Soda by Variety
100% of donations will go to improving TheSodaJerks.net.  0% of it will go to feeding Twist.

 

 

Entries in Reeds (4)

Monday
Jan252010

China Cola

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)

Sunday
Dec272009

Reed's Natural Energy Elixir

   My apologies for putting this review up so late after we completed the Popcast.  We try and have them up within a few days after recording, but with the holidays, and all, I got behind.  Wait a second… why am I apologizing?  I’m a Jerk!  Today I hold in my hand a beverage with an erupting volcano on the front, Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir.  I’ll tell you right now that I’m excited to drink this for a couple of reasons.  Reason one is that it’s from Reed’s, and they very rarely steer us in the wrong direction.  The second reason is that this beverage holds the title of an elixir.  I wish there were more elixirs on the market.

   Since this is an energy drink you would assume it has a chemical taste.  Well had you listened to the Popcast you’d know that it does not, and that can be attributed to its long list of natural ingredients.  Here’s the list that they put on the side of the can, with each of their benefits.

 

Ginger – powerful antioxidant, increases metabolism, elevates mood, improves digestion and nutrition absorption.

Green Tea – rich in epigallacatechin gallate (EGCG) a powerful antioxidant, a natural source of caffeine, lowers bad cholesterol.

Ginseng – a powerful adaptogen that counters stress and increases endurance.

Goji – Himalayan longevity secret with powerful antioxidants, counters aging, and increases resistance to disease.

Açaí – a rainforest super fruit packed with antioxidants, energy, and nutrition

Camu Camu – a rainforest super fruit with the highest concentration of vitamin C on any plant, antioxidant, mood balancing, antidepressant.

Jiaogulan – called the immortality herb, a powerful adaptogen that increases the body’s resistance to stress.

L-Theanine – an amino acid that creates a sense of relaxation and alertness similar to meditation.

B Vitamins – essential nutrients that help counteract stressful living.

 

   With this being my second can of Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir, I am sure I will achieve strenght, and immortality with the above ingredients.  I will overpower Mike (since he foolishly only had one can) and become the lone Soda Jerk.  Being a Soda Jerk is a lot like being a Highlander… except real.  Let’s move on shall we.

   After I crack open the top, I immediately get the strong smell of ginger, with a hint of honey.  It’s not exactly an inviting odor to me, but it doesn’t scare me away either.  It is nice to have such a powerful aroma coming off the top of a drink though; it means that each sip will more than likely be flavorful.  Let’s drink.

   As stated earlier, this drink doesn’t have the chemical taste of other energy beverages.  In fact if you look at the ingredient list as you drink, you can pick out the individual flavors.  You can taste the honey, the lemon/lime… this elixir has a complicated set of flavors if you look for it.  Ginger root is still the strongest flavor in the can, and it’s pretty well documented that I don’t like the burning sensation ginger produces when consumed, and Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir is a culprit as well.  I will say that it doesn’t have the burn of a ginger beer, and it’s tolerable by my own standards.  Since we judge all beverages the same, I will say that as sodas go it’s just alright.  On a second note, this drink does work well at giving you energy.  I don't feel jittery after trying it, just much more aware of what's going on around me.  The score won’t reflect how good of an energy drink it is, and let me tell you it’s a good one.  

 

Verdict: Buy a Bottle!

~A

Twist has enjoyed 5 cans so far... there can be only one!

 

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Reed's)

Saturday
Feb072009

Reed's Ginger Beer

While I was picking up my standard soda's for review this week at HEB, I decided to try some of Reeds Ginger Ale. When I got home, much to my chagrin, I had picked up Ginger Beer. Ginger Beer, as both Mike and I describe it, is like Ginger Ale + Fire. I figured that Reeds might be a bit different, because of the excellent products Reeds puts out.

After getting my first taste I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a Ginger Ale, and Ginger Snap, combination with a refreshing value to it. As I continued with the bottle the slight hint of fire began to invade my palate. I got to about halfway down the bottle until it wasn't refreshing for me anymore... then I had to stop. I knew where this road lead, and I wasn't going to go down it.


Verdict: Buy a Bottle!

~A

 

Tuesday
May062008

Reed's Premium Ginger Brew

I don't know if you've had actual ginger beer, but generally they taste like your common ginger ale, and then with a hit of "help me, my mouth is on fire." As soon as I popped the top of this one and took a whiff, I was pretty worried. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Reed's is a fairly strange brew, however. At first the taste is a little weird but then becomes very refreshing. This is one of those drinks where you need to know what you're getting into before taking a sip. Before the main list of ingredients it states "strong ginger bite," which, like I said, this is not as strong as a ginger beer, though it does boast 17 grams of fresh ginger per bottle.

After that the variety of ingredients gets really interesting and surprisingly really works. The first ingredient (after the sparkling filtered water) is a list of the sweeteners, starting with "Canadien white water clover honey (very mild) and pineapple juice from concentrate." I really felt the honey was a bit too much, then I realized it wasn't the honey, but the lemon and lime juices it also mentions at the end.

I don't have a buffet here next to me to test, but I feel like this would go well with some kind of food, I'm just not sure what. (I later tried it with pizza, which works well)

The drink is very, very sweet, and though I'm not one to complain about too much sugar or any kind of sweetener, I am a dry ginger ale guy. Aside from that, though, I can't really deny this too bad of a score because it is so unique and is one of those drinks that, if I enjoyed going to the beach, I'd probably take with me. Or maybe not. Either way, this is a one time buy for me, but is worth experiencing once.

Verdict:  Buy a pack!

-Mike