Friday, November 27, 2015

Johnnie Ryan Diet Soda

I had this as a caffeine boost 2 days ago:

Johnnie Ryan Diet Soda


Brand: Johnnie Ryan Diet Soda.

Origin: Niagara Falls, NY.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Sucralose.

Review: This tasted like a good cola. I was thinking it was pretty decent with a rich, almost berry flavor, and that it was alright. Then I remembered it was diet, and was quite impressed. There's a lot of flavor here for a DIET soda.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Harmony Springs Sarsaparilla

Had another soda in class today:

Harmony Springs Sarsaparilla
Don't judge my messy desktop.

Harmony Springs Sarsaparilla
The flavor isn't listed anywhere on the bottle. The bottle says "flavor on crown,"
and that's the only place to see what variety you're drinking.

Brand: Harmony Springs Sarsaparilla

Origin: Ludlow, MA.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was just OK. It had a strong, earthy, herby flavor that was just a BIT too much for me. If you're into that sort of thing (and I know many people are), then give this a try. But it wasn't quite what I'm into, so I'll give it a slightly lower-than-average score.

Score: 4 out of 10.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Original New York Seltzer Root Beer Soda

I was intrigued by this tiny bottle, so I brought it to class with me today:

New York Seltzer Root Beer Soda


Brand: Original New York Seltzer Root Beer Soda.

Origin: Walnut, CA.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This first struck me because it only had 4 ingredients: carbonated water, cane sugar, citric acid, and natural flavors. That's not unheard of, but definitely on the lower end of ingredients. So I was ready for this to be more of a "flavored water" than a "soda." I sniffed it, and it smelled like root beer. The first sip was totally root beer. And then there's a sharpness and crispness that comes later in the sip that's the normal "carbonated water" experience. So really, it's like a carbonated water drink that's flavored like root beer. The sharpness is a LITTLE weird at the end of each drink, but it's not bad. The root beer flavor is pretty classic and smooth (until the sharpness hits). It's a very unique experience - I'll give it a slightly better-than-average score.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

p.s.
Under the cover, there was a message. They were founded in 1981, so it asked "What's the best thing 2 happen 2U in 1981?" Well, I was born. So that was good.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Iron Horse Diet Root Beer

I was at school grading projects yesterday, and I took this with me:

Iron Horse Diet Root Beer


Brand: Iron Horse Diet Root Beer.

Origin: Edina, MN.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Sucralose.

Review: This was thin and a bit weak as diet sodas can be, but the flavor was pretty good. There was a hint to wintergreen, and it was pretty smooth. I wish it had a deeper flavor, but it wasn't bad for a diet.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Soda Boy Caramel Cream

This was my LAST soda in my (current) Frattallones Ace soda stash before I get to crack into my 2 cases from MN Largest Candy Store that I got last month.

Soda Boy Caramel Cream


Brand: Soda Boy Caramel Cream.

Origin: Mukilteo, WA.

Purchase Place: Frattallones Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: Holy crap. It tastes like a liquified caramel candy. And you know what? That's not really a good thing. It was WAAAAAAY too sweet. I couldn't finish it. I just had about a dozen small sips. The flavor was pretty spot on for "caramel," but just to flippin' sweet!

Score: 3 out of 10.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Old Red Eye Root Beer

I took this outside with me yesterday to enjoy while doing some yard work:

Old Red Eye Root Beer


Brand: Old Red Eye Root Beer.

Origin: Mulkilteo, WA.

Purchase Place: Frattallones Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was heavy on the wintergreen, but pretty tasty. Besides that, it's got good flavor and is a solid root beer. It seriously was one of the more "wintergreen-y" root beers I can remember having, so if you like wintergreen, you should try this.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Grapefruit Kiss Soda

I brought this to my board meeting earlier this week:

Grapefruit Kiss Soda


Brand: Grapefruit Kiss Soda.

Origin: Mukilteo, WA

Purchase Place: Frattallones Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: You know, it tasted like Squirt. All "citrus" sodas taste that way to me. It's like I'm racist, but only towards citrus sodas.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Mong Lee Shang Pearl Soybean Drink with Tapioca Ball

I was getting some groceries at Cub Foods yesterday morning, and I found myself in the ethnic foods section. I ended up leaving with this:

Mong Lee Shang Pearl Soybean Drink with Tapioca Ball


Oh wait, I can't read that side. Here's the english side:




Yeah, I know. A little risky. Still, it sounded like it could be good. I searched the can over for "shake well before opening" because I figured I needed to do that, but I didn't find that anywhere. I shook it well hoping it wasn't carbonated. Here it is partially poured out into a glass:


Mong Lee Shang Pearl Soybean Drink with Tapioca Ball


That glass had NO tapioca balls in it! I felt robbed. But then a fair amount came out in the final pour. They weren't dark like on the can (and like what I'm used to in my bubble tea), and they were tiny. Here's a spoonful of them:


Mong Lee Shang Pearl Soybean Drink with Tapioca Ball


Brand: Mong Lee Shang Pearl Soybean Drink with Tapioca Ball.

Origin: Taipei, Taiwan.

Purchase Place: Cub Foods St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: This was pretty tasty. It DID taste like soybeans! (Soybeans was the 2nd ingredient behind water, and before sugar and non-dairy cream.) I was born and raised on a farm, so I know what a soybean tastes like when popped into your mouth. It was like sweet soybeans. It was about as thick as whole milk, and pretty good. I figured this could be something I don't finish, but I downed it all pretty quick.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.