Fanta Lemon

I've had many varieties of Fanta over the years but Lemon is a new one for me. The closest being the Fanta Icy Lemon I had many years ago in Ireland. I picked this can up in a foreign foods shop. I can't read everything on the back of the can since much of it is in cyrillic characters, but I picked out the "Ckonje" in the bottling address and the URL as Fanta.mk which tells me this can originated in Macedonia.

Cracking open the can reveals a familiar citric acidity. It is tart like lemon juice, but the sugars take the bite off of it so it is not unpleasant. Think, fresh squeezed lemonade with a good deal of sugar. I think it's quite tasty, but then I also like a number of grapefruit and citrus sodas.

Boots Dewberry

I recently discussed the history of the Boots Beverages label on a prior post, so now I'll feature another flavor from the brand. I specifically picked up this bottle because I have never heard of a dewberry. Apparently it is closely related to the blackberry. 

Depending on the light, the soda in this bottle can take on a light purple hue or a color more earthy and dark reddish-brown. I quite like the aroma of this bottle with its deep berry scent like that of currants and sweet blackberries. It reminds me of fruity jams and even a bit like heavily scented moisturizing lotion (in a good way). As a flavor it is something unique. It's a mélange of the flavors of various dark berries like blackberries, blueberries, grapes, and currants. There's a tiny, tart bite in the finish that lasts a mere moment then vanishes. I was fully expecting this to be some strange flavor that only locals grew to like, but I'm pleasantly surprised and wondering why I've never come across this flavor profile before. It's very nice and so I'd recommend trying it if you can. It would make an excellent choice as a dessert soda. 

Mountain Dew Infinite Swirl

As I've said before, keeping up with Mountain Dew flavor variants is practically a full-time job. My most recent travels led to the discovery of this bottle with its bright sea blue color. It carries a tropical fruit and pineapple scent. The flavor itself is a tad unnatural. I do pick up a hint of pineapple but most of the pineapple flavor comes in the back of the throat in the lingering aftertaste. The forward flavors on each swig are much more like that of blueberry or mixed berry flavored Jell-O. It's a tad on the juvenile side in terms of taste complexity but it's decent enough. I think this is another flavor that would fare better with drinkers during the hot summer months than in the colder, darker winter and early spring months.