Taylor's Tonic Candy Cane Shake

The final bottle of the holiday themed four pack from Taylor's Tonic Botanical Brewery is this bottle of liquid candy cane. 

Brewed with organic peppermint and vanilla it certainly smells like a candy cane. The liquid even has the sort opalescence you see in the glossy candy cane coating. The peppermint has a cooling effect on the tongue. Although quite sweet and sugary, something in the recipe gives it a touch of tartness as well. While it isn't the most pleasing soda it is the best tasting of this themed bunch. I'd say the best part of it would be the lingering coolness the peppermint leaves in the mouth. All in all you can save your money and pass up this pack and head for tastier waters.

Taylor's Tonics Gingerbread House

Moving onto the dessert portion of Taylor's Tonics holiday themed pack, I have this bottle. As someone who enjoys both ginger ale soda and gingerbread cookies I have high hopes for this one. 

It has the beautiful aroma of cloves. A peek at the ingredients shows it also includes organic ginger, cinnamon and molasses. But that smell of cloves really is reminiscent of gingerbread. Oooh, but the taste is a doozy. It gave quite a kick. Think of sour brown sugar molasses. For some odd reason I almost feel like a need to chew even though it has the same watery thinness of any soda. High hopes are quickly dashed as I can only imagine drinking this thinned down with vodka to both weaken the bottled flavor as well as make my taste buds forget it.

Taylor's Tonics Cranberry Dream

Another bottle from Taylor's Tonics here is Cranberry Dream. 

I'd have to say this is the first beverage of any kind I've had made with balsam fir needles as an ingredient, among some spices, herbs and juices. But it has the smell of vanilla like a cream soda. Wow, the flavors are a bit wacky. The first thing I sense is not like a cranberry juice, but rather like chewing on a christmas tree twig. Yes there's a twinkle of tart cranberry flavor that hits, but it's very slight. This taste of fir trees is so strong I get the feeling a flock of birds would do better off drinking this than me. My advice, try it because it's strange, then put it down.

Taylor's Tonics Eggnog Fizz

After a a long hiatus due to relocating and other things I'm bringing you all a holiday themed post tonight. I've found a four pack from Taylor's Tonics Botanical Brewery out of California called the Holiday Fizz collection and Christmas day is probably the most opportune time to taste it. 

Taylor's Tonics is sort of a fusion brewer. By that I mean that they take old fashioned brewing techniques and collections of herbs and spices in their drinks. According to them, they also aim to include at least one thing with a health benefit to each of their concoctions.

Here I've got a bottle of Eggnog Fizz made with organic Vanilla, Nutmeg, Ginger and Allspice as well as some sort of rum flavoring. While eggnog is okay, I've never been someone who drank it with aplomb just because it's the holidays. It's aroma is strong with the scent of allspice and nutmeg. Though I'm no chef, my love of pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread has made me acutely aware of those smells. It also carries a hint of cream soda. 

At first sip I find it rather drab. The scent of the spices is not backed up in the flavor... it's only a moment after hitting the palate that you taste a wisp of the spices. I was expecting more of a creamier feel but that isn't so. The egginess you get with a homemade batch of eggnog only rears its head in the aftertaste left in your mouth. Let's face it... these theme packs are more of a novelty, and that's okay. However I do expect more, so this is a bottle you can skip.

Skeleteens Brain Wash (Blue)

Another bottle from the now defunct Skeleteens company. You can read up on their Fukola Cola here. Skeleteens was chasing the "counter-culture" of the beverage world with sometimes unusual flavors and what could be described as "individualistic" branding and marketing. 

If you've noticed that the title of this post indicates this is blue, it isn't because I'm pointing out an odd color. No, it's because Skeleteens, for some odd reason, made both a red and blue version, though I believe they are different flavors.

This stuff smells blue. It's a fruity kind of grape scent. Upon first glance the stuff looks an earthly dark blue color with scary bits of stuff floating along at the bottle's neck. I'm hoping that the bits on the inside of the bottle are due to the many herbal ingredients used and not because they used dirty bottles. And while the color is dark and foreboding on a counter or shelf, it's a beautiful royal blue when backlit by something as bright as my monitor.

A first sip packed an unexpected kick to my mouth. It's only lightly carbonated but tastes of lemon or orange peel and has a tart punch. The more sips I take the more I'm also picking up on an herbal oil of some sort but can't place my finger on. The tartness also leaves my mouth watering a bit after each swig. It gives a hint of a woodsy aura in the aftertaste. I should also say that my head feels a bit stretched after half a bottle, as though the base of my brain is sinking while the top is rising. I wonder if the name came from this. One thing is for sure, sodas with strange mixtures of herbs always hide a surprise in their bottle. And yes, my tongue and lips are deep blue.

Shasta Diet Ginger Ale

The second Shasta soda on the blog is this diet ginger ale. You can read more on the history of Shasta on the earlier posting here.

A very sharp ginger ale scent arises from this drink. This is very similar to what most describe as "pale dry" ginger ale. It has a bit of bite to it, but it appears slightly later than many other brands after first hitting the mouth. The bite appears mid-palate to me. The flavor is a bit strange. Yes it tastes of ginger, but closer to ginger beer which is sharper to the tongue but this also carries a touch of the chemical tones you sense in cheaper beverages. Overall this is not a soda I'd recommend bothering with.

Shasta Cola

In 1889, a group of men from Baltimore, Maryland founded a resort and health spa at Mt. Shasta in Northern California. It was in these times that many health spas sprung up around the country near natural springs for the "curative effects" of the mineral water or naturally carbonated water from these springs. Due to the popularity of their spring water they began bottling and selling it elsewhere too. In 1931 they grew their product line to include sodas by flavoring their naturally carbonated spring water.

Shasta was a pioneer in the concept of selling soda in cans as well as the use of wholesalers as a method of distribution. Consolidated Foods purchased the Shasta brand in the 60's and then sold off in 1985 to National Beverage Corp. who also produces the Faygo soda line. Today Shasta is predominately known as a value-focused brand in grocery stores and has a very wide variety of flavors. 

Shasta Cola has a similar cinnamon-like aroma of Pepsi. Upon taste it is close to that of Pepsi if you want to use that as a baseline. The finish has more of a cinnamon tinge to it, finally followed by a slightly chemical ending on the back of the tongue. But really, this is a very good Pepsi or RC Cola replacement.

Doc 360

I stumbled upon this drink at a local gas station but hadn't seen it before. It's a competitor in the spice soda family that Dr Pepper and Pibb are in. I'm unsure how long the drink has actually been on the market, but it can't be too long as there isn't historical information to find. A quick google for it shows that this may be a regional product from a company called LinPepCo out of Nebraska. LinPepCo, as the name implies, is also a franchisee of Pepsi products. Based on the fact that it isn't listed as a Pepsi brand I'm guess this to be regional. You'll find that many franchisors that produce and bottle national brands have also created their own brands throughout soda history, and why not when you've already got the distributing foothold that comes with the national branded products. 

This beverage has the slight cherry-sweet aroma that is similar to it's competitor, Pibb. In taste, it is in fact much more similar to Pibb than Dr Pepper. The spiciness is too slight, but there is ample carbonation, and a leading cherry-spice flavor. The flavor falls from the tongue rapidly, but there is a tiny cinnamon after-taste that appears after a total lull in any flavor. This isn't a bad facsimile of Pibb at all, so I can recommend it if you like that family of soda flavoring. 

Schweppes Ginger Ale

Schweppes Ginger Ale stems from the efforts of Johann Jacob Schweppe. Schweppe was born in 1740 in Hesse, Germany, but moved to Geneva, Switzerland in 1765 where he became a watchmaker and jeweler. Schweppe was also an amateur scientist, as it seems so many enlightened gentlemen were in those days. Using processes developed by Joseph Priestley, an English scientist who studied gasses and is credited with the discovery of oxygen, Schweppe created carbonated mineral water. He founded the Schweppes Company in 1783 in Geneva to sell his bottled drink, later moving the business to London. Around that time he also invented a bottle with a rounded base which forced the bottles to be stored on their sides. Storing the bottles on their sides meant the cork stayed moist and preserved the carbonation much longer. The company eventually folded in 1795. 

Erasmus Darwin, an English doctor and grandfather of Charles Darwin, had become a fan of the drink and spread it's popularity. Because of this, Schweppes went back into business and by 1831 King William IV of England had taken to the drink sending it's popularity higher. The burgeoning British Empire meant the drink was taken all over the world. In 1969, Schweppes merged with Cadbury, becoming Cadbury Schweppes. Cadbury Schweppes later spun off their beverages into a new company called Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

There are two ginger ale brands I generally stick to drinking and while Schweppes is one of them, I don't care for it in cans. There's something about the little iconic green bottles I grew up with that makes it better. The bright green glass and the way they fit into your hand like little grenades makes them different than all the others.

Schweppes has lots of carbonation, which I like from ginger ale. Ginger ale is one of the best drinks to sip on with an upset stomach because carbonation will aid in burping to when you have too much acid in your gut, and ginger is naturally soothing to digestion. This is also a nice drink because it has the bite you want from ginger ale, but no overly so, and also has a sweetness to balance it out nicely. Overall this is a great beverage alone or as a mixer. But get it in the little green bottles!

Flathead Lake Blueberry Pomegranate

Flathead Lake Gourmet Soda is a line with several flavors produced by the North American Beverage Company. NAB has only been around since 1993 so there's not much more to share. They also produce a chocolate mousse drink, strawberry milk, as well as bottled cappuccino and chai teas.

This bottle smells like the old cough syrup, Dimetapp. The mixture of scents tried to conceal the pomegranate, but isn't necessarily that of blueberry. It's very lightly carbonated. The flavor is quite a strange mixture and does indeed taste like a sort of medicine to me. It tastes of several berry flavors, including blueberry and cranberry and the pomegranate finally shows up in the after-taste. I'm going to have to suggest passing on this.

Stewart's Cream Soda

Frank Stewart was just a teacher when he opened a root beer stand in Mansfield, Ohio to make money on the side. Until 1990 Stewart's Root Beer was only available at Stewart's root beer stands and Stewart's Drive-Ins. The Cable Car Beverage Co. licensed the bottling rights and starting selling it elsewhere that year. Other flavors appeared starting in 1992. In 2000, the company was sold to Cadbury Schweppes.

I'll admit upfront that I love the line up from Stewart's. This flavor gives a frothy vanilla cream scent with the perfect flavor and color to match. It's a close to an ideal cream soda flavor as I can imagine, as though they actually melted vanilla ice cream in it before putting the cap on the bottle. Maybe the reason they make so many of their flavors "something"-and-cream because they know they have got the cream taste down pat. As a graphic artist I also have to point out that I like the little icons they have on each of their bottles. It may not be blue or red... but this is the beverage I usually compare other cream soda drinks to, so if you've never had it, get some to taste. 

Jack Black's Blue Cream Soda

I've mentioned Real Soda before on this blog because they have licensed old, out-of production sodas in order to reproduce and bottle them again. Black Jack's Blue Cream Soda is one of their original label products. 

It smells like bubblegum, but it's blue color isn't particularly appetizing. It's strange that some food products are intentionally colored blue, either as a function of marketing to kids or to make it look "crazy", yet I've read through reading about color theory that if someone is trying to diet they should try dyeing their food blue and changing their fridge light bulb blue. The thought behind this being because nothing we normally eat is naturally blue so it is an off-putting color to our mind's appetite.

It isn't a particularly well flavored. The "cream" comes on too strong. There's also a lingering after-taste of blue. What's that like? Well the after-taste seems like some kind of overly sugared vanilla sheet-cake icing from a grocery store bakery. So the gist is, this isn't a drink I'll recommend or that I would find myself picking up to enjoy with a specific food or treat. At least the cap can go in my collection.

RC Cola

Many people today probably do not know what RC stands for, but here's the story, borrowed heavily from my earlier post on Nehi. In 1905, a pharmacist named Claude Hatcher founded the Union Bottling Works in Columbus, Georgia. Claude's company focused primarily on the production of his sodas Chero-Cola and Royal Crown Ginger Ale. Due to the popularity of Chero-Cola, the company changed its name to the Chero-Cola Company in 1912. 

By 1924, Chero-Cola Co. released a line of flavored sodas under the name Nehi. The two major myths about the root of this name boil down to their calling the competition only "knee-high" when compared to their drink. In 1928, the company changed it's name again to the Nehi Corporation.

Claude Hatcher died in 1933 and the new president of the company, H.R. Mott led the development of a new cola drink and using Hatcher's old brand name, called it Royal Crown Cola. Never ceasing to ride the waves of popularity, Nehi, changed its name again in 1955 to the Royal Crown Company. Today the company is owned by and under management of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

Even though it's now part of a large conglomerate I still hold a warm spot for RC because it's such an underdog in the cola market compared to Coca-Cola and Pepsi. RC Cola is closer to Pepsi in flavor than Coca-Cola. By that I mean I don't find it as sweet, more of a crisp bitterness to it. I also enjoy it's level of carbonation. Funny to say, but as often as I've had RC, I can't remember ever having tasted Diet RC, but you're sure to see it on this blog eventually. If drink a good deal of cola, mix things up and pick up some RC next time. Or if you're donating blood, like I'm apt to do at times, get a free taste there since they often have it next to the snacks for donors.

Topo Sabores Apple

Here's another bottle of fruit soda from Topo Sabores following their orange soda, seen here.

This is not a natural soda, so you won't find real apples being used to make it. This is perhaps the reason this soda smells more like a combination of citrous and grape flavors. Did the folks mixing this base it off of an odd strain of apple because it does not taste like apple either. I'd classify this flavor close to a pear flavor. Both pears and apples are pomaceous fruits, but apples are typically more acidic lending to a sharp taste. This soda is smooth. If you're after a pear flavored soda, which I should note I've never seen, then snap up a bottle of this from the ethnic foods section of the grocery store. Skip it if you want the taste of apple. It is however, an interesting taste.

Dang! That's Good Butterscotch Root Beer

Dang! That's Good is a brand name of soda produced by Imperial Flavors, a family-owned business out of Milwaukee that's been around for over 45 years. I was unable to find any specific year that business began or how they entered the beverage market. 

Although better known for their root beer, they also offer this butterscotch concoction. It smells sweet and sugary and reminds me of pudding. I like the level of carbonation and I'm surprised by how much a like it. I was never big on butterscotch pudding as a kid and I think those little candies are kind of gross, but I like this. The smoothness is pleasant but makes me wonder what it would taste like with a sharp flavored root beer behind it. I really don't get a root beer flavor in it, just butterscotch. I find this drink sweet and smooth. This would make a great choice as a dessert drink. 

Shirakiku Pineapple

Another bottle of Japanese ramune. If this is the first of these you've seen then check out the first post about this particular brand and bottle style at the link here. There are a few other posts on ramune you can explore by using the article "tags" at the bottom of each post.

I was looking forward to trying this drink because I've liked many previous ramune beverages from the Shirakiku line-up, but this one is strange. It smells more like a melon flavored drink. Indeed, there is also a touch of melon in the flavor as well as that of apple juice. But it doesn't invoke any sense of pineapple to me. I'm not saying it is necessarily bad, but it's just not very crisp, no very carbonated and not like pineapple. I can't recommend it, but if you're curious, try it.

World Market Pomegranate

This bottle of Pomegranate soda is the third World Market beverage to appear here. There really isn't a history to discuss as these are a line of private label sodas created by the World Market stores.

The drink itself has a rich cranberry coloring to it and smells like fresh fruit. It's carbonation is even but slight. It's taste is like cranberry and lime juice. I say this because it's a deep fruit pulp flavor but quite tart with a lime-like aftertaste. It's also a very natural product as no chemicals are included as ingredients. It's an interesting flavor but I usually prefer pomegranate mixed with other flavors. Because of it's pucker inducing nature I, personally, would only drink this in small amounts.

Sioux City Birch Beer

In 1987, White Rock Beverages, who had already been producing spring water and soft drinks since the 1800's, created the Sioux City line of sodas with a western theme. Although the bottle says Sioux City, which is located in Iowa, White Rock Beverages hails from New York.

Wow, what an aroma. Opening this bottle unleashes the scent of cinnamon and peppermint. It is only lightly carbonated but it's very refreshing. Although a birch beer should taste more like root beer, so I'm not sure how it ended up tasting this way, but it is nice and brings to mind a Lifesavers breath mint. In my opinion you should grab a 4-bottle pack to try.

Topo Sabores Orange

Topo Sabores is a Mexican made soda under the umbrella of the Topo Chico company that began in 1895 to bottle mineral waters. The late 1800's were the hey day of consumer use of "healing waters" before people understood what was in the mineral springs being ingested and/or bathed in. The company was also the first Mexican bottler of Coca-Cola, though it is unknown when they began making their own brand of sodas under the name of Topo Sabores.

It carries a sugary orange aroma like that of orange-flavored Smarties. The bottle is thick and carries a considerable heft, which I like. The taste immediately reminds me of cheap orange popscicles as a kid during the summer. It seems a bit odd though that they would use cane sugar, rather than corn syrup, but then include so many chemicals in the ingredients. Maybe high-fructose corn syrup isn't as cheap in Mexico? All in all, it isn't bad but I'd like for them to increase the carbonation just a bit. If you're interested, this brand can be found in many grocery store ethnic food sections here in the states.

Jones Soda Blue Bubblegum

Another incarnation from Jones Soda. Jones has been around since 1987 and you can read more on them at this post.

This particular blend comes in an unholy bright blue color more reminiscent of a sports drink than a soda. It is well carbonated and does smell of bubblegum. If I had closed my eyes I might have thought a piece of Bazooka Joe's was under my nose. Unfortunately this does not taste as much like bubblegum as it smells. The bubblegum flavor disapates quickly and I'm left with a slightly chemical taste in my mouth and taste buds that feel the slightest bit numb. Once again Jones misses the mark in my opinion. I have to assume that their user-submitted bottle and print ad photos are the only thing selling these sodas from Jones. Better luck next time.

Faygo Black Cherry

Here's the second Faygo flavor to be reviewed on this blog. You'll find more about the history of Faygo on the first appearance here.

Although most of the carbonation has seeped out of this bottle, indicating it's been around a while, it tastes like a black cherry soda should. It actually smells a bit like cough syrup. But the dark cherry flavor hits true. Dark fruit flavors just seem a bit more brooding and complex than some of the bright and cheerful flavors don't you think? I'd like to try this one again with it's appropriate carbonation, but I'd say give this one a go.

Refresco Goya Cola Champagne

This is the second Refresco Goya soda to be featured on the blog, after pineapple appeared here.

For your average American this is an unusual flavor, but this is not my first "champagne" soda. It's scent is that of a red cream soda, but it is orange like Irn-Bru. This offerring does not tastes like a cheap vanilla cream soda. It has no bite or crispness to it and is only moderately carbonated. This is a pass for me as I can think of better choices from the cream family of sodas. It's pretty to look at but that only goes so far. 

Hank's Gourmet Vanilla Cream Soda

Out of Philadelphia, Hank's Beverages has been producing "gourmet" soda since 1996. The company's website will tell you they have been in the beverage industry for 40 years, however I was unable to discover what they were doing in the years prior to releasing these sodas in the 90's. As to what makes their sodas "gourmet" is debatable. Many soda producers use pure cane sugar, aside from this they state to use only premium ingredients. What comprises qualifies as "premium" in the soda business aside from sugar is up to you I guess. One thing is for sure, people will usually spend more on something if it's labeled gourmet than not.

It does have a welcome vanilla scent when opened. It has an average carbonation level. While drinking you can taste cream flavor but the vanilla is there too, just harder to find behind that cream flavoring. While a decent choice, it's not memorable and a bit on the dull side. I would pass on this if you have the choice for something with a little more zip.

Ale 81

After a long hiatus from posting, I've returned with a bottle of Ale 81. I tasted my first bottle of Ale 81 around 4 years ago while in Ohio for work. I quickly learned that Kentuckians are rabid about their Ale 81.

G.L. Wainscott, began bottling soda in Winchester, Kentucky in 1902. In 1906, he released Roxa-Kola to compete with the rising popularity of cola beverages. Wainscott was searching for a new flavor and had been trying some ginger recipes after traveling in Europe. The new soda was released in 1926 as Ale 81. Wainscott also sponsored a contest for the slogan of his new beverage at the Clark County Fair. The winning slogan, "A late one," is still seen on the bottle and is said to mean it is the "latest" drink. Over the years, the company has moved a few times and expanded but still remains in Winchester and the President of the company is Wainscott's great-nephew.

Ale 81 is typically classified as ginger ale but it's got some small differences. For one thing it has the after-bite in the back fo the mouth of a ginger beer. I'm not exactly sure how the differences between ginger ale and ginger beer are created during brewing. Is it just the amount of ginger used or something else? Another thing that sets this apart is that the flavor has a bit of floweriness to it with the smallest hint of bitters. The liquid itself is well carbonated yet smooth on the front end. I'm a ginger ale fan so eventhough this drink can be hard to find if you're outside of Kentucky or Southern Indiana and Ohio... it's a nice change once in a while. If you like the ginger ale family you'll enjoy this one.

Jarritos Lime

The second bottle featured by Jarritos is this bottle of Lime or Limon, sourced from ethnic foods at the local grocery. See the first Jarritos post here.

This lime has quite a bite to it's flavor. In fact, I would venture to say this isn't lime flavored as much as lime-like. Even if it is made with 100% real sugar, the flavor seems to be a complete chemical concoction. It's not a flavor I'm going to remember fondly. If acidic candy if your flavor of choice then go for it, but I'd just as soon pass on this in the future.