Root Naturals Black Cherry Soda

I opened this FANCY-looking bottle tonight:

Brand: Root Naturals Black Cherry Soda

Origin: Cincinnati, Ohio. 

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: When I took my first sip, I thought there was a slight "sharpness"that I didn't care for. Then I looked at the ingredients and saw "juice blend (cherry, pear, black current, carrot)" listed. It was a hint of pear that I wasn't ready for! It wasn't bad - I just wasn't expecting it and didn't like it at first. Once I identified it as pear, we were good to go.

It's not very sweet, and the flavors are relatively subtle. It's VERY MUCH an "adult" soda that's not overly sugary, and you know me: I usually like things pretty sugary. But, this was unique, pretty tasty, and definitely worth a try if you don't need a super sugary soda.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.
 

Root Beer and Vanilla Bean Serenity Soda

A few nights ago, I opened this after a bike ride / hike with my boys:

Brand: Root Beer and Vanilla Bean Serenity Soda.

Origin: Spring Lake Park, MN (another bottler that Blue Sun has purchased).

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

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: First of all, this was my first "Serenity Soda," but I SWEAR I've had one of their sodas before. But there's no record of it on this blog. Huh. I'm at a loss.

Near the bottom of the label, it says "The perfect harmony of two flavors," and I was skeptical. But it was GOOD. I thought it was just "pretty good" at first, but the more I drank it, the more I liked it. It's not really a root beer "creme" - I don't know exactly how to describe it. It tastes like a super smooth vanilla syrup has been added to root beer, and in the best possible way. Honestly, the vanilla overpowers the root beer, but I'M OK WITH THAT because the vanilla is so good. This was unique and worth a try. (It could have made the creamiest root beer floats, but I chugged it too quick.)

Score: 8.5 out of 10.

Father's Day Sodas...

Blue Sun Soda Shop posted this last night on their Instagram:

This selection seems pretty appropriate for Dads.  Happy Father's Day!

Dad-Gum-It! Cream Butterscotch

I opened this tonight after working outside:

Brand: Dad-Gum-It! Cream Butterscotch

Origin: Camarillo, CA

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar

Review: When I popped the bottle cap, I got a huge whiff of butterscotch candies. I was impressed, and I was hopeful. And it didn't taste too bad! It sure was better than their "Root Beer Butterscotch," so that was good. It still had a slightly off aftertaste (or maybe more specifically "later" in the taste but just before an "aftertaste"), but it wasn't too egregious.

Also, it doesn't really need the word "cream" in the name. One would assume that something liquid and butterscotch flavored would be creamy. It's not soooo creamy that it warrants the title of CREAM Butterscotch. IMHO.

This calls for higher points for a unique flavor, but then that gets lowered down a bit because of the slightly weird aftertaste. But a decent butterscotch soda that was fun to sip on a hot evening.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.
 

Boylan Cane Cola

I was grabbing some mulch at Ace (on Grand near Snelling Ave) last week, and I also grabbed this:

I liked the design of the bottle cap.

Brand: Boylan Cane Cola.

Origin: New York, New York.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was OK. It had that flowery sweetness that many "good" colas have, but it was pretty subtle. There wasn't anything special or unique about this. Pretty average, so I'm giving it an average "5."

Score: 5 out of 10.

A&W Drive-In Nostagia

This was shared recently on a "History of St. Paul" Facebook page, and I thought it'd be fun to share here: