Coca Cola Zero Sugar Holiday Creamy Vanilla

I grabbed this while walking through Kowalski's the other day:

 
Brand: Coca Cola Zero Sugar Holiday Creamy Vanilla.

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Kowalski's Market, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: I was a little excited for this. I had heard that it was tasty. BUT... it was just too much for me. It was VERY strong on the vanilla. It was almost like it was overly creamy and overly vanilla-y. I suppose that's what it is: a "creamy vanilla" like it says in its name. But it was just too much. Try it if you want something strong on the creamy vanilla, but otherwise stay away.

Score: 4 out of 10.

Northern Soda Company's Vanilla Bean Root Beer

I opened this during class today:

 

Brand: Northern Soda Company's Vanilla Bean Root Beer.

Origin: Arden Hills, MN.

Purchase Place: Remix, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was interesting from the first sip. Something about "vanilla bean" made me think it would be a bit smooth and creamy, but it wasn't - there's a slight sharpness to it. It made me pause, but it's not bad! There's also a slight fruitiness to it as well. This was very unique!

In the end, the "vanilla bean" flavor DOES come through, but not before a fruity flavor as well. At VERY first sip, I thought I wasn't going to like this, but even by the end of that first sip, I was on board. This is unique, both smooth and sharp, and has a great flavor.

Score: 8 out of 10.

A 'Root Beer Variety Pack'

When we stopped by Remix for some shave ice, I noted that I spotted a variety pack of root beer. Well my wife grabbed it as an extra Father's Day present for me:

The "variety pack" on our counter!

The 6 sodas inside. (The "regular" root beer has a printed can, but the rest are stickers on a plain can.)

I'll be back with reviews on all of these over the next few weeks! I can't wait!

Strawberry Vanilla Health-Ade Pop

I was at Whole Foods last night, and I saw these:

Is "last chance" a bad sign?...

I looked over the flavors, and I first thought about the "Apple Snap" on the left. But it was giving me kombucha vibes, and I'm not a fan of kombucha. So I went with the "Strawberry Vanilla:"

Brand: Strawberry Vanilla Health-Ade Pop.

Origin: Torrance, CA.

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: So there's still SLIGHT kombucha vibes here as the first ingredient is "organic fermented tea." But it's not as harsh and vinegar-heavy like kombucha is. (But there is a warning that there could be "small piece of culture" floating around.  NO THANKS.) There's only 35 calories in each can, so there's just a little sweetener. And there's also inulin which is supposed to be good for your lower gut.

At first sip, the sparkles hit hard, kind of like a La Croix. And there's a little kombucha-like tang, but it's subtle. The smooth vanilla mixes oddly with the sharpness of the carbonation. I'm left with more of an apple-like aftertaste, with not much strawberry flavor there. It's not bad... I thought it'd be worse. I still can't give this a GREAT score, but it's not horrible. My kombucha-loving wife would probably find this to be a little of a treat.

Score: 4.5 out of 10.

Frostop Vanilla Caramel Creme Soda

This sounded odd...

My son's tooth fairy money in the background.  :)

I don't know if I'm ready for this...

Brand: Frostop Vanilla Caramel Creme Soda.  

Origin: Hopkins, MN.

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

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was REALLY creamy - almost over the top. But it tasted how I figured it should: it was a creamy caramel flavor that had a vanilla kick. I can see why they say it tastes like creme brûlée. It wasn't bad, but it was too much for me. There's nothing subtle about this soda.

Score: 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.

Cherry Vanilla Blue Sky Soda

I stopped by Mississippi Market on West 7th in St. Paul because we were driving by and I needed 1 thing for tacos later that day (a can of black beans), and this caught my eye:

Brand: Cherry Vanilla Blue Sky Soda.

Origin: Tustin, CA.

Purchase Place: Mississippi Market, St. Paul, MN. (The one on West 7th.)

Sweetener: Invert Cane Sugar.

Review: I'm always in for a surprise when I try a "hippie" soda - I never know what to expect. This one was quite good though! The vanilla was nice and sweet and smooth, and the cherry was good too. It didn't have the depth of a "cola" (and wasn't labeled as such), but it didn't skimp on flavor and went down well. Quite good!

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Whistler Cherry Vanilla Cola

I opened this earlier today and thought it could be weird:

Brand: Whistler Cherry Vanilla Cola.

Origin: Spring Lake Park, MN.

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

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: I thought this sounded weird. So I was ready for weird. But it was actually pretty good. It's a very smooth cola with a nice vanilla undertone. The cherry is a BIT fake-tasting, but it's not bad. In the end, this went down pretty easy.

Score: 6 out of 10.