China Cola
Monday, January 25, 2010 at 9:10AM ;)
Our journey around the world to find the greatest sodas on the planet brings us to China! Wait...nevermind. It's just called China Cola, it's not actually from China.
It is, however, from Reed's, which is always a good sign. So why is it called "China Cola" you ask? Well, it's made with Chinese herbs, or at least the label says. Let's take a look at the ingredients.
Raw cane sugar, szechuan peony root, cassia bark, Malaysian vanilla, oils of lemon, lime and orange, nutmeg, cloves, licorice, cardamon, caramel color. Yep, it's definitely from Reed's.
I have to say, where it packs a punch in ingredients, they don't necessarily translate into flavor. Maybe the ingredients were psyching me out, but overall the flavor was very light, with with just touches of each flavor coming through. The most powerful of them all would have to be the szechuan peony root which did add a bit of spice, but nothing on a level of a ginger beer. Trust me, this is coming from a guy who grew up with no salt or pepper on the dinner table, if it was the tiniest bit spicy I'd know. It's just enough for flavor. Don't get me wrong this is a very good cola, the flavor was just a little too light for me.
I'm going to name names here and say that Virgil's Real Cola (also a Reed's product) is still king for me, in colas and overall favorite soda, although I'd award this a very close silver medal with some others in company like Cricket Green Tea Cola and Natural Brew Ginseng Cola. I think it would have been up there if it was just slightly more bold. This was a close one.
Verdict: Buy a Pallet!
-Mike
(Note: This beverage was provided to us by Reed's)
Reader Comments (5)
I like this stuff. To me it tastes like cola with a "chinese-y" taste. That's the only was I can describe it.
I believe China cola bottled by Reeds is in fact Future Cola, which is the #3 cola bottler from China. It is in fact a Chinese Cola.
I didn't taste Yet! Let me try out
Gotta disagree with you on the flavor profile. I think it's quite tasty. It's not as sweet as typical American colas, and it's not as heavy on the palate, but the flavor of the herbs is plenty deep enough and satisfying...right down to the slightest touch of cinnamon on the tip of your tongue as it finishes in the mouth. In other words, this is some good shit. (Although you're right...Natural Brew Ginseng Cola is also very good...perhaps even better.)
And as another poster wrote, the name "China Cola" isn't just some marketing gimmick...this actually is a real Chinese cola. It's sold in China as Future Cola, and is the #3 cola in China behind Coke and Pepsi. Of course, China Cola is made in the U.S., while Future Cola is made in China. They probably source their herbs from different places, and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't taste exactly alike.
Anyway, China Cola is good stuff. My only criticism is that it's too expensive. Granted, I know that quality cost money, but still...if it was $1 or so cheaper for a 4-pack I'd probably buy it more often.
The taste reminds me of Moxie (which is a good thing, I used to love Moxie, until I couldn't find it anymore, that is).