I did lots of cooking recently, and I enjoyed this as I worked:
Brand: North Star Craft Soda Black Cherry.
Origin: Forest Lake, MN.
Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.
Sweetener: Sugar.
Review: This was pretty good! It had a very deep black cherry flavor that I liked very much. It was quite sweet and sugary (maybe too much for some people). No major complaints from me.
Score: 8 out of 10.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Friday, November 25, 2016
Maine Root Pumpkin Pie Soda
Happy (day after) Thanksgiving! I thought I'd try an appropriately seasonal soda today:
Brand: Maine Root Pumpkin Pie Soda.
Origin: Portland, Maine.
Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.
Sweetener: Fair Trade Certified organic cane juice (sheesh).
Review: I was ready to not like this. I mean, it sounds kinda gross. But I was intrigued because it only had 3 ingredients: carbonated water, Fair Trade Certified organic cane juice, and spices. Turns out, it was OK. It didn't REALLY taste like pumpkin pie, but it was herby and spicy like a real flavorful pumpkin pie is. It SMELLED really like pumpkin pie. It wasn't bad. I mean, it wasn't GREAT either, but it was one of the better "novelty" sodas that I've had. And, as seen above, my 5-year-old liked it.
Score: 6 out of 10.
I let my son try a sip. |
He thought it was good. (But he never gets soda, so that's not worth much.) |
Brand: Maine Root Pumpkin Pie Soda.
Origin: Portland, Maine.
Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.
Sweetener: Fair Trade Certified organic cane juice (sheesh).
Review: I was ready to not like this. I mean, it sounds kinda gross. But I was intrigued because it only had 3 ingredients: carbonated water, Fair Trade Certified organic cane juice, and spices. Turns out, it was OK. It didn't REALLY taste like pumpkin pie, but it was herby and spicy like a real flavorful pumpkin pie is. It SMELLED really like pumpkin pie. It wasn't bad. I mean, it wasn't GREAT either, but it was one of the better "novelty" sodas that I've had. And, as seen above, my 5-year-old liked it.
Score: 6 out of 10.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Stewart's Root Beer
I cracked this open at the end of long Saturday night:
Brand: Stewart's Root Beer.
Origin: Plano, Texas.
Purchase Place: Kowalski's, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Sugar.
Review: This had a deep flavor that was quite good. It's smooth with a bit of vanilla and just a hint of anise. Rich, tasty, and pretty darn good. No big complaints!
Score: 9 out of 10.
Brand: Stewart's Root Beer.
Origin: Plano, Texas.
Purchase Place: Kowalski's, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Sugar.
Review: This had a deep flavor that was quite good. It's smooth with a bit of vanilla and just a hint of anise. Rich, tasty, and pretty darn good. No big complaints!
Score: 9 out of 10.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Virgil's Zero Root Beer
I opened this up with lunch today:
Brand: Virgil's Zero Root Beer
Origin: Los Angeles, CA.
Purchase Place: Kowalski's, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Stevia.
Review: This had a deep flavor, but slightly too much anise (which is what I thought of their regular root beer too). I wasn't a fan. Even though it had a deep flavor, it was still weak. There was an odd berry flavor in there that was OK (and unexpected - maybe the Stevia?), but that the was most this had to offer. Giving it an average score.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Brand: Virgil's Zero Root Beer
Origin: Los Angeles, CA.
Purchase Place: Kowalski's, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Stevia.
Review: This had a deep flavor, but slightly too much anise (which is what I thought of their regular root beer too). I wasn't a fan. Even though it had a deep flavor, it was still weak. There was an odd berry flavor in there that was OK (and unexpected - maybe the Stevia?), but that the was most this had to offer. Giving it an average score.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Fitz's Orange Pop
I opened this up with supper tonight:
Brand: Fitz's Orange Pop.
Origin: St. Louis, MO.
Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Cane Sugar.
Review: Ehhh, this was OK. Nothing special. It had a bit more of a "bite" than I expected from an orange soda, and that was about it. Otherwise, it was "orangey."
Score: 5 out of 10.
Brand: Fitz's Orange Pop.
Origin: St. Louis, MO.
Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Cane Sugar.
Review: Ehhh, this was OK. Nothing special. It had a bit more of a "bite" than I expected from an orange soda, and that was about it. Otherwise, it was "orangey."
Score: 5 out of 10.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Filbert's Black Cherry
After a 6K Cross Country race this past weekend, I cracked into this:
Brand: Filbert's Black Cherry.
Origin: Chicago, IL.
Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Review: This was decent, but nothing special. It had a "tang" to it that was a bit unexpected. I prefer a "smoother" black cherry, but this was OK. I'll give it an average score.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Brand: Filbert's Black Cherry.
Origin: Chicago, IL.
Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Review: This was decent, but nothing special. It had a "tang" to it that was a bit unexpected. I prefer a "smoother" black cherry, but this was OK. I'll give it an average score.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Foxon Park Diet White Birch Soda
I cracked into this last night after a big week of class:
Brand: Foxon Park Diet White Birch Soda.
Origin: East Haven, Connecticut.
Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.
Sweetener: Aspartame.
Review: This smelled a lot like root beer. It tasted like a creamy, weak root beer with lots of carbonation. It had the typical diet soda issue: the flavor was weak. It wasn't bad, but it was nothing special. I'll give this an average score.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Brand: Foxon Park Diet White Birch Soda.
Origin: East Haven, Connecticut.
Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.
Sweetener: Aspartame.
Review: This smelled a lot like root beer. It tasted like a creamy, weak root beer with lots of carbonation. It had the typical diet soda issue: the flavor was weak. It wasn't bad, but it was nothing special. I'll give this an average score.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
365 Lemon Lime
The boys and I swung by Whole Foods for a snack this past weekend, and I grabbed a lemon lime soda:
Brand: 365 Lemon Lime.
Origin: Austin, TX.
Purchase Place: Whole Foods, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Cane Sugar.
Review: There was nothing special about this, but it was good. It wasn't as sugary and sweet as "name brand" lemon lime sodas - it was a bit more crisp and subtle. Maybe it was because I was at Whole Foods, but I felt like this wasn't AS bad for me as normal sodas. (Yeah, that was all in my head.) Pretty good, and not overly sweet.
Score: 6 out of 10.
At a table at Whole Foods, with dark Selby Ave in the background. |
Brand: 365 Lemon Lime.
Origin: Austin, TX.
Purchase Place: Whole Foods, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Cane Sugar.
Review: There was nothing special about this, but it was good. It wasn't as sugary and sweet as "name brand" lemon lime sodas - it was a bit more crisp and subtle. Maybe it was because I was at Whole Foods, but I felt like this wasn't AS bad for me as normal sodas. (Yeah, that was all in my head.) Pretty good, and not overly sweet.
Score: 6 out of 10.
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