Just a little southeast of Providence in Rhode Island, lies Bristol, not to be confused with the larger more well-known Bristol, Connecticut. From the smaller Bristol, RI comes Empire Bottling Works. Empire is a small company providing sodas for the region since 1930 and is still run by the same family that founded it. And small it must be because they don't appear to even have a website.
I've been curious about what to expect since I first got this bottle. Although I have bottle caps in my collection for banana flavored soda I've never before had one to taste. I go in with low expectations not because of the brand but because the more exotic flavors that you don't encounter everyday can be hit or miss.
Whenever I open a bottle for taste testing I always smell it first and this one reminds me of banana pudding. It smells quite yummy and has a deep yellow coloring. The taste is interesting. To really get the flavor you've got to hold it on your tongue a bit. It does indeed taste like banana, ripe not green. At the same time it has a small hint of that imitation lab-made flavor that takes you out of the moment, the moment of true banana taste. That could be due to citric acid in the soda since the ingredients list extract and not a bunch of chemicals or flavoring. I'm sure there are fans of this, but it seems a bit strange to me and not something I'd find myself sipping on as a refreshment.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteI must contradict your esteemed opinion regarding the Empire Bottling Works Banana. While you believe the soda smells like banana pudding, upon a quick snap of the cap I found the aroma to be more akin to "Nong Shim," a slightly forgettable banana-flavored snack from South Korea (not sure if you are familiar with the item.)
Like Nong Shim, I found this beverage to be slightly forgettable. However, that is not a lukewarm endorsement in the least! I believe the main issue with this beverage is a distinct lack of carbonation. In fact, my carbonation detector was reading rather low levels. Satisfactory carbonation is as important as the actual taste, as you or any soda connoisseur would say.
Promising, but not quite there. And that is the word from Terrence Pinlittle!
The best,
Terrence