I really wish they spelled out “Mountain” on MTN Dew bottles and cans. It’s such a confusing mess. I mean you still call it Mountain Dew, but it’s just ridiculous in my mind… I don’t really have an argument and I get why they do it so I’ll hush.
Read MoreA while back I was given a bottle of Ski soda. Ski is a citrus soda not unlike Mtn Dew or Sundrop, but favors the lime flavor a bit more than those two. Cherry Ski, which is our selection today, is listed as being cherry flavored citrus soda as opposed to just cherry.
Read MoreIt’s always a little risky to pick up a drink that doesn’t display the flavor on the bottle. I’m taking a little bit of a risk today trying The Original Green River. It’s a green soda with a serene label of the sun setting/rising over a green river. The bottle also informs me that Green River has been “Caffeine free Since 1919”.
Read MoreI thought I’d had every Dublin beverage, but research shows that I never properly reviewed their black cherry offering. I couldn’t call myself a proper Texan if I hadn’t tried every Dublin soda now, could I?
Read MoreI’m not sure what butter cake is. I’m not sure how a soda can taste “gooey”. I do know soda though. That’s probably why the fine folks at Excel Bottling sent me this Gooey Butter Cake Soda to review.
Read MoreWhat is “Drive-In Style”? This bottle of Dog n Suds Root Beer is labled as being “Drive-In Style”. One could assume that meant old fashioned I guess, it’s a little confusing.
Read MoreAnd the winner for the most plain label I’ve ever seen goes to… Olde Rhode Island Molasses Root Beer. Honestly though, this label is the equivalent of an old dusty book found in the annals of a library.
Read MoreI have what could be the fanciest looking root beer label in front of me. It’s got a black and white picture of a couple, it’s got a fancy font that is similar to the “Cheers” television program, it has the words “Legacy” and “Robusto” in the title. “Robusto”... that’s Italian for robust in case you weren’t aware.
Read MoreWhat a refined looking root beer I have in front of me today. Chowning’s Tavern Root Beer’s label goes for the colonial look with it’s parchment style coloring. There’s even a brief story about it’s origins included which I have typed below:
Read MoreThis is an odd soda in front of me, so we’re going to start with the blurb on the label right off the bat.
“Duh” means many things to many people; an airport code in Ohio, a punk rock band. To us, So Duh!, means - “Isn’t it painfully obvious this is a delicious craft soda made in small batches with quality ingredients and pure cane sugar.”
Read MoreThis root beer bottle has a beach on the label. Growing on this beach is a palm tree. Inserted into this palm tree is a tap that has apparently been used to fill two barrels with root beer. That’s how it works, right?
Read MoreYou know what makes me excited? If you said “soda” then you took the easy way out. If you said “alternate sweeteners” then you’re in my mind right now. What the fine folks at Hosmer Mountain have done in their Root Beer is use brown sugar in the formula. That’s pretty dang exciting in my book. They also use HFCS, but just the fact that brown sugar is incorporated makes me excited to taste it.
Read MoreThis bottle of root beer features a dachshund standing proud.
Verdict - Buy Stock in the Company
~A
Ok, maybe I got ahead of myself there.
Read MoreNothing says January like a juicy slice of watermelon. Ok, so maybe that’s only true in New Zealand where they’re in the midst of Summer. I’m not even sure if watermelon is a big thing down there… I’ll have to check later. Honestly I just needed an intro.
Read MoreFrom the makers of “Candy Cane” comes “Sugar Cookie”! It looks like dirty water, but in actuality it’s supposedly a sugar cookie flavored soda. Much like Candy Cane, Sugar Cookie is sweetened with cane sugar and a variety of natural and artificial flavors. You know, just like mom used to make!
Read MoreWhew! Now that I’m no longer at the whim of the holidays or a work schedule in flux I’m finally able to review some sodas again. Today’s soda is Candy Cane… that’s it. There’s no brand, the word “soda” isn’t on the bottle. It’s just a clear bottled liquid titled “Candy Cane”. This could easily be a new street drug I’m not hip to, but for sake of writing a review I’m going to assume it’s soda.
Read MoreHe clearly hasn't tasted it yet.
Take notice creators of fruit flavored soda. If you don’t have a picture of the fruit your soda is flavored after on your label you’re making me sad. I LOVE seeing this exact thing, especially if it’s a simplified picture of the fruit. It just reassures me that I know what the flavor of the soda I’m about to consume will be.
In today's case that is Pineapple by Topo Sabores. They have placed a tiny pineapple near the neck of the bottle. Right about where a medallion would go if sodas wore chains. Topo Sabores is from Mexico and uses cane sugar to sweeten. They don’t feel the need to plaster “Pure Cane Sugar” or “100% Cane Sugar” or “100% Natural Pure Raw Cane Sugar” on their bottle. Sweetening with cane sugar is the norm in Mexico, as it should be.
That’s unfortunate. The scent is a mixture of pineapple and vomit. While I haven’t tasted this soda yet I KNOW it will not taste like it smells. It won't taste like vomit, right? Right? This is going to taste like a sugary pineapple soda and we’ll all move on with our lives and forget my initial take on the scent.
I’m pleased to say that Topo Sabores Pineapple does not taste like a mixture of pineapple and vomit. That has to be the saddest declaration I’ve made in a while. Taste wise there is considerably more cardboard flavoring than I anticipated which is welcome in this case given aroma.
Let’s get through the good points now before I just start hating on this soda. While I don’t really like it there’s no reason for me to harp on what is certainly someone’s favorite soda. The mouth feel is good and prickly and there is a fun amount of fizz. I’m happy to say that the bubbles last the entirety of each sip.
I was incorrect in assuming that this would be sugary sweet as there is an appropriate amount of sweetness within each sip. There is little to no syrupy mouth feel either. So it seems like I’ve figured out that the only issue I have with this soda is the flavor.
Sadly flavor carries quite the weight when it comes to reviewing sodas. In the case of Topo Sabores Pineapple I’m just not able to recommend it. From the initial smell to the cardboard taste that has yet to go away even though I’m almost done with the bottle, I can’t suggest it.
If you’re a pineapple fan give it a shot, but even then eh. Just promise me that when you see the bottle on the shelf you’ll think of my face… that way when you taste the soda it’ll be an improvement from your previous state of mind.
~A
This soda was purchased at Kroger Grocery Stor
Look who's back!
So I’ve been in a soda slump recently. It’s been hard to find anything new to review and anyone who has sent me sodas in the past no longer is… mostly because I’ve reviewed them all. I needed something new. I needed something that I hadn’t heard of to get me out of this slump. Apparently I needed Buckeye State Scarlet Soda.
This bottle is THE most Ohio branded consumable I’ve ever seen. From the Buckeye leaf on the label to the outline of Ohio right below it. It’s even a “Scarlet” soda instead of a “Red” soda. For those not in the know the colors of The Ohio State University are Scarlet and Grey. What’s amusing is that I’m writing this review on “Scarlet Saturday” in Ohio. The day that the Buckeyes take on the wolverines of michigan. I honestly have no dog in this fight, as I’m a fan of Texas A&M, but since we’re drinking Scarlet Soda today my hat will tip towards the Buckeyes.
I’m not exactly sure what to expect of Buckeye State Scarlet Soda, my initial thought is that it’ll be a red cream. It’s made with cane sugar and has been on this great Earth since 1937. I also enjoy that the label lists it as a “Family Trad.”. I’m not sure if that’s a Family Tradition or a Family Trademark. Trademark doesn’t tend to follow the word Family, but Tradition is rarely abbreviated like that. Anywho, enough jibber jabber, let’s start this review.
The scent is nothing like a red cream soda, so there goes that idea. Oddly enough it smells a little appley, but I don’t think that’ll be the flavor at all. I’m starting to lean towards the mismash of flavors idea now. You know how there’s “Red” Kool-Aid? I’m thinking this is just “Scarlet Soda” as it reads on the label.
That’s super odd, and I can’t think of anything I’ve had like it before. It’s now officially not a red cream and while I get a hint of apple, it’s not prevalent enough name it a flavor. My “mismash of flavors” idea has a full head of steam although my tongue keeps getting watermelon hints towards the finish.
I’m not sure if others would taste the watermelon as it’s becoming apparent to me that if five people drank this soda they’d all have slightly different experiences. Even if I can’t nail down what exactly I’m tasting I will say that this is a fairly solid soda as far as beverages go. I’m especially happy that it’s not overly sweet in taste. This allows you to drink it with a meal and not feel overly bad because you’re drinking dessert.
With the good of course always comes the bad, but fortunately there isn’t a lot. The flavor, while tasty, is a little on the weak side and the mouthfeel follows suit. I would love this if the flavor had a little more bite and the bubbles shocked the back of my throat.
There is also a very slight, and I mean very, cardboardish taste that arrives in the middle of some of my sips. I’ve hated beverages for having this taste included, but this one is so subtle that I’d compare it to watching someone burp at the other end of the dining table. You can see they did it and it’s gross, but ultimately you didn’t have to experience the aroma or heat that it created… so you can go about your meal and easily forget it.
So there you have it. Buckeye State Scarlet Soda is better than your average soda and has a gorgeous label to boot. If you’re in an area that supplies it pick yourself up one or four and give it a shot.
Since today is Scarlet Saturday I might as well make a prediction to finish things off. 35-31 tOSU.
~A
This was supplied to us by Buckey State Scarlet Sod
