Manhattan Special Black Cherry

I opened this tonight after a big day: 

 

Brand: Manhattan Special Black Cherry.  

Origin: Brooklyn, NY.

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This had a unique flavor. I sipped it before I looked at the ingredients, and then I noticed it has "vegetable juice for color" as the 3rd ingredient, and I swear I can taste that. It has a "natural/earthiness" to it. The black cherry flavor is somewhere between "black cherry" (but not quite) and some sort of "cherry cream" (but also not quite). It's a unique flavor that I have to give them credit for (they weren't just doing "another black cherry" soda), but not quite my thing. It was just OK.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Manhattan Special Sarsaparilla

I opened this earlier today as I was cleaning the basement: 

Brand: Manhattan Special Sarsaparilla.

Origin: Brooklyn, NY.

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

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: This was the first bottle from my new collection of sodas from Minnesota's Largest Candy Store last month.  I didn't hunt this one out - I just reached into the case and pulled out the first thing I touched. 

As for how I liked this one, it was very creamy and very tasty. It formed a good head, and just tasted "natural" - there wasn't anything fake or chemically about this. It was an easy-to-drink soda on this warm day.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Manhattan Special Black Cherry

I opened this adorable 10 oz bottle yesterday afternoon:

Brand: Manhattan Special Black Cherry.

Origin: Brooklyn, NY (not Manhattan, oddly enough).

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This had a very "adult" taste. It was not overly sugary or syrupy. It had a deep flavor, and then I noticed that "black cherry concentrate" was the 3rd ingredient (and "grape skin extract" was 4th, which makes this soda sound a little like a serial killer). Overall, it could have used a bit more sweetness. The taste was just a bit harsh. Even though this was a small bottle, I didn't/couldn't finish it all.

Score: 3.5 out of 10.

Manhattan Special Sarsaparilla

I enjoyed this on a hot afternoon:

Brand: Manhattan Special Sarsaparilla.

Origin: Brooklyn, NY.

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This had a good, deep sarsaparilla flavor with just a subtle bite to it. Nothing to fancy or unique, but pretty good. It got a BIT syrupy/sugary by the end, but overall I quite enjoyed it.

Score: 7 out of 10.