So for the 800th review I decided to go with tea. While the green and silver can of Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea really called to me it was the Citrus Green Tea flavor that sealed the deal. For those not in the know, Lipton is a brand synonymous with instant tea here in the ol’ U.S. of A. It’s not of super high quality, but you can get a dang good iced tea out of it when you need one.
Read MoreI like pears; I like green tea; I like honey. If all those statements are true, which they are, then I should like Sipp Summer Pear. Those three ingredients are all accounted for in this bottle to my right. The other ingredients listed are carbonated water, organic agave nectar, citric acid, and natural flavor. While I’ve never been good about this vague “Natural Flavor” ingredient, when surrounded by stars like that I care a lot less.
Read MoreGreen tea needs to be in waaaaaay more sodas. Thankfully today I have one in front of me called Onli Green Tea Lemongrass Mango. Onli makes lightly flavored sodas that taste the way sparkling water should… of course I’m basing that on one soda. They are “Sparkling & All Natural”, sugar free (sweetened with Erythritol), and in this case has some Monk Fruit Extract in it. So that begs the question, how does a 5 calorie soda taste when sugar is removed from the equation?
At least they used Green Tea
That smells like a bag of nickles, I’m no longer excited to drink this. With a strong whiff I do get some of the mango and green tea aroma, but it’s not powerful enough to sway my worries.
Nope. Nope. One more sip. Nope. That tastes like a bag of nickels with a little bit of green tea and mango flavor as well.
Each sip ends with a painful wince because of how bitter the soda is. The initial taste is lightly sweetened, fruity, and enjoyable. Sadly, it almost immediately transitions into a metallic taste which then performs a ritual and summons the devil upon your tongue. The devil then dances a merry jig upon your taste buds (this creates a bitter taste for those down on their lore) and vanishes from your mouth.
I don’t want to drink this anymore so I’m going to stop and leave nearly three quarters of this soda unconsumed. I will say that the light mango taste is enjoyable for less than a second… you know, just so I don’t leave this on a bad note.
Verdict - Do Not Buy
~A
I purchased this soda at an HEB Grocery Store
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.
Verdict - Buy a Pack
~A
This soda supplied to us by Xyience
Zusma is an energy drink produced by the HEB chain of supermarkets to be sold in its stores. Actually its an energy "tea," and comes in a variety of flavors. What makes this product an energy tea? Well it’s the ingredients. Zusma is made with both black and green tea and contains all natural sweeteners. This concoction seems to be a rather unique and refreshing brew compared with most of the energy beverage market in my opinion and seems to be worth a shot. So I make the purchase, happy that I found what looks to be a decent drink to review.
Today's flavor is Power Peach. I have chilled my can to a near frozen state for a couple of reasons. The first is personal preference, and the other is a safety precaution. I have found that even the worst tasting beverages are somewhat more palatable when chilled. So with that being said I crack open the top. Yep, this stuff smells like peach. The smell isn't offensive and is actually inviting. So I take a sip. This stuff is decent. The carbonation seems to overpower the peach taste somewhat, or it could be that the peach taste is mild enough that it doesn't stand out. Either way Zusma Peach is off to a good start. After a few more sips I notice that neither the taste nor the carbonation grow stale. The base tea flavors are discernible and make for a seamless taste when added with peach. This stuff isn't bad, and I would place it above most of the energy beverage on the market. Actually, I would probably buy this flavor again!
Final review: Buy A Bottle! Folks Zusma Power Peach is a solid choice when searching for a decent tasting and affordable energy drink, or in this case energy tea.
C.W
Just a couple of guys keeping you away from bad soda.
