Jones' Tofurkey and Gravy

Note:  This drink was one of our featured beverages on The Popcast, Episode 1.

From the title you know this one is a joke.  The company who has a history coming up with interesting flavors that have something or other to do with the holiday season has brought out another one, this time for us vegetarians and vegans.  The first off putting thing is that it looks like dirty water.  The second off putting thing is the fact that it contains 300mg of sodium.  In fact, the second ingredient is salt.  When we tested it, the initial smell was slightly citrus, which didn't make any sense at all.  The taste made even less sense, it wasn't awful, but it sure wasn't good. We noticed hints of cardboard.  

Now the bottle suggests eating it with mashed potatoes, so we obliged, in fact we warmed it up just like gravy.  Sadly it did not taste like gravy so it would not make a decent and cheap replacement, however it was better over the potatoes, probably because they took away from some of the flavor of the soda.

One thing is for certain, this drink is still not as bad as our personal worst sodas, those being Malta Hatuey and Beverly.  On top of that, it does have a lot of heart and creativity behind it, and again, we know that it's a joke.  

Verdict:  Buyer beware!

-Mike

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Jones)

Jones Zilch - Black Cherry Soda

   We love Jones Soda.  They’ve always been good to us; in fact they are one of the few brand names to make it to our Best Friends List.  The bottom line is that Jones Soda makes quality beverages.  Recently they sent us 4 new flavors from their lineup.  Three of them from their Jones Zilch line… which has zero calories/zero sugar; and another flavor that I’m a bit more nervous about, Tofurky and Gravy.  Today we examine the first of the Zilch flavors, Black Cherry Soda.

   I picked Black Cherry Soda because it’s a flavor I’m familiar with.  IBC Black Cherry Soda was something my mother and I sought out at the grocery store when I was a kid.  We didn’t buy it often, but more as a reward for when times got stressful.  So I associate the flavor with good times. 

   As I look on this bottle though and stare at the calorie/sugar content I’m a bit nervous.  Here I have a double whammy of things I love, Black Cherry Soda made by Jones, coupled with two things that I avoid, zero calories/zero sugar.  Jones uses the word “Zilch” in their labeling instead of diet, which I think helps my mind from thinking about it being sugar/calorie free.  On the upside though, they have added some Vitamin C (30% your daily value) to the soda, and that always score points with us.  Before we being though, let me say that this will be reviewed as a soda, not a diet soda.  We’re not looking for the best diet soda’s out there.  We aren’t TheDietSodaJerks, but that does give me some idea for a spin off site…kidding.

   Jones Zilch Black Cherry Soda has a great maroon coloring to it, just what I expect of a good black cherry soda.  Upon opening it I have to really try to get a whiff of black cherry into my nostrils.  This is a bit off putting to me as the smell often mirrors the flavor.  Ah well, bottoms up!

   The initial taste of Jones Zilch Black Cherry Soda is that of a diet black cherry soda.  I know, I know, no sugar… but I my hopes were high.  It’s also has a flavor that seems to be more on the sharp side, instead of rich like I would have predicted.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as after you ingest it your mouth is left with a sweet aftertaste…not a heavy chemical cocktail.  Honestly it tastes more like a strongly flavored carbonated water to me, very light, with a good amount of fizz.  It does refresh the pallet a bit, not as well as maybe a tall glass of ice water, but better than the few diet drinks I’ve had.  The last taste I had was sweeter than all the rest, maybe I should have up-ended the bottle once before tasting.  Overall impressive for a sugar free soda, as I’ve had sugar filled black cherry sodas that weren’t this good.

Verdict: Buy a Bottle!

~A

Twist is watching his waistline

  (Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Jones)

Jones' Strawberry Lime

Wait a second, Strawberry Lime?  Don't you mean cherry?  No I don't!  Blame the crazy cats over at Jones' soda.  One word for them:  RENEGADES.

This is amazing, one of the best fruit flavored sodas I've had in a long time.  In fact, this beats my previous favorite, Stewart's Key Lime.  Not only does this have the taste advantage, it has the cane sugar instead of HFCS advantage.  It's so good I want to use inappropriate language to describe it, but I'll keep this a family site.

Unlike other strawberry sodas, this one is not heavy or sticky feeling at all, it is very light and refreshing.  I attritube this to, again, the cane sugar and also the lime.  The lime just gives it that extra crispness that offsets the powerful flavor of strawberry.

I'm not a beach guy, but if I was, I would be taking a ton of these in a giant ice chest.  Who thought strawberry would go better with lime than cherry?  Amazing.

Verdict:  Buy stock in the company!

-Mike

Jones' Jumble Mixed Flavor Soda

First of all, this is the best bottle I've ever seen.  I almost wish I had a bottle frame for this, if bottle frames existed.  There are also two other designs which are great as well.  Secondly, this scares me to death.  Jones is known for having some weird flavors, such as gravy, so who knows what could be mixed in here.  Supposedly it's four flavors.  Let's find out...

The best way to describe the scent is a lollipop from hell.  Chocolate and grape are the smells I'm getting out of this.  I could be wrong.

After the first sip, it's not too bad.  Very bizarre.  There is a lot going on, approximately four things going on according to the folks at Jones.  Mostly though it is fruity, potent (in a good way), and quite refreshing.

Normally I don't include a picture of what the actual drink looks like outside of the bottle, but I sort of can't resist this time.

It's difficult to tell from this picture, but at most angles it looks grey, like dirty water.  It also has a greenish tint to it.

This is a soda you have to try if you're into trying sodas.  If you're not, why are you here?  It's refreshing and definitely a "taste explosion."  A conversation peice of sodas, so to speak. 

In the end, I swear this tastes like a melted down Tootsie Pop, which I don't like, but for some reason it works as a liquid.  Along with the decent flavor, the creativity inside and outside of the bottle add a lot to this one.

Oh, and by the way, I know all four flavors now, but I'm not telling you...

Verdict:  Buy a Pallet!

-Mike E.

(Note: This beverage was provided to us from Jones)