Sakura Cherry Blossom Cola

I grabbed this while out my with boys recently:

I used my phone to translate the Japanese on the side of the bottle.

Brand: Sakura Cherry Blossom Cola.

Origin: Japan.

Purchase Place: Shanghai Wholesale Market, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Review: This was sweet and tasty, but it wasn't "cherry blossom" at all. It had a slight citrus sweetness to it that reminded be a bit of Fresca. It was good, but very sweet - this 8 oz bottle had 110 calories (8 oz of Coke would be around 93 calories, and 8 oz of Pepsi would be 100 calories). Sweet, citrusy, and just a BIT floral. It was good, but SWEET!

Score: 6 out of 10.

Lakefront Brewery Golden Maple Root Beer

I opened this while cooking last night:

 

Brand: Lakefront Brewery Golden Maple Root Beer

Origin: Milwaukee, WI.

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

Sweetener: Pure cane sugar and pure Wisconsin maple syrup.

Review: I didn't get a TON of maple flavor from this. I'd could say I'm disappointed a little, but the flavor wasn't bad, so I'm not too upset. It's less "maple" and more like "if a root beer and a cream soda had a baby" which is NOT a bad thing. It was a bit like a creamy root beer. The flavor wasn't amazing, but it was good for what it was. I'll rank this just a bit above average.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Zero Sugar Faygo Orange

I was headed through Rochester today, and I grabbed this at a Kwik Trip:

Back home after being mostly drank!

Brand: Zero Sugar Faygo Orange.

Origin: Detroit, MI.

Purchase Place: Kwik Trip, Rochester, MN.

Sweetener: Sucralose.

Review: The first thing I noticed is that this was my first "ZERO SUGAR" Faygo as opposed to "DIET" Faygo. In the past, I've had a Diet Faygo with aspartame, but this had sucralose. So I figured they maybe had a "new line" of sodas or either changed their formula. Then I found this article from a few months ago talking about their NEW ZERO SUGAR sodas.

So how was it? It was decent. It didn't taste TOO "diet" as it had a pretty full flavor. It was very "real" orange and not "fake" orange, which was nice. It was almost an "orange creme" flavor, but not quite. So if a slightly creamy and slightly actually orange flavored diet soda sounds good to you, then try this! I'll rate it a little better than average.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Nixie Zero Sugar Root Beer

I grabbed this from Fresh Thyme earlier this week, and cracked it open last night:

Brand: Nixie Zero Sugar Root Beer.

Origin: Larkspur, CA.

Purchase Place: Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market, Minneapolis, MN.

Sweetener: Organic Stevia Leaf Extract.

Review: I was curious how this would taste after glancing at the ingredients list: it had vanilla listed pretty high (which I associate with a "smooth" or "creamy" root beer), but it also had ginger listed (which I associate with a root beer with more "bite"). 

It turns out that it was a bit heavier on the "bite" side, but not by much - it had a bit of a Barq's flavor, which is known for having a bite. But the ginger wasn't too heavy, and I appreciated that. There was still a bit of the smoothness from the vanilla, but then each sip ended with a little bite. Overall, it tasted "diet" because it was a bit watery and weak, but the flavor that was there was decent. Not a bad soda - better than I thought it was going to be!

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Northern Soda Company Sweet Liberty Blue Raspberry Lemonade

My wife and youngest son stopped by Remix over the weekend, and they came back with a 4-pack of Northern Soda for me:

4-pack on the counter.

The first one we tried!

Brand: Northern Soda Company Sweet Liberty Blue Raspberry Lemonade.

Origin: Arden Hills, MN.

Purchase Place: Remix Popcorn and Delights, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was (unsurprisingly) unnaturally blue. It didn't have much lemonade flavor at all, as it was mostly "blue raspberry." I thought it tasted like a melted blue raspberry Icee, and my boys said it tasted liked a melted Freezee. It tasted good, but those thoughts made it a little more depressing to drink: we WANTED it to be a Freezee or an Icee, and it wasn't. It was just soda. So I have to rank this a little lower than I'd initially rank it because it WANTS US to WANT IT to be something else. But the flavor IS good if you're interested!

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Spongebob Squarepants Bikini Bottom Cooler Pineapple Drink

I opened this with my boys earlier this week:

Brand: Spongebob Squarepants Bikini Bottom Cooler Pineapple Drink

Origin: Woburn, MA.

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

Sweetener: Sucralose.

Review: This was decent, especially for being only 5 calories. One of my boys remarked that it was a little like Mountain Dew, and I could see that - it had the citrus hit of Mountain Dew, but then with more of a pineapple flavored kick at the end. It wasn't overly sweet, which was a concern being it's based off a cartoon. Decent, but not amazing.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Northwoods "The Squeeze:" Lime Mint Soda Water

I think when I grabbed this, I thought it was soda, but it was unsweetened flavored water:

Brand: Northwoods "The Squeeze:" Lime Mint Soda Water.

Origin: Williamsburg, MI.

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

Sweetener: None.

Review: I *think* I thought this was a NorthSTAR and not a NorthWOODS soda when I grabbed it. (And I thought it WAS a soda and not a water.) Oh well. The label was cool and pulled me in. The first sip reminded me of La Croix Lime (or lemon?) that I got from my uncle as a kid. So that was decent. And then each sip ended with that hint of mint flavor, and that was a nice combo with the lime. Not nearly as sweet as a soda (obviously), but still a fun drink.

Score: 6.5 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.

Diet Faygo Cola

I grabbed this on a car ride back from a camping trip, and didn't get a photo of it until I was back home cleaning out my car:

Messy car... unloading from a wet weekend of camping!

Brand: Diet Faygo Cola.

Origin: Detroit, MI.

Purchase Place: Kwik Trip, Rochester, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: This was a decent cola, but there was nothing fancy, special, or unique about it. It had decent flavor for being diet as well - not that strong, but also not TOO weak. Very decent and what I expected (and wanted). I'll rank this just above average.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Lester's Fixins Horchata Soda

I opened this yesterday as it didn't seem to be too "risky" of a novelty soda:

 
Brand: Lester's Fixins Horchata Soda.

Origin: Incline Village, NV.

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: Something felt "wrong" about drinking a horchata from a guy named "Lester." (It's a drink that originated in northern Africa before settling in Spain and often being thought of as a Mexican drink today.) 

The first sip was odd because the flavor was about right on (including a cinnamon-like hit at the end like Mexican horchata has), but it was a bit strange with the carbonation. 

I actually let it sit in the fridge open for a while, and I think it got better - I like this more with a "softer" carbonation. Overall, it tasted pretty right on and nicely sweet, but the carbonation added a sharpness to it that wasn't as great.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Fresh Fizz Organic Soda Sparkling Jalapeno Limeade

I opened this while in my car waiting for one of my sons' sports practices:

Sitting in my car

Brand: Fresh Fizz Organic Soda Sparkling Jalapeño Limeade.

Origin: Island Park, NY.

Purchase Place: Fresh Thyme, Minneapolis, MN.

Sweetener: Organic Honey.

Review: This was a risky soda. I grow jalapeño peppers and like cooking with them, but I didn't know how I'd like that flavor in a soda... and if they'd be able to CREATE that flavor in a soda.

The first time bringing it to my mouth gave me a sniff of what smelled like TRUE jalapeño peppers - I was impressed already one second before taking my first sip. After my first sip, I was even more impressed - the jalapeño flavor came through well and was spot on! There are only 4 ingredients (carbonated water, lime juice, honey, and jalapeño peppers) and they all pull their own weight. 

This was not a "gulping" soda... this is definitely a "sipping" soda. My wife enjoyed the flavor and remarked this would be good in a cocktail, which is 100% right. The limeade cuts through the jalapeño nicely, and they work well together! It's hard to give this a score because it's not something I would just open and gulp down because it's so tasty, but I would sip on it for a while because it's refreshing. I was impressed by this!

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Appalachian Root Beer

I opened this at work today as another soda from my Grandpa Joe's grand opening stash: 

Yes, my desk is messy... it's the end of the semester...

Brand: Appalachian Root Beer.

Origin: Mechanicsburg, PA.

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

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar and Honey.

Review: This was OK. I don't mind honey as a sweetner in soda (as I LOVE honey), but it sometimes sits as a strange combo with root beer, and it's doing that here - the honey comes on too strong. The root beer is deep and pretty tasty with a hint of wintergreen and a lot of herby notes, but I just don't care for how much honey flavor there is on top of that. Nice and smooth overall. Not bad, but not great.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Rocky Mountain Soda Company Root Beer

I opened this up with my boys last night:

Brand: Rocky Mountain Soda Company Root Beer

Origin: Denver, CO.

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.  

Review: I SWEAR I've had this before. But it turns out that all of the other Rocky Mountain Soda Company sodas that I had TEN YEARS AGO did NOT include a root beer. (And something has happened in the last 10 years because those older sodas were sweetened with sugar beets and were made in Commerce City, and this was sweetened with cane sugar and was made in Denver.) So I bought this to try last night after cooking supper with my boys. 

I first noticed the label was a little... maybe... "pretentious" as it noted in its ingredients list that it contained "vegan cane sugar" - I guess I wasn't aware there was a non-vegan cane sugar option, but apparently animal products can be used in the processing of sugar unless it's "organic."  (So they also could have said "organic" sugar as that's always "vegan" as well.)  It also noted "non-GMO citric acid" which made a little more sense at first.

But beyond that, the root beer was decent! It was a bit heavy on the wintergreen, but otherwise a pretty middle-of-road root beer: it didn't have much BITE but it also wasn't super SMOOTH. Normal, decent, tasty root beer. I'll rank this just a bit above average.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Mirinda

This past weekend, my wife and I got back from a 10-day trip to Italy! Here's a soda found in our mind-fridge of our hotel in Rome that I tried:

 

Brand: Mirinda.

Origin: Milanofiori, Milan, Italy.

Purchase Place: Unknown (found in mini-fridge of Hotel Artemide)

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: This was pretty OJ heavy, even though it only contained 4% orange juice (the ingredients label noted "succo d'arancai (4%)" after water and sugar). It tasted like a lemon-lime soda with OJ added. That's about it! It was simple and refreshing, and surprisingly only 4% OJ. Tasty and simple, so I'll rank this just barely above average.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Black Bear Root Beer

My wife was walking through Menards last week and picked up a 4-pack of these for me:

 

Brand: Black Bear Root Beer.

Origin: Glendale, WI.

Purchase Place: Menards, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Glucose Syrup.

Review: This is a different "label" from the Sprecher brand - it's made by them. The label is very simple, nearly laughably plain (look at the "root beer" text at the top and how the "12 FL OZ" is oddly placed within that orange-ish stripe at the bottom.

But onto the flavor: it's decent. It's nothing too special, and it's a bit heavy with a caramel aftertaste. It's pretty smooth with a little hint of wintergreen, but then there's the caramel flavor that's a bit too much. Not bad, but not great. A decent root beer.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Diet Shasta Cola

At Menards last week, I grabbed these 2 cases:

Diet Shasta Cola and Diet Shasta Twist!

I tried this one first at work.

Brand: Diet Shasta Cola.

Origin: Hayward, CA.

Purchase Place: Menards, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Sucralose.

Review: This had more flavor than I expected! It had the extra sweetness like Diet Pepsi compared to Diet Coke, but then there was an extra almost cinnamon-like flavor. Honestly, it got to feel (taste) OVERLY sweet by the end of the can. But surprisingly good (for generic and for diet).

Score: 6 out of 10.

The Pop Shoppe Black Cherry Soda

I opened this last night after cooking: 

Brand: The Pop Shoppe Black Cherry Soda

Origin: Canada

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: At first sip, this had a very deep "black cherry" flavor! It quickly became quite sugary, ALMOST to the point of "cough syrup-like." As you all know, I like sugary things, but this was still just ALMOST a bit too much for me. It was good, just a bit heavy. I'll rank it a bit better than average.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Blue Sun Super Sour Soda Pucker Up Grape

Yes, it's been over 2 weeks since my last post... I've had this soda in the fridge, but I kept putting off trying it because I was a bit scared. And it's not just one I can grab and take to class as it could leave a horrible taste in my mouth. But FINALLY, here we are... 

Brand: Blue Sun Super Sour Soda Pucker Up Grape.

Origin: Spring Lake Park, MN.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Bloomington, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: This SMELLED just like a normal grape soda. And even when it first hit my tongue, it tasted like a normal grape soda. But then a second later, the SOUR hits, and it makes my cheeks pucker! 

Not surprisingly, my boys tried this and loved it. They thought it was quite good. 

The grape flavor is quite sweet (almost surprisingly sweet), and then it hits with the "candy" sour. The sour really isn't TOO much - yes, it made my face have a physical reaction each time, but it's still almost subtle. Almost. Not bad, and just a fun soda. This is NOT something I would pick when I just wanted to sip on something, but something I'd grab with a friend. As a "drinking" soda, it's crap. But for the experience, I'll rate this just above average.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Red Rock Premium Root Beer

I opened this while cooking Reubens this afternoon: 

Brand: Red Rock Premium Root Beer.

Origin: Austell, GA.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Bloomington, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: This was an generically OK root beer. It didn't "take a stance" and try something quite specific (other than being just slightly red as you can barely make out in the photo). It had a slightly caramel flavor, and was pretty neutral on the "bite vs smooth" scale. Not bad, but nothing special. I'll rank it just a bit better than an average "5."

Score: 6.5 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.