Zia Sandia Cola: Watermelon, Mint, and Lime

Here's another soda that my friends sent me:

I was looking for a line like "separation or floating ingredients is normal" after seeing stuff at the bottom!

 

Brand: Zia Sandia.  

Origin: Taos, New Mexico.

Purchase Place: Smith's, Kaysville, UT.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was intriguing to me. I thought the flavor combo sounded like a possible hit! But it was a little to tart and "zingy" for me. This is definitely an "adult" soda as it's not very sweet but has a lot of flavor. There's a subtle watermelon flavor/sweetness that is then met with a punch of mint and lime later in each sip. It's the mint and lime combo that I'm not 100% sold on - it's unique and it tastes sort of how you'd expect, but it's not ALL that tasty. Not sure what to think about this one... but it DID grow on me a bit as I kept sipping on the bottle (and it's definitely a "sipping" soda - this is not something that you'd chug!), so it raised the score from a 4 earlier on to a 5 by the end.

Score: 5 out of 10.

Zia Piñon Cola

I brought this to Hyland Ski Hill this afternoon to drink as my boys skied:

Ski hills in the background!

 
Brand: Zia Piñon Cola.

Origin: Taos, New Mexico.

Purchase Place: Smith's Food and Drug, somewhere in Utah.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: First of all, it's a clear soda, which feels weird to me. That might be part of the reason that it doesn't taste very traditionally "cola-like" to me. But it's not a bad thing. The first part of each sip has the "deepness" of a cola to me, but then it ends with a refreshing kick of lime (note that the bottom of the label says "kola nut & lime"). The flavor is a bit smokey (maybe from the "roasted piñon" nuts noted on the label), but then there's a tropical feel to it with the lime. Very unique cola with a citrusy kick!

I've enjoyed all 3 Zia sodas that some friends dropped off for me last fall - I'll keep my eye out for more from Zia in the future.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Zia Root Beer

I brought this with me to my office by the darkroom (which explains the cameras in the background) - it was my 2nd Zia from the stash my friends brought me: 

Brand: Zia Root Beer.

Origin: Taos, NM.

Purchase Place: Smith's Food and Drug, somewhere in Utah.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: I was ready for this to be "fancy" as it had a big list of ingredients after the "normal" ones: anise and licorice aren't ALL that unique, but then it has clove, mint, yucca root, and madagascar bourbon vanilla. That's an interesting list. And the root beer is REALLY dark - one of the darker sodas I've seen.

And it WAS a little interesting. What first struck me was a big of a smokiness it had - I think that's the cloves coming through that way. And there's a hint of the mint that feels like normal wintergreen in a root beer. Overall, it's pretty smooth and has a real earthy, herby, smoky flavor. I prefer something a little sweeter, but this is a nice and unique "adult" root beer. (I say "adult" because it's not super sugary - it would not be as popular with kids.) On taste alone, I think I'd give this a 6, but I'm bumping it up for the uniqueness of the experience.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Zia Ginger Ale

I opened my first Zia from my friends the other day:

Brand: Zia Ginger Ale.

Origin: Taos, NM.

Purchase Place: Smith's Food and Drug, somewhere in Utah.

Sweetener: Cane sugar.

Review: I was ready for this to be a bit strong as after the first 2 "normal" ingredients (filtered carbonated water and cane sugar), the rest were a bit more extreme: "fresh pressed ginger juice, red chile natural flavors, lime and lemon juice." I was surprised to sniff it and realize it was more subtle than I expected. And the flavor was a bit that way too - it was still flavorful, but not overpowering. Ginger can be a bit much for me, but this just had a nice flavor that ended well with a hit of citrus. There was no back-of-the-throat ginger burn that I get with some ginger sodas. (Oh, I take that back - as I'm drinking it a bit more, it IS biting the back of my throat a little, but not that harshly!) My family all enjoyed this as well. This earned the highest score for a Ginger Ale from me ever!

Score: 8 out of 10.