Soda Shaq Strawberry Cream Soda

Who is the man, that can jam over any man? SHAQ! Can you dig it?

The third can in Arizona's Soda Shaq Cream Soda quartet is the Strawberry Cream, a flavor that is unique but not the only in the industry. Coming off the orange cream I have high hopes for the strawberry; hopes that are only fueled by cracking the can and launching a strawberry splash into the air.

"Keep yo eye on Big Shaq and
 put yo money on the Lakers"

The strawberry odor is strong and the soda has a pink hue, features that enhance the experience. The first sip is as advertised, a strawberry cream, but just like the orange cream, the lightness to the soda creates a refreshing beverage that does not overwhelm. Sure, those craving something sugary and heavy should look elsewhere, but the two fruit flavors of Shaq's cream soda I've tasted so far satisfy in a way a heavy soda cannot and complement a snack or dinner without weighing you down.

Overall Taste - 6.5 - Equivalent to the orange cream and far above the vanilla.
Fizz Factor - 4.0 - Again, Arizona sodas seem to lack bubbles and this one is no different.
Appearance - 7.2 - Giving the strawberry a notch above the orange because the pink tint is cute, and really, I don't see too many pink cream sodas.
Flavor - 5.0 - Can't say it's better than the orange, or worse, and the choice really comes down to what you like better - orange soda or strawberry soda.

So choose, but choose wisely.

From the company: 8oz has 90 calories, 24g of carbs, 24g of sugar, and 0g of protein.

Mystery Solved: Mike & Ike Blue Raspberry Fruit Twists

When I originally reviewed Mike & Ike Fruit Twists I joked about the blue raspberry flavor being a "mystery" because when I did the review, my research led me to find that this candy has been out for some time and I figured if I had not seen the blue raspberry flavor by now, I probably wouldn't for some time, or not at all. But it's times like these that show me there is really a "mystery" to the world and life itself. Yesterday while at Six Flags, I found the blue raspberry flavor. At a time when I wasn't looking for them, there they were. My brother and I entered the candy store to buy a mixed bag of gummi for the ride home and I was given a real fruit juice answer to a candy prayer I begged the sugar gods only weeks ago. And...

They are good. Better than, in fact, these Mike & Ike Fruit Twists are my favorite candy going right now. It takes years to become an all-time favorite, seeing as tastes can fade after the initial excitement, but right now I drool when I think of them. I'm making special trips to Walgreen's to stock up. I'm even buying them and putting them in the freezer to keep fresh, removing them hours before eating to allow time to soften up (they're chewier when a little cold). Now I get to taste the blue raspberry? Yes please.



Blue Raspberry: Bigger, Longer and Uncut


I can't even put the twist down to write this blog. They are addictive. I'm not a huge fan of blue raspberry flavored candy as sometimes the flavor comes off sour or overpowering but not here, not even slightly. It is the exact opposite as the strawberry takes over and visually, the filling looks more generous than in the shorter, watermelon, strawberry and green apple twists. The color of the filling is also pink where as the outer twist is blue, giving the candy a striking contrast from interior to exterior. But the taste reigns supreme here; they are as good as the other flavors, and these Mike & Ike Fruit Twists are a unique and extremely succulent candy, one of the best "new" options on the market.

From the company: 1 pack/container has 110 calories, 1g of fat, 25g of carbs, 16g of sugar and less than 1g of protein

My note: There is one twist to a package. The other flavors come 6 to a package and are shorter.

Mike & Ike Fruit Twists

Despite the split of Mike & Ike, the duo have given us a treat that branches out from their traditionally small, cylindrical candies. Mike & Ike's Fruit Twists are exactly that: fruit flavored filled twists (or so the label says). I'm inclined to call them licorice with a softer fruit filling reminicent of Twizzlers fruit filled licorice even though the Mike & Ike twists are really not licorice but more of a softer fruit candy.

The flavors I was able to find were strawberry, green apple and watermelon, with the two latter ones being packaged together. A mystery blue rasberry with strawberry filling is out there but still aludes me. The label says "King Size" but an online search shows smaller packages that maybe contain 4 possibly longer twists. However, six is just right for a snack and even though they are candy they are low fat and made with real fruit juice. The twists are delicious, soft and easy on the palate and the inner filling is sugary, and more the consistency of paste than liquid. The flavors in each package are quite different, so I'll treat each package to its own review.

First, the strawberry. The smell of these candies is very powerful compared to the taste but both are very sweet and the twists themselves are sticky with goodness. The filling gives little of the flavor to the candy compared to the outer shell but the inside is what makes these so special. Its different and the texture is that little bit of flair that differentiates these from other twists or even juicier licorice.

Now the other package: watermelon and green apple. I'm not very familiar with either flavor in terms of Mike & Ike but both flavors are spot on. Between the two, the green apple tastes more like green apple and the filling adds a touch of sour, however both are superior to the strawberry. Texture is the same although in the packages that I purchased, the strawberry were sitcky while these were not. If faced with the decision between either package of flavors, go with the watermelon and green apple.

Next step is getting my hands on the blue rasberry.