Flathead Lake Granny Apple

I had a few "normal" sodas from my Frattallone's Ace Hardware stash, so I thought I'd try something a bit different this past weekend. I grabbed a bright green bottle:

Brand: Flathead Lake Granny Apple.

Origin: Ocean City, NJ.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, Burnsville, MN.

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Review: I was ready for this to be "weird" or just a little different, but it wasn't. It wasn't overly carbonated, and the flavor was VERY much that of a green apple. The apple flavor wasn't overpowering - it was just nice and subtle. It wasn't the best soda ever, but it WAS surprisingly good!

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

365 Cherry Vanilla Creme Soda

My wife surprised me on my birthday. She showed up to my class with cake for me and all of my students. AND she brought me a soda. It was Whole Food's "store brand" 365 Cherry Vanilla Creme soda:

Because it's 365, it's all natural with nothing artificial. It had a pretty strong cherry flavor which I liked. It was really what I expected - it was "as advertised."

Brand: 365 Everyday Value Cherry Vanilla Creme Soda

Origin: Austin, TX.

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

Sweetener: 100% Cane Sugar.

Review: Good cherry flavor with the vanilla hitting more in the aftertaste. As "creme" would imply, it's very smooth. It's a good creme soda, and the fact that it's cherry sets it apart from other creme sodas that I've had. This would be a good summer soda.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Jack Black's Blood Red Cola

I bought this soda because of the label:

It wasn't actually red.  That bummed me out.


Brand: Jack Black's Blood Red Cola.

Origin: Gardena, CA?

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, Burnsville, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This has a sharp bite, and I don't care for it a ton. It has a bit of vanilla / ginger flavor, and the kick is just a little too much. The flavor has a hint of cherry (and I LOVE cherry), but this missed the mark for me. It wasn't very "drinkable" - it was something I could sip, but it didn't make me want to take big gulps.

Score: 4 out of 10.

Dog N Suds Root Beer

I had to grab this one because it looked "fun."

As I found out, "Dog n Suds" is a restaurant franchise where you can get (you guessed it) hot dogs and root beer.


Brand: Dog N Suds Root Beer.

Origin: Norton Shores, MI.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, Burnsville, MN.

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.

Review: Smells great, but there's a bit of a sharp, strange flavor. Really creamy. A bit of an "old fashioned" taste.

Score: 7 out of 10.

AJ Stephans Root Beer

Brand: AJ Stephans Root Beer.

Origin: Fall River, Massachusetts.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, Burnsville, MN.

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.

Review: It's no secret that I don't care for "fancy" root beer. I had heard this was going to be a fancier one, so I wasn't expecting much. But it was OK! It had a sharp bite, and a hit of anise and vanilla. It had a slightly weird aftertaste, but it wasn't horrible. My wife thought it tasted a little like aftershave. (Weird.) It was better than I thought it would be, but not fantastic.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Black Cherry IBC

Thursday night I stopped by a "going away" party for 2 people at work. They had beer and tequila... both of which I passed on. But I DID grab a bottle of Black Cherry IBC.

Image Source

My bottle of IBC surrounded by sweets (and a bottle of Patron....)

Brand: IBC Black Cherry Soda.

Origin: Plano, Texas.

Purchase Place: Unknown. (Kowalski's maybe?)

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Review: This had a strong smell and a strong flavor. Luckily, it was also a GOOD flavor. It was pretty syrupy, which I like. This was quite a sweet treat, and I'd have this again in a heartbeat. Tasty.

Score: 8 out of 10.