Crooked Oak Root Beer

There's surprisingly little information out there about Crooked Oak Soda. Even their own website has a cryptic About page, which doesn't tell visitors anything about them and they have just three flavors. The bottle reads "Crafted by the fine people at Columbus Brands," a generic enough name that I can't find anything about it among search results out of Los Angeles. The label and language on it seem to try to impart some concept of small batch creation and product scarcity, but with nothing online to back that up it could all be hot air for all we know. The address on their website leads to a non-descript warehouse-like structure in L.A. with a sign for LA Bottleworks that probably just private labels dozens of sodas for many customers. Nevertheless, I picked it up to add the crown cap to the collection.

Nothing unique about the smell. A creamy root beer scent that should be expected. You know for "craft, small batch" beverage I'd sort of expected something a little more special. It's still an average root beer that isn't unpleasant at all to drink but the finish could feel fuller. It falls a bit flat at the end. 

Dry Zero Sugar Mountain Berry

Here's another flavor from the folks at Dry. I did not find this particular option in a bottle, like the others I've reviewed in the past. The Dry website seems to have undergone yet another makeover in combination with their bottles and cans. I'm starting to think maybe they are still, after several years, trying to find their identity. 

I find the scent distinctly similar to blueberries. I don't know why I keep trying these flavors from Dry since I've never found one I liked. Again though, they were originally created as mixers and cooking ingredients. Shame though that I don't find them likable on their own. The taste of this one is bitter and not blueberry-like but more like weak pomegranate. 

Diabolo Tangerine Pomegranate

Diabolo is the name of a drink popular in France made with lemonade and simple syrup that comes in many flavors. The Diabolo brand began in 2010 after the founder moved from France to the U.S. and wanted to bring the drink too. 

I am not certain if the original mixes from France are carbonated, but Diabolo provides carbonated, caffeine free versions of the drink in several flavors. Sadly, cracking open this can I don't get a fruity scent from it. As far as the taste goes, it's light but bitter. The pomegranate flavor is too light, while the tangerine is lost to a more lemon-like flavor. Someone who likes seltzers and flavored sparkling waters may like it more than myself. Strangely, the can reads "Natural Flavors", but the ingredients say "Contains No Juice" and reads like a list from a chemistry lab. I'd expected much different both in flavor, but also feel like the packaging is made to dupe you into thinking its a more natural beverage.

Boylan Sparkling Cider

I've reviewed some other flavors from Boylan in the past, the first being back in 2010. They've proved to have some decent options and I've seen their bottles pop up in some specialty restaurants from time to time. 

I'd actually expected a crisp apple aroma from this bottle since it has that clear amber color that evokes fresh apple juice. Instead, the scent is much more like the kind of fresh pressed cider pulp you might get from a refreshment stand at an autumn fair, a touch woody. Once I taste it, I find it's bringing me somewhere in the middle. More crisp like an apple juice but still hints of an October cider press. The tiny bubbles of carbonation and a touch of sweetness, rather than sour, provide a nice little lift at the end of each sip. 

Mountain Dew Fruit Quake

A surprise pickup last week from the grocery store was this bottle, yet another Mountain Dew flavor variation and makes me feel like this blog has nearly been taken over by Mountain Dew's varietal flavor releases. Trust me when I say, I'm planning to get back to other labels here quickly. This is another holiday themed creation, which by the name and label design I can assume is given flavors like that of a holiday fruit cake. I like the cranberry coloring of the drink itself. 

The scent is a little hard to place. It has notes of cherry and grape and something else sweet almost like a licorice but not licorice, maybe gummy bear-like. It's certainly an explosion of tastes. A quick swig has my taste buds all over the place. I do get a cherry-like flavor, a touch of lemon, and I'm picturing those white grape gummy candies in that order as it crosses my palate. No real taste of anything close to a bread, though these fruity/candy-like flavors start a little dark and heavy and become lighter as it finishes in the mouth. It's a perplexing flavor combination I'd recommend trying just for the novelty. 

Mountain Dew Gingerbread Snap'd

I'm always in the mood for ginger sweets and this release from Mountain Dew seems apt for a holiday evening. I really like that strong ginger aroma it has. Feels like walking into one of those Christmas themed home décor shops. No notes on changing the amount of carbonation, but what I get from swigging this is an upfront gingerbread taste, which is nice. Unfortunately, it's followed up with a slight citrus flavor reminiscent of, what else, Mountain Dew. I'd have liked this as a straight gingerbread soda without the Mountain Dew. So it's a miss for me, disappointingly so since I had high hopes for it. Good thing I can make a great ginger snap cookie. 

Dragon Tail Energy Lightning Cola with Tea

I'm not a fan of energy drinks, but there exists this blurry line where sodas and carbonated energy drinks mix that sometimes leads me to picking up a bottle to try. Dragon Tail is apparently another drink coming from the folks at Orca Beverages, in Washington state, that we've mentioned in several previous posts. While it contains cane sugar over high-fructose corn syrup or other alternative sugars, it also contains high levels of caffeine and guarana, both commonly found in a wide variety of "energy" drinks on the market. 

The scent of tea is the first thing you get when opening this bottle, along with a hint of something close to cinnamon. The color is a rich brown you expect from cola and it has adequate but not strong carbonation. How do I describe this flavor? There is a touch of cola in it, that's true. But you also pick up a taste of green tea as well as earthy tones like you get when smelling the inside of an old antique furniture shop or opening an old Chinese armoire. It's an interesting flavor, but definitely not something I'd personally consider sitting around sipping on, let alone ever enjoying with a meal. 

Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla

You know, I'll be very upfront in saying that I've not been a big fan of some of some of these flavors with fruit mixed with cola. Vanilla blended with coke was a nice novelty when it came out and I get why some folks like it, but I find it a little too sweet to drink more than one of the mini-cans worth of it. I'm curious to finally get around to tasting this as it's been on the shelves for a little while now. 

It does not smell like Coca-Cola. It actually smells like an orange-cream pop. I don't find the flavor very pleasing. The initial taste is that of an orange creamsicle but then then Coca-Cola flavor mixes in and overwhelms the orange-vanilla. Lastly, it ends in a dry chemical-like flavor on my tongue.

Mountain Dew Voo Dew Mystery Flavor 2022

Another "mystery flavor" offering from the folks at Mountain Dew. This is the 2022 edition. The frosted white color of it leads no hints to what the flavor might be.

The scent from the bottle is reminiscent of raspberry to me. There's a hint of citrus hiding behind that raspberry I'm picking up. Indeed, the flavor of it is very much like you might expect from a blue raspberry soda, but it has a tartness in the finish like a lemon or grapefruit. It isn't unpleasant and might even make a decent regular flavor option despite it being a limited edition. 

Mountain Dew Overdrive

So I'd heard rumor of a limited edition flavor from Mountain Dew only available at Casey's gas stations. I wasn't so sure about such a thing. I'd only known of Casey's in smaller towns, and usually known for the pizza they make in their locations. But a quick google search shows that there are 2,300 locations across the midwest and plains states. As luck would have it, I had the opportunity for a road trip and remembered this when seeing a roadside sign for a Casey's and decided to pull off to check it out. Lo and behold, it was true. I found a stand claiming a Casey's exclusive flavor called Overdrive, in this orange-red color and had to grab one.

The color is just a bit more orange than Code Red. The bottle doesn't actually say "Casey's" anywhere. The only clue to that might be a tiny barn image at the bottom which appears to be on a green bottle. This barn doesn't say "Casey's" but says "1968". I was quite confused at first because the font looked like it read "1%8" until I looked very closely. Still, the funny thing about that is some sites online state the company began in 1959, while Casey's own website says they began in Boone, Iowa in 1968. 

Some slight as to what the flavor might be appear on the label. Next to the orange gorilla-like creature on the label is a lime and a raspberry. Though elsewhere it says "Dew with a blast of Citrus Punch". It does, in fact, smell like a bit of regular Mountain Dew mixed with fruit punch. Unfortunately, I find the flavor lacking. It's a bit like a weaker version of Code Red. It really leaves you wanting something with a bit punchier flavor to it, a real let down considering many of the livelier flavors coming out of Mountain Dew.