut Flakes (TheCerealJerks.net give it "Buy a Bowl") and I’m ready to be swept away citrusly.
Can't you see how wired Twist is?
Wow, they fill this bottle to the tippity top. Guess what it smells like? If you guessed orange juice you’re probably too far away for me to give you anything with minimal effort, but you’d be right.
Well that’s pretty dang tasty. It’d have been pretty amazing if someone could mess up OJ, but this is honestly good on the OJ spectrum as well. A lot of orange juice has an almost caustic feel, but Positive Energy Orange Juice goes down smooth compared to its brethren. Being orange juice this occasionally touches both the sweet and bitter spectrum of flavor. The initial sensation I get is indeed bitter, but this is mostly broken up by the savory side of the orange a few seconds into each sip. With that said there is a consistent bitter taste to Positive Energy. While you might think this would keep me from enjoying this beverage, as bitter tastes have in the past, it’s not strong enough to even make me consider stopping. I’m not addicted to it by any means, but it’s a delightful beverage. Positive Energy Orange Juice is doing right (with a much smaller budget I’m sure) what MTN Dew did so very wrong. Positive Energy took a flavor we already like and added a little “boost” to it without compromising the flavor much if at all. Great concept, great delivery. With that said it’s still orange juice so I’m not going to go crazy with the ranking.
~A
Green Fit Lime Coconut
/Each time I do a review it’s usually about a single beverage that I’m currently holding. Well, today’s beverage is from ThirstMonger and this bottle of Green Fit Lime Coconut plainly reads that it’s “6 Functional Drinks in One Bottle”. Now I’m not completely sure what they mean by that, but if I turn the bottle around I’m told that I’m about to consume the nutritional equivalent of 2 eggs, 10 oranges, 1.5 cups of broccoli, 1/3 of a cup of peas, 2 cups of green tea, and a baby banana. That’s all well and good as I do like it when a beverage is good for you, but does it taste good? This is the reason you’re still reading, right?
The bottle suggests I shake it before opening and looking at the sediment I agree completely. With its lid wrapped in the same plastic that surrounds the bottle, this is one of the most difficult beverages I’ve ever had to open. I surely hope the struggle is worth the nectar.
Well, the aroma that sits atop this bottle of Lime Coconut liquid holds neither of the scents of the previously listed foods. Instead an odd, somewhat bread/vegetable aroma is what my nose detects. Something is off here in the smell department. Hopefully my favorite flavor of lime kicks in when I take my first sip, making me forget about the scent at hand (or nose in this case).
Twist thinks they should try 1 drink in the bottle before ramping it up to 6.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. Those are the words that my fingers screamed out because my face could not. What in the hell did I just drink? Why must I go back and take another sip to tell you how terrible it was? Each sip starts off like an ok day at work. The lime flavor is somewhat noticeable, it’s light, it’s fun, it’s hanging out by the copier… but you’re still at work so you’re kinda bummed. It’s a somewhat sweet taste, but nothing you’d confuse for unhealthy. For the first few seconds it seems like we’re all gonna be ok with this average beverage… or baverage as I’ll say from here on out.
What follows is the absolute worst aftertaste I've ever experienced in a soda. You know what; it’s not even an aftertaste. An aftertaste is what you experience after the beverage has continued on its journey down your throat and you lick your lips a little and get the essence of what you just consumed. What I’m tasting here is a horrible “halftertaste”. A halftertaste (Now a term coined by TheSodaJerks) is literally the second half experience of the sip you've taken and the halftertaste of Green Fit Lime Coconut is terrible.
Pretend you’re out in the desert in need of a cool refreshing drink of water. The crunch of the sand between your teeth doesn't even bother you anymore as you've been out there for days. Ahead you see a waterfall and rush your plunge your face into it. The cool water rushes over your tongue as your teacher calls your name. “Henry? Henry?” Your name is Henry. “Quit licking the blackboard, Henry.” You awaken to find yourself erasing the day’s math problems on the blackboard with your tongue. The chalk fills your mouth making it feel even drier than your recent dream. That’s what the halftertaste of Green Fit Lime Coconut is like. Chalky, bitter, and certainly nothing I’m going to continue drinking. I've probably personally reviewed over 300 of the beverages on this site and that’s the worst taste I've EVER had in a beverage. At least we got the words “Baverage” and “Halftertaste out of it. Now, hopefully I’m going to wake up from this and find myself licking the blackboard.
“Wake up, Henry”
“My names not Henry”
~A
Nawgan Lemonade
/I’ve had energy drinks, sleepy time drinks, “sexual prowess” drinks, and many other life style beverages. The folks at ThirstMonger have sent me an “alertness beverage” to try. That’s a first. Now I know you’re probably thinking that an alertness beverage is just a fancy name for an energy drink and you’re right, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it called as such, and I approve. The name of the alertness beverage is Nawgan and its flavor is Lemonade. The Nawgan logo is a brain which leads me to believe that Nawgan is just a fancy spelling of noggin. You know, like the Nick Jr. successor. Nawgan has zero calories, vitamins B and E, and a host of chemicals that will hopefully make this taste like a delicious glass of lemonade. Let’s find out together shall we?
This can of Nawgan has the most satisfying “CRACK” open noise I’ve ever heard. Good lord that was loud and made me want to instantly start chugging it. Lemons jumped out of this newly created hole and punched me in the nose. The scent is strong. There I said it two different ways. I’m rather excited to try this now. I find it odd how a sound that has nothing to do with the flavor excites me to what the drink might taste like.
Twist completed the brain maze in only 2 hours.
Nawgan is non-carbonated and for being zero calories, has a pretty good lemon taste to it. The initial sip does have a bit of a chemical feel, but it’s quickly washed away by the somewhat sweet lemon flavoring. By itself Nawgan could fool you into thinking it is indeed lemonade. If you were to compare it side by side with the real deal you’d probably find the real thing to be a bit stronger. It has a very light mouth feel, but a noticeable lemon aftertaste that I don’t mind experiencing again and again. Nawgan lemonade is a really easy drink to chug, which I would expect is something that you would want to do if you needed to get that jolt of energy as quickly as possible.
WHAT?! I just looked on the can and this has Stevia in it?! I never would have guessed. Great job covering up the aftertaste that usually leaves. Wow, stevia done right. It happens so infrequently.
For being a lemonade “alertness beverage”, Nawgan does a great job. It’s easy to drink, the flavor is enjoyable, and I could see myself purchasing multiples of this. It’s not going to replace lemonade, but at this point I’m pretty sure nothing is. Nawgan Lemonade is one of the tastier energy drinks by far.
~A
A-Game Citrus
/This week’s beverage from Thirstmonger describes itself as a “Cross Functional Beverage” that will help you with rehydration, energy, and nutrition. A-Game Citrus is what sits in the bottle to my right and judging by that last sentence it’s a sports drink that would like to differentiate itself from the other sports drinks you might find on the shelf at your local grocer. It immediately gains points from me because of its name, A-Game. My name as you know is Aaron, so anything that starts with an A and is followed by a hyphen and another word is always a potential nickname for me. The A-Train is one of my favorite fake nicknames. In this case any time I’m picked for a sports team, or beat someone at chess I can hit my chest twice and declare “I always bring my A-Game!” Now I might lose friends in the process, but at least I sound cool.
The second reason I’m initially impressed with A-Game citrus is that it contains sea salt and honey. Now I’m not really sure what the difference is between salt and sea salt, but man does sea salt sound so much tastier. Honestly, it’s the honey that impressed me as you don’t see many drinks use it as a sweetener. Checking the ingredients I also see that Crystalline Fructose and Dextrose are also used for sweetening, so it’s not like honey is all that’s in the bottle. Vitamins A through E are all represented in some way so that’s got to count for something, right?
So the ingredient list is respectable and it’s got a name I can get behind. So far A-Game Citrus is really making some headway and I haven’t even opened the bottle. Speaking of opening the bottle, perhaps I should open the bottle after shaking well.
The aroma that sits right at the mouth of the bottle is certainly citrus scented. Orange Tang is what I’m reminded of each time I inhale and I’d be perfectly ok if it tasted like that, but would that really be an example of them bringing their A-Game? No, no it wouldn’t. That would be an example of them bringing Orange Tang. Taste time.
Ok, so while it’s not full of flavor, the orange flavor that is there is quite tasty. You’re not going to find a good sports drink that shoves flavor down your throat, that’s not their motivation. If you had sports drinks that tasted like Dr Pepper you wouldn’t be able to drink them as quickly. These are made to be slammed, not sipped. With all of that said we now come to the part of the review where I remind you that I don’t care that this is a sports drink. I care if it tastes good as a beverage. With that said it’s time to start the proper review.
The orange flavor is very noticeable to the point where I’m not sure why they have labeled this citrus. If I allow my tongue a few more moments to take in what it just experienced it can pick out a bit of lemon as well which renders the previous sentence as foolish. Of course there is no carbonation, but I figured I’d throw that in there just in case you got confused. The sweetness level of A-Game Citrus is just right. It doesn’t taste like I’m drinking a soda, but it still feels like a treat of sorts. The negatives are few, but still need to be mentioned. After each sip there is a slight coating of A-Game Citrus that remains in my mouth. Now the aftertaste it leaves isn’t a negative one. In fact it resembles the actual flavor of the beverage like you would think all aftertastes would. Think of it this way. Even though you like your best friend; if they lived with you, you would still want some “me time”. My taste buds just want some “me time” after each sip. That’s all. While the Citrus (Orange/Lemon) flavor is tasty, it’s not delicious. Again, I’m aware this is a sports drink, but I’m still looking for delicious. That’s it, there’s nothing else. See how painless that was?
Ultimately folks are going to want a comparison to the major players when it comes to a beverage like this. When compared to lemon/lime Gatorade I have to say (well I don’t have to, but I am) that I prefer A-Game Citrus. Now remember that I do very little physical activity so my experience with sports drinks is limited, so take that into consideration as well. A-Game Citrus is a tasty beverage that I will continue to buy if I’m ever in need of being rehydrated.
~A
Twist was overly happy with how well it matched the new thrown together background
Elixir Floral Infusions – Lavender
/So another review courtesy of ThirstMonger is in front of your face. Today’s soda needs a little bit of assembly as it’s a mixer of sorts. Elixir Floral Infusions Lavender is what I’ll be mixing with some cool carbonated water today. When you visit their site it seems Elixir is primarily made for mixing with alcoholic beverages. Since I’m not one to imbibe I’ll be using their “soda” recipe and reviewing that. Before I go into creation mode I would like to note that Elixir is all-natural, made with purified water, cane sugar, natural lavender extract, natural food color, organic blueberry extract, citric acid, and cultured sugar. That’s quite the impressive ingredient list in terms of quality. My hopes have risen just a bit. Now to the recipe for soda.
Underneath the picture of a lightly purple drink I’m told that to make soda I need an 8 to 1 ratio of carbonated water and Elixir. Already I’m looking at this picture and thinking that it won’t be strong enough for me to truly enjoy. That soda looks waaay to fancy for my liking, so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to take the chance and use my own math to make a better Elixir experience for myself… hopefully. My Elixir Lavender will have a 4 to 1 ratio, thus allowing me to truly taste the lavender goodness. Thankfully I have a Sodastream so that I can use my very own water in this experimental version of lavender soda. Here goes something!
What I’ve created looks a lot like grape/purple Kool-Aid. I’m sure it won’t taste of Kool-Aid, but that’s fine as I’m not interested in that particular sugar water at this point in time. I’m interested in this new and “improved” Elixir Lavender. On to the smell test!
Only when I press my nose up to it do I smell, amazingly enough, the sweet aroma of lavender. I figured it would have a rather pungent scent since I’ve doubled the amount recommended. Perhaps even this super charged version will still be weaker than I’d prefer.
Here is the part where I tell you how pleased I am with myself for increasing the flavor. I can really taste the lavender. It’s not some frilly beverage I’d drink at a cocktail party in tiny sips. No, this is LAVENDER SODA and I like it. Did I think I’d like it, no… not at all? That’s because I was thinking it’d be more like my Dry Soda experience which left me feeling empty.
The carbonation I created is tiny yet noticeable. As I previously stated this was made in my Sodastream and I gave it “three buzzes” worth of carbonation which was the recommended level. I will say that Elixir Lavender does taste a bit alcoholic yet there is no alcohol in site. Of course it supposedly pairs well with alcohol, so perhaps this is why the flavor is shadowed. Each time I take a swig out of my glass my nostrils fill with a lavender scent that thankfully does not rival the potpourri you might otherwise find lavender in. While I know it’s impossible, I also get a slight grape flavor with each sip I take. I’m thinking this falsity lies within the fact that I like most people associate purple soda with grape. If I were a betting man I’d bet that this taste I’m transforming into grape is created by the blueberry extract that resides within the bottle. It’s this very blueberry extract that I believe is balancing out the lavender taste so that my brain can both comprehend and enjoy what I’m partaking in.
Now with that said, I’m sure lavender soda isn’t for everyone, heck I feel a bit odd with each sip I take. Thankfully the gardens at Elixir are home to a few other flowers as well. Perhaps they’ll have one you might enjoy. So there you have it. I broke all the rules (1 rule) and made a super Elixir Lavender Soda and I enjoyed it. Give it a shot (HA! Puns!).
~A
Stop and smell the iguanas!
jC's Sweet Tea
/
There are three types of beverages I’m guaranteed to like: whole milk, limeade, and sweet tea. I can thank my lucky stars that I have one of those three beverages in front of me tonight, courtesy of ThirstMonger. jC’s Sweet Tea (and yes the “j” is lowercase) is today’s beverage and I think I’m in for a good time. Immediately I looked at this bottle of sweet tea and the first thing I noticed is that it is “southern style”. Now, I’m perfectly ok with that because I probably have a bias in believing that the South makes the best sweet tea. The second thing I noticed is that it was made in Ohio. Somehow I my eyes skipped past the part that said “all natural” and straight to the contradiction on the bottle. How am I supposed to take a “southern style” sweet tea seriously if it was made in Ohio? For that answer I checked out the jC’s Sweet Tea website and read their history.
The long of the short of it is that a woman with the initials J.C., who hails from Alabama and South Carolina, eventually made it to the state of Ohio. She of course brought her family recipes with her and the sweet tea really struck a chord in her friends. Long story overly shortened… now we have jC’s Sweet Tea – made in Ohio, yet by a southerner. That’s a legitimate enough reason for me… on to the ingredients.
Unless you were taken aback by the earlier contradiction as I was, you probably noticed that this is an all-natural sweet tea. The ingredients are as follows: Water, Sugar, Pineapple Juice (a first for me in a tea), Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, Pekoe Cut Black Tea, Orange Pekoe Tea, Rinds of Oranges & Sweet Spice. Without even opening the bottle, that sounds absolutely fantastic. So, please allow me to open the bottle and prove to you that it is.
There is some serious spice in jC’s Sweet Tea. The aroma that comes off the top of the beverage is downright heavenly. It has a smell that I would like my entire house to share. A mixture of everything I just read off the ingredient list greets my nostrils as if they were best friends. Hopefully my taste-buds get the same treatment.
First off, I just let out an audible “Ahh”. I felt I needed to type that for honesty sake. I was afraid that this would be overly sweet, but jC’s Sweet Tea has a brilliant level of sweetness. It’s enough to make the drink a treat, but not so much that it would overpower a meal or become a liquid dessert. Each sip contains a harmonious mixture of sweet tea, lemon, spices, and even the orange finds its way into this description. It’s hard for me to tell you exactly which spices are used, but my best guess would be all-spice and maybe some nutmeg. Another area that I thought might be a weak point is the potential over use of the lemon, but let me paraphrase this again. The lemon gets an “E” in conduct for how well he plays with others. I cannot over emphasize enough how well blended this beverage is, so I’ll stop saying it from this point on.
The mouth feel is just at the entrance of syrupy, but this vanishes once the drink no longer resides in your mouth. After my gullet was emptied I was left with the slight taste of sweet tea, nowhere nearly complex as the actual drink itself, but a fond reminder of what I just experienced. Honestly I finished this about halfway through the review, it’s really good sweet tea. I can’t say that I’ve ever had anything like it in the South, but I really wish I had.
~A
A “Twist’s Choice” Recipient
Twist is called "Sweet T" in many iguana circles
People Water
/When I opened the first package from the folks at ThirstMonger to see what I’d be reviewing this week I let out an audible laugh. Within the next month or two TheSodaJerks.net will have over 500 reviews on it and I’ve seen and reviewed quite a few beverages, but nothing could prepare me for what ThirstMonger wanted me to write about. People Water.
That’s right, I’m about to review a bottle of water, spring water to be more exact. After a bit of research, I found out that People Water comes from a spring in the Palomar Mountains and not from a tap in your neighbor’s house. This is a good thing. People Water is also a very green company in the fact that their plastic bottles are designed to break down faster than a standard plastic bottle. This is also a good thing. For every bottle of People Water that is purchased they will give an equal amount of clean water to a person in need. Yes, that’s another good thing. At the very least I seem to be dealing with a company that has strong moral convictions, but honestly we’re looking for a clean taste here. With all that said, I’m still about to review a bottle of water and I’m not quite sure how it’s going to go.
There is no smell. It’s water. If there were a smell I’d tell you right away, and probably not even risk drinking this. To reiterate, there is no smell.
While many might have issue with the taste of City of Houston tap water, I have no problem consuming it en masse. With that said People Water tastes better than what flows out of my local tap. I can also tell you that it tastes better than some of the “big name” brands as well. Could I pick it out in a blind taste test? No, but I know what “brands” of water I prefer and this tastes better than those I do not prefer. It’s rather refreshing water as well, but honestly most water is so I’m not sure I can laud it for doing what clean water does.
All in all, I’m happy the people at People Water are doing what they’re doing. They really seem to be a group of folks who care about the environment and getting clean water to others. Sadly none of those factors go into our ratings, but it’s still worth noting. People Water is bottled water. If you buy it, buy it knowing that you’re helping out someone and be happy with that.
~A
Twist wanted to try some, but I reminded him that the bottle clearly states that it's People Water. It was at this point he reminded me he was a person some 500 years ago.
C&C Tropic Punch
/I was limited to which C&C flavor I could drink today by the amount of Thanksgiving food stuffing my refrigerator. Actually I was thinking about not writing a review today based on how full/busy the last week has been. Well fortunately for “Creative Me” I’ve found some stomach space and time for a cool red bottle of C&C Tropic Punch. I picked the tropical punch today because it’s non-carbonated and that will allow a bit of a reprieve from the pressure that has been abusing my stomach walls. Without looking too much into this I’m going to go ahead and guess that this is C&C’s version of Hawaiian Punch. While I’m a fan of Hawaiian Punch I’ll be even more impressed if C&C came up with something more original in flavor. Onward!
My noses recognizes a mixture of citrus, pineapple, and cherry with the later ingredient being a slight favorite in terms of how much is there. The scent that wafts from the top is indeed similar to Hawaiian Punch which worries me that I’m dealing with a copycat drink. Let’s find out if I’m counting my chickens before they gather moss.
I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong about it being a copycat and happily so. Where Hawaiian Punch likes to brag about hitting you in the mouth with the fists of its mascot, C&C Tropic Punch is a smoother concoction that seems to focus more on the pineapple and cherry flavors. All the familiar flavors that I listed are there, but how easily it’s ingested is what’s the most surprising to me. There’s no assault on your throat that some punch might treat you to, in fact it’s a fairly relaxing drink. C&C Tropic Punch is noticeably sweet, but not so much that you it would overload whatever meal you might “pair” it with. I must say that I find it amusing to picture someone pairing C&C Tropic Punch with a roasted duck or grilled squirrel, but different strokes for different folks.
While the ratio of fruit flavors is divvied out skillfully, some may be put off by the syrupy mouth feel you get at the finish of each gulp and ultimately (other than being primarily made with chemicals and HFCS) that’s the weakest limb on the body of C&C Tropic Punch. This isn’t a stand out beverage, but it is a beyond decent tropical punch. Give it a shot, you’ll probably like it.
~A
How about a nice Hawaiian Twist?
Dublin Tart n Sweet Lemonade
/When I blindly reached into my fridge today picking out the soda I would review imagine my surprise when a bottle of lemonade came out. I wasn’t all that surprised mind you, as I knew the lemonade was one of five beverages I could have grabbed. You all know that we rarely review non-carbonated beverages, but of course I’m going to give a pass to Dublin since they (1) Sent us a bunch of free beverages for the sole purpose of reviewing and (B) probably make some dang good lemonade. Like all the Dublin drinks this one is sweetened with pure cane sugar so hopefully it utilizes it well. Before I begin I must tell you about this tiny elf-like man on the bottle greeting me amongst the retro art, as if to welcome me into his lemonade home. Thanks, Elf-man. Thelfman.
The lemonade is titled Tart n Sweet and I must say the “tart” comes out in droves in the smell department. It’s not cleaning product strong, but I found my taste buds flinching in anticipation of the sour nectar that’s about to envelop them.
Well it’s not as tart as I thought it was going to be, but I’m not disappointed as it still packs a pinch. On the “tart-scale” from 1-10, with 1 being a nun and 10 being that ex-girlfriend you were too good for, I’d give this about a 6 which means nothing to you. Even though it’s not shocking my ‘buds, Dublin Tart n Sweet Lemonade is still sour enough to resonate in my mouth after each sip. Oddly, this is what I would imagine the lemonade at a lemonade stand tasting like. Now sadly I’ve never tasted any lemonade stand lemonade, but now I can play the home version and it’s almost as good. I’m pretty sure the kids running the lemonade stand wouldn’t use Ester Gum or Sodium Benzoate though. Ignorant Children.
The sweetness factor is noticed and appreciated as it doesn’t mind playing second fiddle to the tart mouth-feel. If you’ve ever had lemonade that was too sugary you know that it doesn’t take much for that experience to start going downhill in a hurry. Dublin Tart n Sweet has a fantastic bland of its titular adjectives. Thankfully it’s not a very syrupy drink. I find that it sits a few pounds heavier than light upon my tongue as I finish each gulp. As far as lemonades go it’s about one step better than your standard fare. Overall a pretty good showing.
Now for the sentence that renders the last four paragraphs pointless. Dublin Tart n Sweet Lemonade tastes like you made it at home with its tart lemon flavor and a sweetness that can only be described as simple.
~A
With Twist in the picture it's Tart n Sweet n Sweet... D'awwww
Tamek Sour Cherry Nectar
/There’s an issue I’ve been tip-toeing around for a while here on the site and that is whether or not I should include non-carbonated beverages in the reviews. The response I’ve come up with is that I’ll take them on a case by case basis if they seem unique enough to test. First and foremost this is a SODA review site, but occasionally it may step off that path for a brief second. With that said, I’m not sure today’s selected beverage is carbonated. I can tell you that it’s a Turkish beverage given to us by a nice lady who works with me. The beverage at hand is called Tamek Sour Cherry Nectar. The can is 330ml and a rich pink color. There are no less than 26 cherries pictured on the can as well so you have to hope their taking this “cherry flavor” seriously. Another sign that shows how “real” this beverage is about to be are the lack of nonsense ingredients. Water, Sugar, Sour Cherry Juice (from concentrate), and Citric Acid are the only components of Tamek Sour Cherry Nectar. Again, I know this doesn’t fit our “soda definition”, but did you really think I’d turn down reviewing a Turkish beverage of any kind? Drinkin’ time.
I don’t know if my nose isn’t working properly or what, but I’m getting little to no scent coming out of this stout little can. My olfactory glands can only detect the slightest of aromas… to the point where my brain might be creating the scent for me just so I don’t feel insane. Hopefully the flavor is a bit stronger.
Well, the non-carbonation aspect took me by surprise even though I knew it had no fizz to it. I can sum the flavor of this beverage up fairly easily. This tastes like liquid cherry pie filling. If you like cherry pie (feel free to make all the innuendos you wish, I’m not doing your dirty work for you) then you’ll probably love this beverage. The only flavor difference between this and a cherry pie filling is that at the end of the road this veers more towards tart where a cherry pie might swerve towards sweet. Looking at the nutrition label I’m surprised to see that it only has 12grams of sugar because it tastes like it would have closer to 30. The cherry juice does produce a trivial burn in the back of your throat with the completion of each sip, but unless your throat is made of origami paper you probably won’t even notice. The aftertaste, which is exactly like the before taste and the current taste, sits in your mouth for a good while after your drink is complete. That seems to be the only downside to Tamek Sour Cherry Nectar, the fact that it sits rather heavy in your mouth for the duration of the consumption. I’m aware that nectar would be apt to do such a thing, but I still have to compare this to soda. I know this probably goes without saying but nectar isn’t the most refreshing of beverages so don’t expect your thirst to be quenched. Refreshing or not this can holds a good amount of deliciousness that might even be a bit too rich for some. Pretty much every word I wrote after typing “This tastes like liquid cherry pie filling”
~A
Twist only plays Turkish board games.
