Liquid Death Killer Cola Flavored Sparkling Water

On Saturday, I stopped at "Five Below" with my son so he could shop for his girlfriend, and I grabbed a Liquid Death. On Sunday, I opened it while I cooked supper:

I was ready to "murder my thirst" as it says at the bottom.  ;)

 

Brand: Liquid Death Killer Cola Flavored Sparkling Water.

Origin: Los Angeles, CA.

Purchase Place: Five Below, Roseville, MN.

Sweetener: Agave Nectar and Stevia Leaf Extract.

Review: First of all, you have to note that it's a "flavored sparkling water" and not a "soda." It's not nearly as sweet as you'd expect a soda to be. But with both agave and stevia, it's still PLENTY sweet - it's not like a La Croix or something.

I don't know if I would have labeled this as a "cola" by just sipping it blindly. It had a real fruity / floral sweetness to it, and a bit of that "sharpness" that stevia tends to add. It wasn't a bad flavor, but it really wasn't what I'd say was "cola." In the end, I didn't care for the sharpness it had (even though it was only slightly carbonated which helped, because otherwise it would have been VERY "sharp"), and the flavor wasn't what I expected. The sweetness was good, so I'll give this a middle-of-the-road score.

Score: 5 out of 10.

Grandpa Joe's Marshmallow Old Fashioned Soda Pop

I opened this last night with my boys:

 

Brand: Grandpa Joe's Marshmallow Old Fashioned Soda Pop.

Origin: Pittsburgh, PA.

Purchase Place: Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: It SMELLS like marshmallow! Truly! And the first sip had a bit of a marshmallow flavor, but first came an overly sweet "cream soda" flavor. It was decent, but VERY sweet - my boys loved it and my wife thought it was too much. I'll give it a pretty average score.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

NEW Orange Cream Coca-Cola Zero

My wife grabbed some of these to try from someone who was given most of a 12-pack away on our local "buy nothing" page because they didn't care for it:

Why is "orange cream" centered in this shot,
but then not "zero sugar" or the text at the bottom?

Brand: Orange Cream Coca-Cola Zero.

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: gifted from our local "buy nothing" Facebook group.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: Cracking this open, I was assaulted with the scent of orange cream. That smell (and flavor) was pretty spot on! The problem is that I like cola, and there's no cola flavor left because it's just orange cream.

I like Coke Zero - it's in my top 5 of normal "daily" afternoon caffeine pick-me-ups. And I also like Cherry Coke Zero - the cherry flavor works itself in nicely with the cola. But this soda is just ALL orange cream. There's no cola flavor left - this is just an orange cream SODA, and not an orange cream COLA. I wish the orange cream was a little toned down so the cola flavor could come through a bit more. I'll put this right in the middle of "average."

Score: 5 out of 10.

Dr. Enuf Soda

I'm currently sipping on this soda that I got on my trip to Yellowstone last month (where I also had this slightly sub-par root beer):

 
Brand: Dr. Enuf Soda.

Origin: Johnson City, TN.

Purchase Place: Cracker Barrel, Billings, MT.

Sweetener: 100% Pure Sugar.

Review: As you can see on the front of the label, this says "rich in vitamins" and that it's the "original energy booster." Apparently it says that because it has added vitamin B1 and B3. Big whoop. That's not that impressive.

And it basically tastes like 7Up or Sprite - it's a pretty generic lemon lime soda. It has a slightly different after taste, and maybe that's from the B vitamins. So I think 7Up and Sprite are both better because they don't have that slightly "off" taste. It's OK. It's fine. Basic lemon lime.

Score: 5 out of 10.

Dr. Wells Soda

This had no "flavor" listed, so I assumed it was Dr. Pepper rip-off:

 

Brand: Dr. Wells Soda.

Origin: Jasper, IN.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: I was right. This is a lot like Dr. Pepper, just a bit worse. It really tastes similar, but just has an extra "artificial" flavor at the end that makes it not as great. It was OK... I'll rank this right in the middle.

Score: 5 out of 10.

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.

Brigham's Brew Cream Soda

I opened this while cooking today:

 
Brand: Brigham's Brew Cream Soda.

Origin: Salt Lake City, Utah.

Purchase Place: Harmon's, Utah.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was another soda sent to me from some friends last month. It had been waiting in the fridge for a quiet weekend after some busy ones. This smelled very creamy... if that's a possible smell. And it WAS creamy and sweet - almost TOO sweet (which means something coming from me). But it had that really deep, smooth, cream soda flavor that was quite good. If you like sweet sweet things and like a hard hit of classic cream soda, then you'll like this! But if you like more "adult" and subtly-flavored cream sodas, this might be too much for you. I'll give this a pretty average score.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Limited Edition Coca Cola Creations Y3000

Just after my last post about the Coca Cola that was "co-created with Artificial Intelligence," I happened to be walking through Target and found one by the checkout:

 

Brand: Limited Edition Coca Cola Creations Y3000.  

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Target, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: I wasn't that excited to try this. As noted in my last post, people were saying it tasted like perfume or banana, and neither of those excited me. Also, I don't know what "Futuristic Flavored" means on the left side of the bottle... tastes like the apocalypse?

After my first sip, BOTH of those people were right: it started with a sharp/chemically perfume-like taste that was a bit overpowering, but then it ended with a sweeter banana-like flavor. That combo was quite odd. I didn't love it.

But then after I kept drinking, I started to like it more and more. And my boys were sipping on it with me, and they had the same reaction: it got better as we drank it. Maybe the negative thoughts clouded my first sips, but it wasn't as bad as we went on. I wouldn't say I LIKE it, but I DIDN'T DISLIKE it. I don't think I'll buy another bottle, but it was decent. 

Score: 5 out of 10.

Northern Soda Company Butter Scotch Root Beer

I brought this to work with me earlier this week: 

 

Brand: Northern Soda Company Butter Scotch Root Beer.

Origin: Arden Hills, MN.

Purchase Place: Remix, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This is another soda from my Father's Day variety pack my wife got me from the delicious Remix down the street (click here for a recent post about Remix, and click here for the first time I checked them out). I'm kind of torn on butterscotch flavored things: sometimes it feels too heavy and gross, but other times it's a nice and smooth addition. I tend to like it in a root beer when it's subtle.

But most "butterscotch root beers" aren't too subtle with the butterscotch. And this one was no exception. The butterscotch flavor is quite good and smooth and tasty, but it's just a bit too heavy for my taste. I can barely taste any "root beer" - it's generally just "butterscotch." It's not as extreme as some butterscotch root beers that I've had, but I still wish it was a bit lighter on the butterscotch. It wasn't horrible by any means, so I'll rank this right in the middle...

Score: 5 out of 10.

Lotte Milkis Banana

I grabbed this from an Asian grocery store that I stopped at recently with my boys:

 

Brand: Lotte Milkis Banana.

Origin: Korea.

Purchase Place: Shuang Hur Supermarket, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was a cute little 8.45 oz can. I didn't know what to expect from it. I was a little scared. This drink was a bit milky, and "powdered skim milk" was the 4th ingredient (after water, sugar, and carbon dioxide)... and I assume that's why it's called MILKis. 

As far as the taste: it wasn't bad! It didn't REALLY taste like banana, but more like banana-flavored things. It was like a liquid version of a banana Runt candy (remember those?!?) with carbonation. It was good, but a little odd, so I'll give it an average score. A fun thing to try in a small can.

Score: 5 out of 10.

VitaLife Root Beer Prebiotic Soda

I grabbed one of these from Aldi recently:

Brand: VitaLife Root Beer Prebiotic Soda.

Origin: Batavia, IL.

Purchase Place: Aldi, Minneapolis, MN.

Sweetener: Stevia.

Review: This is a kombucha-like prebiotic soda that's flavored like root beer. Because of that, it has a LOAD of fiber: the 3rd ingredient is inulin which makes the can loaded with 9 grams of fiber. The ingredients list was pretty big, so I didn't know what to expect with the taste.

It smelled like root beer, and upon first taste, it TASTED like root beer as well. But after a second, it gets a little odd caramel / fruit / sweet taste that just kind of takes over. That ruins the experience a bit - it starts well, but ends tasting odd. If it could just stay as the initial flavor, this would be an 8 or so in my book, but the weirdness that happens at the end of each sip really takes its toll overall. Decent, but not great.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Rico Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea

I was in Hy-Vee recently and this caught my eye:

Note that it's 12.3 oz and a little taller than usual.

Brand: Rico Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea

Origin: Taiwan.

Purchase Place: Hy-Vee, Oakdale, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar and Brown Sugar.

Review: The first sip was VERY pleasant. This tasted JUST like a milk tea I've gotten from my local bubble tea place. I was quite happy and surprised. But as I kept drinking, I finally got to the "bubbles," and they were... odd. They were extra chewy and more jello-like than I was used to compared to "fresh" bubbles at my local tea place:

Extra "foggy" and chewy. Very odd.

I'm sure there's an issue being able to make and keep these bubbles or pearls in can for many months, and that ruined the experience a bit. The taste of the milk tea itself was super sweet and spot on, but then the bubbles knocked this down a few points.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Manzanita Sol Apple Soda

I opened this last night with supper:

 

Brand: Manzanita Sol Apple Soda.

Origin: Mexico.

Purchase Place: Longfellow Market, Minneapolis, MN.

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Review: This was very "green apple." It looked like a carbonated cider, but it definitely had the tartness of green apple. It was OK, but nothing amazing. Just a middle-of-the-road score...

Score: 5 out of 10.

Frostie Green Apple Soda

I opened this after some snow shoveling today:

   

Brand: Frostie Green Apple Soda.

Origin: Detroit, MI.

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

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.

Review: I sort of expected this to taste like a liquid Jolly Rancher: sweet and tasty. But it wasn't as sweet or as flavorful as I expected. The green apple flavor was weak and had a hint of "wet cardboard." It was OK, but not great. I'll give it an average score.

Score: 5 out of 10.

WBC Vanilla Cream Craft Soda

I recently spent 2 nights and 3 days in a little cabin with my boys in Whitewater State Park, and we sipped on this during a game of Catan: 

About to be shared in the tiny camping cups to the left.

Brand: WBC Vanilla Cream Craft Soda.

Origin: Glendale, WI.

Purchase Place: Menards, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: This was just OK. It was really sweet and smooth on the front end (and had it stopped there, I'd rank it a little better than average), but then it had a pretty sharp and chemically aftertaste - something that I just hate when trying to enjoy a soda. That extra little "tang" at the end brought this from more of a 6 or 7 down to the 5 range. Not bad, just not great.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Coca Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition "Dreamworld" Dream Flavored Soda

Coke has been trying some new funky "limited edition" flavors. For some reason. I really did not like the "Starlight" Space Flavored Coke Zero that I tried this past spring, but my wife found a different flavor for me to try:

On the dash of my car as I was eating lunch the other day.

Brand: Coca Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition "Dreamworld" Dream Flavored Soda.  

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Casey's, Wells, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.  

Review: This wasn't nearly as bad as "Starlight" Space Flavored Coke Zero! Whew! It smelled a bit fruity when I opened it. My very first thought when I took a sip was "Hmmm... mango?!?" It was basically a mango-flavored Coke Zero. The "mango" flavor overpowered the Coke flavor which I didn't care for (but I'm a fan of cola, so I would say that).

After (and only AFTER) drinking it and forming my opinion, I looked up what the internet had to say. This writer described it like this:

I puzzled and puzzled over how to describe the flavor. Here’s what I came up with: maybe if you had a party, and you made a huge bowl of fruit punch, and then accidentally dropped a splash of Coke into it, that’s what Dreamworld tastes like.

So where I said "mango," she said "fruit punch." I don't feel like we're that far off. And she also agrees that it's not very coke flavored. Another writer said "It had a fruity candy smell -- like Skittles mixed with Coca-Cola -- but it definitely didn't taste the same way. I immediately got a citrus flavor from this soda..."

It's not my favorite combination of flavors, but it's not horrible... especially if the thought of a fruity Coke Zero is intriguing to you.

Score: 5 out of 10.

Fora the Red Drink by Casamara Club

My boys and I recently got back from 3 days of mountain biking in Cuyuna State Park. On our 2nd day, I found this cool looking can at a fancy ice cream shop:

On the ladder of my boys' bunk bed at our small hotel.

Look at that wild ingredients list! Grapefruit Peel? Rhubarb Root? Black pepper?!?

Brand: Fora the Red Drink by Casamara Club.

Origin: Detroit, MI.

Purchase Place: Victual, Crosby, MN.

Sweetener: Demerara Cane Sugar.

Review: This tasted unlike anything I've ever had. It's basically a flavored, carbonated, and lightly sweetened water. (And it's just BARELY light pink, so I don't know that it deserves to be called "the red drink.") It initially has the citrus hit of lemon, but then the flavor goes much deeper than that. I feel like the black pepper gives it almost a ginger-like "spiciness," and the hibiscus and rose definitely give it some flowery notes. (And maybe that's some of the strawberry coming through as well.) 

Honestly, I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it because it was so unique! My wife (who loves La Croix and Bubly waters) could have enjoyed this. It's a bit sweeter than La Croix as there's actually 20 calories of sugar in this, and I appreciated that. I'll give it an average 5, although the experience was higher and the flavor was lower.

Score: 5 out of 10.

Root Jack Orange Flavored Root Beer Pirate Energy Drink

I opened this earlier today: 

Brand: Root Jack Orange Flavored Root Beer Pirate Energy Drink.

Origin: Mishawaka, IN.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Bloomington, MN.

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Review: This is labeled a "pirate energy drink," so I was a little concerned. It has your daily allowance of vitamin C to "keep scurvy in check," so that's good. It has quillaja which Google tells me is sometimes used to help with foam in root beer. And it has caffeine and guarana seed extract which are both stimulants. I also found online that it has 10 mg of caffeine/oz, so this bottle had 120 mg of caffeine! 

But on to the flavor. It's not great. It has that energy drink chemically-ness to it. The orange flavor with the root beer isn't bad - that's actually kinda fun. If you like energy drinks, then you might like this. If you don't then you might want to steer away from this one. Not bad, totally unique, but not great.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Frostie Orange Soda

Last night as I was peeling oranges for my wife to take to work today, I opened something orange for myself:

Brand: Frostie Orange Soda.

Origin: Detroit, MI.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Bloomington, MN.

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar.

Review: Ehh... this was OK. There's nothing that stands out much about it's flavor - it's orange soda. It's just a little odd because it's smooth on the front end but has a slight sharpness in its aftertaste. I liked it more at the first sip when it was a little smooth, and I would have NEARLY called it a "orange cream" soda, but then that changed a little at the end of the sip. Not bad, but nothing great, so it gets a middle-of-the-road score.

Score: 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.