Surge

A mere four ounces assures me that I’m not dreaming.  The label is exactly as I remember it over 15 years ago, but there’s a 16 where the 12 should be.  That difference of four tells me that I live in a reality in which you can buy Surge.  That’s right Carbo-Nation, if you haven’t heard you can buy Surge once more.  Brought to life in 1997 and put to sleep in 2003 Surge has been given breath.  It’s currently exclusive to Amazon as of this review.  When I found out I shrieked in excitement and purchase a 12 pack simultaneously.  Surge was one of the first sodas I NEEDED to drink.  All of the Coke and Pepsi memories of my childhood blend together into a mush.  Surge is attached to a handful of memories I can still recall.  

There was a time that I enjoyed pairing Surge with powdered donuts.  Sadly I do not have such donuts in front of me now, but I will pair them once again.  I don’t know why I liked this pairing, but it worked like gangbusters...although I’m guessing most people don’t even know what gangbusters is.  

Mark one off the bucket list for Twist

No matter how I try to downplay it I know I’ve already over hyped this beverage in my mind.  They got me.  Coke got me right by the childhood.  That sounded more illegal than I intended it to.  It’s 1:30 in the morning and I’m exhausted, but I must review this caffineated beverage for 15 year old Aaron.  He has minimal worries.  He doesn’t hold a job, have a kid, or make payments on a house.  15 year old Aaron stays up late and plays video games.  Let’s raise a glass to 15 year old Aaron!

The orange and lime scent rush past my nostrils.  32 year old Aaron has a feeling that Surge tasted really generic all those years ago, but 15 year old Aaron doesn’t care.  He and his friends drank this buy the case.  32 year old Aaron is pretty sure that his younger self just fell into the media trap that Coke created.  15 year old Aaron couldn’t care less and takes a swig.

32 year old Aaron goes to bed because he knows that 15 year old Aaron has won.  The first sip brings back a wash of memories.  Old man Aaron thought this would taste generic, but he was wrong.  It tastes like Surge.  The bursts of orange and lime combine to create a insanely refreshing soda.  Lime eventually wins out, which is how it should be for any drink that contains lime.  

Carbonation levels are just fine.  The bubbles are fierce but small, packing an excellent amount of punch to the tongue and throat.  Oddly they are only felt near the finish of the beverage which creates a nice duality in terms of mouth feel.  I really need to stop drinking this because it’ll probably keep me up all… SHUT UP OLD MAN AND DRINK YOUR SURGE..ok.

Surprisingly, Surge isn’t nearly as syrupy as I thought it would be.  There is of course somewhat of a syrupy mouthfeel, but it’s less that you’d experience with a Sprite.  The finish is the glaring weak point to this beverage.  The aforementioned syrupy feel combined with the dying lime and orange flavors create a sadness in my mouth.  What goes in with a party finishes with a whimper.  Leaving with a whine isn’t something a soda called Surge should do.  

Turning off the nostalgia for a moment, Surge really impressed me in terms of flavors and feel.  It played to one of my favorite tastes, lime, and it kept the same sensations going throughout all 16 ounces.  Honestly, if I could change one thing about this re-release it would be the can.  I wish they’d put it in 12 ounce cans, but 15 year old Aaron has never seen a 16 ounce can so he’s pretty ecstatic.

~A

This soda was purchased off of Amazon.com