Gray's Brewing Company Black Cherry Soda

I opened this earlier tonight while working in the kitchen:

Brand: Gray's Brewing Company Black Cherry Soda.

Origin: Janesville, WI.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Bloomington, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was really creamy. I had to re-look at the label because I expected it to say "Black Cherry CREAM." It's not a Black Cherry COLA which is what I think I was expecting initially. The flavor was really deep and strong and almost a little grape-like. (Had you told me it was grape, I would have believed you!) My 10-year-old son loved it too, but my wife thought it was a little too Nyquil-esque. (But I love a sugary soda!) Solid tasty soda!

Score: 8.5 out of 10.

Taste Tests: "Diet" vs "Zero Sugar"

As Rhett mentions in this post, these labels seem to just be marketing.

Watch as they try to guess if they are drinking "diet" or "zero sugar" sodas:



Here's the direct link on Facebook.

And here's the full clip from YouTube (which is 16 min vs the 5 min Facebook version - I love Rhett and Link, but I always seem to prefer the more edited Facebook version).

Jones Special Release Icee Cherry Soda

I opened this last night: 

Brand: Jones Special Release Icee Cherry Soda.

Origin: Seattle, WA.

Purchase Place: Cub Foods, Minneapolis, MN.

Sweetener: Inverted Cane Sugar.

Review: It SMELLS like a cherry Icee at first sniff! And the taste is right on when it first hit my tongue. But then it has a harsh, almost bitter flavor. As I think about it, it's about right on when sipping a melted Icee, but that's just not desirable to me. 

My wife tried it and said "Yum, it tastes like sipping a melted Icee!" But that was the exact reason I did NOT like it. So this soda is going to have varying reviews! If you've ever loved sipping a melted Icee (I haven't), this this soda is made for you.

It seemed to get better as I sipped (and that could partially be due to me just getting used to it), but I was hoping this would just be sweet and delicious... and it wasn't. I figured I'd love this, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Dang.

Score: 2.5 out of 10.

Belvoir Farm Organic Elderflower Lemonade Soft Drink

I opened this last night while cooking (sorry for the mess):

Brand: Belvoir Farm Organic Elderflower Lemonade Soft Drink.

Origin: United Kingdom.

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

Sweetener: Organic Cane Sugar.

Review: This was pretty "elderflower heavy" (which is not a phrase I think I've ever said). It has just a HINT of sourness, but that's about all I could take away from the "lemonade" part of the flavor.  I wish it was a bit more equal on the elderflower and lemonade scale. The flavor is nice and subtle overall. Not bad (especially if you like elderflower), but I wanted a little more from this.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Looks Like Orange Tastes Like Grape Soda

I opened this while cooking last night: 

I don't know what's with the eyeball...

Brand: Looks Like Orange Tastes Like Grape Soda.

Origin: Gardena, CA.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Bloomington, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: Yes, that's the name of the soda. "Looks Like Orange Tastes Like Grape." Guess what? The title says it all. It's a pretty nostalgic grape flavor that's relatively sweet. Nothing fancy here, but just a decent orange-colored grape soda. For some reason.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Mr. Pibb at Easter