Northern Soda Company Pineapple Cream Soda

I opened this at work earlier today:

 
Brand: Northern Soda Company Pineapple Cream Soda

Origin: Arden Hills, MN.

Purchase Place: "Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop," Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: Well, the name of this soda is right on: it's truly a "pineapple cream" soda! The first sip of it touching my tongue was very "pineapple-y," and I'm honestly not a HUGE fan of pineapple. This soda didn't bother me though. And then the "creaminess" came as it was a SMOOTH pineapple flavor. It ended with a great smoothness like a nice cream soda. This was surprising to me... this was better than I thought it was going to be! I wish I had this at home as my boys would have loved to have tried a sip of this. I was ready for this to be a 4 or a 5, but in the end, I'll rank it a bit better than average:

Score: 7 out of 10.

Health-Ade SunSip Cream Soda

We were at Whole Foods this weekend, and I spotted a line of soda that had some sun sounding flavors. I grabbed this Cream Soda to drink in my office:

 

Brand: SunSip Cream Soda.

Origin: Terrance, CA.

Purchase Place: Whole Foods, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Agave Inulin, Monk Fruit Juice Extract, and Cane Sugar.

Review: So this is a "prebiotics" soda. I knew that going in. I tend to shy away from these as I don't like the "bite" of kombucha, and many lean in that direction. But we saw so many flavors of this brand that LOOKED good when we were at Whole Foods, so I wanted to give it a try. It only has 4 grams of sugar and 30 calories, as it has 2 other sweeteners before sugar. Would it be drinkable?...

... Barely.

The second ingredient is "apple juice," and that's NOT a flavor that you commonly expect to go with the smoothness of a cream soda. And guess what? It doesn't really work. It had a pungent KICK when I took my first sip. I got a little better as kept drinking, but it was still very SHARP for a cream soda (which is something I expect to be SMOOTH). The cream soda flavor was decent, but it was just really odd paired with the apple juice.

Bottom line: I didn't care for it. If you like cream soda AND kombucha, you could like this! It's not nearly as sharp as a normal kombucha, but it LEANS that way. Just not for me - too odd of a flavor combo. Apple juice and cream soda are not flavors that ever needed to be mixed. I need to stay away from these kinds of "sodas."

Score: 2.5 out of 10.

Fitz's Cardinal Cream Soda

I opened this with supper tonight:

 

Brand: Fitz's Cardinal Cream Soda.

Origin: St. Louis, MO.

Purchase Place: Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.

Review: I didn't know what this would be like under this big aluminum can (the neck is painted aluminum and not the color of the soda). Honestly, I enjoy the screw-top aluminum bottles like this - I think more places should try that.

On to the flavor... it was a bit of a mix of Dr. Pepper and a cream soda. It had a deeper flavor like Dr. Pepper, but then was REALLY creamy. I had to pour some out into a glass to see what color it was, because it could have been cola/brown, clear, or red, and it turns out it was a pretty deep red. It was LIKE their cream soda that I had years ago, but this had a little more depth and interestingness to it. Not bad!

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Moneybag's Creme Soda

I was recently "up north" with family in a cabin, and I brought this to enjoy:

Under the bottle cap.

Wait... Gene Simmons?

     

Brand: Moneybag's Creme Soda.

Origin: Niagara Falls, NY.

Purchase Place: Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: First of all... yes, this is put out by Gene Simmons of KISS fame. I enjoyed the design on the front of the bottle, but didn't spot Simmons's name until I took off the cap. It's a pretty smooth cream (or "créme" as it's spelled on the bottle) and it went down easily. Nice and sugary. There's a BIT of a chemically aftertaste, but it's not bad. I'll rank this just a bit over average.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Baumeister Vanilla Cream Soda

I've enjoyed Baumeister sodas over the years, so I had high hopes for this:

 
Brand: Baumeister Vanilla Cream Soda.

Origin: Green Bay, WI.

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This soda was very sweet and tasty like some other Baumeister sodas that I've had. Both the VANILLA and the CREAM were intense - I don't know that I've had a strong vanilla flavor in a soda before. And it wasn't too much - it was really nice. It was creamy and smooth and went down easy. It was quite sweet and I'd feel overly sugared-out if I were to have more than 1 bottle of this, but the flavor was nice and JUST ON THE VERGE of being too much.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Brigham's Brew Cream Soda

I opened this while cooking today:

 
Brand: Brigham's Brew Cream Soda.

Origin: Salt Lake City, Utah.

Purchase Place: Harmon's, Utah.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was another soda sent to me from some friends last month. It had been waiting in the fridge for a quiet weekend after some busy ones. This smelled very creamy... if that's a possible smell. And it WAS creamy and sweet - almost TOO sweet (which means something coming from me). But it had that really deep, smooth, cream soda flavor that was quite good. If you like sweet sweet things and like a hard hit of classic cream soda, then you'll like this! But if you like more "adult" and subtly-flavored cream sodas, this might be too much for you. I'll give this a pretty average score.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

New Sodas to Try!

My soda-loving-friends have sent me another stash of things to try! (They first sent me some Shaq sodas 10 years ago, then stopped by with more shortly after that, and finally stopped over last year with more goodies!) Here's what arrived in the mail last week:

A heavy box that was $20 to ship!

Well-wrapped goodies inside.

Some root beer from Alaska, another fun Zia to try, and a few kinds of "Brigham's Brews!"

The 2 cans are in the fridge already as I'm excited to try those. Back with a review shortly. Thanks T and Brandon!!

Farrah Fawcett Cream Soda

My boys and I recently spent 3 days in Lake Vermilion State Park and then another 2 days in Grand Marais, and we brought my Mom along for the trip. The town of Ely is near Lake Vermilion State Park, so we stopped into Ely's Old Fashioned Candy like we did last year. 

Free pinball! My son and my Mom.

Soda selection.

I grabbed this to try a few days later:

In the kitchen of our motel room in Grand Marais (after leaving Ely).

 
Brand: Farrah Fawcett Cream Soda.

Origin: Incline Village, NV.

Purchase Place: Ely's Old Fashioned Candy, Ely, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: Ehh, this is OK. It's got a nice sweetness to it, but then it had a "chemically" taste to it. It's not a smooth as it should be, but it's decently rich. Not a great flavor with a poor aftertaste. No thanks. RIP Farrah.

Score: 4 out of 10.

WBC Vanilla Cream Craft Soda

I recently spent 2 nights and 3 days in a little cabin with my boys in Whitewater State Park, and we sipped on this during a game of Catan: 

About to be shared in the tiny camping cups to the left.

Brand: WBC Vanilla Cream Craft Soda.

Origin: Glendale, WI.

Purchase Place: Menards, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: This was just OK. It was really sweet and smooth on the front end (and had it stopped there, I'd rank it a little better than average), but then it had a pretty sharp and chemically aftertaste - something that I just hate when trying to enjoy a soda. That extra little "tang" at the end brought this from more of a 6 or 7 down to the 5 range. Not bad, just not great.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Cripple Creek Brewing Celon's Mythical Creme Soda

I opened this with my boys tonight:

 

The label looks like an old stock certificate. Love it.

Wait, are they "Filbert's" in disguise?!? Because the bottom cap seems to say so!

Brand: Cripple Creek Brewing Celon's Mythical Creme Soda.

Origin: Naperville, IL.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Bloomington, MN.

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Review: At first sniff, this was a sweet vanilla-heavy cream soda. And the flavor was about the same. It was quite smooth, but it had a surprisingly sharp little bite in the aftertaste that wasn't fantastic. But decent flavor. This must be related to Filbert's as it's getting a pretty average score like the vast majority of Filbert's sodas I've had (except for the "8 out of 10" I gave their root beer a long time ago).

Score: 6 out of 10.

Thunder Beast American Cream Soda

I opened this with my boys this afternoon: 

Brand: Thunder Beast American Cream Soda

Origin: Washington, D.C.

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: When I tried my first Thunder Beast soda last year, I REALLY didn't like it. So I didn't have high hopes for this one. It smelled VERY sweet when I opened it. And it almost tasted THICK and syrupy when I took my first sip. The "cream soda" flavor was pretty spot on, just VERY sugary. (Sorry for all the CAPS in this review, but this soda IS a bit EXTREME.) 

If you like sugary, then try this. I tend to like sweeter and more syrupy sodas, and this is even a bit much for me. But decent smooth cream soda flavor with a slightly caramel aftertaste.

Score: 7 out of 10.

 

Harmony Springs Cream Soda

I opened this to share with my boys as we had pizza last night: 

Brand: Harmony Springs Cream Soda

Origin: Ludlow, MA.

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

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.

Review: This was very heavy on the vanilla, but that wasn't a bad thing. The cream wasn't all that smooth, which could have made it better. But the vanilla helped redeem it. I'd totally call it a vanilla cream, and not just a "cream" soda. If you like heavy vanilla, give this a try.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Frostop Vanilla Caramel Creme Soda

This sounded odd...

My son's tooth fairy money in the background.  :)

I don't know if I'm ready for this...

Brand: Frostop Vanilla Caramel Creme Soda.  

Origin: Hopkins, MN.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was REALLY creamy - almost over the top. But it tasted how I figured it should: it was a creamy caramel flavor that had a vanilla kick. I can see why they say it tastes like creme brûlée. It wasn't bad, but it was too much for me. There's nothing subtle about this soda.

Score: 5 out of 10.

Butterscotch Cream Soda Better Brew Wizards Ale

I opened this while doing some grading earlier today: 

Brand: Butterscotch Cream Soda Better Brew Wizards Ale.

Origin: Spring Lake Park, MN.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: This is another soda that is bottled at Blue Sun Soda - I don't know how many "companies" they have now! And the flavor delivers: this is a creamy, smooth, very butterscotch-y. I would TRULY call this a "butterscotch cream" as it's way creamier than just a butterscotch soda. Smooth, flavorful, and would be good with ice cream! I'm not CRAZY about butterscotch, but if you are, you'll love this.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Blue Sky Cream Soda

My wife was out getting some groceries yesterday, and she grabbed a few Blue Sky sodas. The cashier was ADAMANT that Blue Sky's Cream Soda was one of his favorite sodas of all time. So she went back and grabbed that for me to try. And then she wanted me to try that one first: 

Brand: Blue Sky Soda.

Origin: Tustin, CA.

Purchase Place: Mississippi Market, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Invert Cane Sugar.

Review: OK, I'm not the BIGGEST fan of cream sodas... but this WAS pretty good. It was really sweet and SUPER smooth. It wasn't as life-changing for me as it was for the cashier. But my family and I all enjoyed it. If you are someone who likes cream sodas, make sure to give this a shot to see if the cashier was on to something...

Score: 7 out of 10.

Henry Weinhard's Vanilla Cream

I really enjoyed my first Henry Weinhard's soda (which was their root beer), so I was hoping this would live up to that:

 

Brand: Henry Weinhard's Vanilla Cream

Origin: Fort Worth, TX.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Sucrose and Honey.

Review: This was just OK. The vanilla was OK, but there was a slight syrupiness that was slightly off-putting. There was a nice floral hint to it. Overall, it was just "fine" - nothing great.

In my review of Henry Weinhard's Root Beer, I noted that it had a touch of honey that was surprisingly nice and subtle, and it worked well with the root beer. Well, there's another little touch of honey in this soda, but it doesn't work with the vanilla as well. It's just a bit odd. Sorry.

Score: 5 out of 10.

 

Whistler Cream Soda

I opened this tonight:

 

Brand: Whistler Cream Soda.

Origin: Spring Lake Park, MN.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: I generally don't have strong feelings about cream sodas. And that's true for this one as well. It was good, creamy, smooth, and quite sweet. But nothing too fancy or different than any cream soda. 

Score: 6.5 out of 10. 

Bedford's Creme Beer

It was hot today, so I cracked into this tonight:

The labels weren't facing the same direction. Awkward.

Brand: Bedford's Creme Beer.

Origin: Mukilteo, WA.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.

Review: This was VERY smooth and creamy. I couldn't put my finger on the specific flavor: it wasn't vanilla, but it had a hint of something floral. It was just a real decent cream soda. I'll rate this a little above average. Give it a try!

Score: 7 out of 10.

 

North Star Vanilla Cream Soda

I opened this earlier tonight:

Brand: North Star Vanilla Cream Soda.

Origin: Spring Lake Park, MN. (Purchased by Blue Sun Soda; formerly of Forest Lake, MN.)

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: I first had a sip of this at a "cream soda tasting" event at Blue Sun Soda 6 months ago, and I noted in that post that "I remember the North Star being very creamy." It wasn't my favorite at the tasting, but because I noted that, I must have thought it was OK.

Well, it trying it again, I found that quote to be super true. This *MIGHT* be the creamiest and smoothest soda I've ever had. It just floated above my tongue and down my throat. It's pleasantly sweet and almost a bit floral. And there's definitely a little smooth kick of vanilla - I can see why it's called a "vanilla" cream. Its flavor is almost overpowered by just HOW sweet it is. This is quite unique and worth a taste.

Score: 9 out of 10.
 

Cream Soda Tasting at Blue Sun Soda

Yesterday, my boys and I headed to another free tasting event at Blue Sun Soda Shop. It was similar to the tasting the 3 of us went to 2 months ago: they just set out some sodas and some mini-cups, and you can sample them all.

The "event banner" from Blue Sun Soda's Facebook page.

Cream Sodas: Dad's, Fiz, Iron Horse, Sioux City, North Star, Tower, and Henry Weinhard.

The "voting" table: take a bottle cap (far right) and put it in the cup that you
thought was best. They even had a roll of "I voted" stickers to put on (left foreground).

My oldest and I both agreed that Sioux City was our favorite, and my youngest voted for Dad's. I remember the North Star being very creamy (it was called "Vanilla Creme"), and I think it was Henry Weinhard's that had an odd sharpness. Fiz was decent.

Some new "kiddie cocktail" sodas made right at Blue Sun Soda.

All the flavors of "fresh" soda at the soda counter at Blue Sun Soda.

My boys and I split a fresh Root Beer. It was good! My oldest got
a tear in his eye because he said it was SOOO carbonated.

I also stocked up on root beers. I had a few sodas in the basement before this trip to Blue Sun, but only 1 of them was a root beer. I took my time looking through their root beer selection, and I picked up 7 new ones (and 6 other sodas to bring home a baker's dozen). I think I've now had (or have just purchased) EVERY root beer at Blue Sun Soda Shop! Oh no! I'll need to find some new root beers somewhere else soon...