Friday, February 26, 2021
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Reading Draft Blueberry Birch Soda
Well, it's Tuesday, so I guess that means I have another soda review from my classroom in Minneapolis (I think this is the 3rd week in a row):
Brand: Reading Draft Blueberry Birch Soda.
Origin: Reading, PA.
Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.
Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.
Review: So "birch" sodas usually have a bit of a sharpness to them, but I expect a "blueberry" soda to be more smooth. So what was this going to be? The answer is: both. The initial sip has that sharpness I expect with a birch soda / birch beer, but then each sip ends with the softness and smoothness of a sugary blueberry soda. It's an interesting combination. I'm not a HUGE fan of most birch beers, so I think the sweetness of the blueberry made the birch beer flavor more enjoyable for me. Still just an OK soda, but a fun combo of flavors.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
R-Pep Soda
I had no idea what flavor this was going to be when I opened this earlier today:
Brand: R-Pep Soda.
Origin: Breese, IL.
Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.
Sweetener: Sugar.
Review: I was expecting either a "cola"-like or a "Dr. Pepper"-like flavor, but it was neither of those. I couldn't make it out initially: I thought it tasted like a mix of a cream soda and some sort of black cherry soda (SODA, not black cherry COLA).
Their website describes this soda as: "Very creamy in taste, this soda has obvious flavors of vanilla and caramel, with a few other layers that add subtle cherry and amaretto to the mix." Yep, that's a lot of flavors to figure out.
The "vanilla" is what was giving me the cream soda vibe, and I got the cherry right too. But overall, I just thought it was OK. It was almost "too busy" in my mouth - lots going on. Not BAD, just DIFFERENT. I'll rank this just above average (mainly for trying something different).
Score: 6 out of 10.
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Dublin Texas Sweet Peach Soda
Before class tonight, I opened this in my classroom:
Brand: Dublin Texas Sweet Peach Soda.
Origin: Dublin Texas (duh).
Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.
Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.
Review: I'm not a fan of peach flavored things, so I don't know why I picked this up. (Although I have had a good record with non-diet Dublin Texas sodas.) If you handed this to me and told me to guess the flavor, I think I would have said "weird strawberry?" Or maybe "sweet kiwi?" I don't know that I EVER would have gotten to "peach," let alone "sweet peach."
BUT... it wasn't bad! It was kind of light and summery, as you'd expect a "sweet peach" soda to be. It was nicely sweet without being too much. Maybe peach flavor is hard to do, as I've never had a peach flavored soda before this one. It didn't taste like peach, but it wasn't bad. I'll call this just barely above average.
Score: 6 out of 10.
Saturday, February 6, 2021
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Blue Sky Cola
I enjoyed this as I was prepping for class this evening:
With the messy instructor station behind the can. #ReadyToTeach |
Brand: Blue Sky Cola.
Origin: Tustin, CA.
Purchase Place: Mississippi Market, St. Paul, MN.
Sweetener: Invert Cane Sugar.
Review: This is the last of the Blue Sky Sodas that my wife got for me 6 weeks ago. And I'm sad to see them go. And they ended on a high note! This was a really unique cola - it was very creamy and had more than a hint of vanilla. You could have told me this was a "vanilla cream soda" and I would have believed you 100%. It's unlike any cola I've had. It still has the slight "fruitiness" that many decent colas have, but there's more going on. A fun take on cola! Worth a try!
Score: 8 out of 10.