Polar Cream Soda

I am not partial to Polar despite them being local because I am not a huge fan of seltzer water. In addition to that, I find that their line-up of sodas is not as familiar as brands I've been drinking my entire life, even though Polar has been around since 1882. With their home being Worcester, MA, I know that eventually I will tour their facilities and write about it here on this blog. And while I'm spitting out Polar information, a surprising fact I recently learned while watching Chronicle is that the owners of Polar's brothers and sisters own Wachusett Mountain, which is a small, but local, ski mountain in Massachusetts. Soda and skiing, that's the life.

"My uncle Roger said that he once saw
an albino polar bear." - Alan

I can't describe Polar's phenotype in any unique way: its color is basic caramel and the label is nothing fancy. It is worth noting that Polar's labels bear a polar bear named Orson, the company's mascot since 1902, pre-dating Coca-Cola's use of polar bears in their advertising.

Breaking the seal on the bottle elicits a quick burst of vanilla in the air, however, that is where the vanilla ends. The first sip is smooth and there is a thin layer of bubbles that cascades across the tongue but there is a distinct absence of vanilla. It could be a week of testing cream sodas has made me immune to a vanilla taste but I really don't think that is it. I believe that this cream soda just lacks a strong vanilla taste which is sad because in other areas, this soda is on par with others. There is a modest but apparent amount of carbonation and the way this soda bubbles is tangible, small ones that tickle the tongue. But this soda begs for more, more vanilla, more taste, and because of this, it does not deliver. It could be a perfect beverage for someone looking for a subdued cream soda but is anyone looking for that when it comes to cream soda? I hope the owners of Polar don't read this but I'm being honest after a week of rating cream sodas and this is just how I feel. I would hate to be banned from their facilities and even worse, the ski mountain.

Smoothness: 7.0 - This soda does not lack a smoothness
Overall Taste: 6.0 - Light on the vanilla, light on flavor, a weak cream soda
Fizz Factor: 7.0 - Not much head, bubbles are small and uniform, but gets watered-down towards the end
Appearance: 6.5 - Nothing unusual, nothing special, but still has that caramel clarity
Flavor: 5.5 - Possibly the least flavorful of the sodas tested

From the company: 8 oz has 120 calories, 0g of fat, 30g of carbs, 30g of sugar and 0g of protein.