Jones Ginger Bread

I built a ginger bread house once, during the only Christmas I remember spending with extended family, my aunt and uncle and cousins in upstate New York. It is a fond memory, and I'm much more fond of the memory than the taste of ginger bread itself. I have little expectations for this soda.

"Ok, I'll tell you...Do you
know...the Muffin Man?"
 - Gingerbread Man

Twisting the top (oh yes, Jones are glass bottle twist tops), I get a whiff of cinnamon. I'm surprised...not slightly, but greatly surprised that my anticipation for drinking this beverage just skyrocketed. The ginger bread aroma smacks me in the face and my lips literally lunge to take that first sip and it is an amazing first sip. It is complete ginger bread and an instant reminder of holiday cookies. The soda is creamy and while the carbonation is mild, that lacking adds to the soda's appeal by giving an enhanced smoothness.

As I imbibe more I get a little concerned that the taste will lose its luster and the appeal will fade because that happens with many special flavor sodas. While the soda does, the drop off is not immense and I never bore with the taste. It is a filling soda and one that needs to be sipped, but it brings a solid taste all the way through. My initial reservations on this flavor have been overturned and in this third sampling from Jones Holiday 4-Pack I've found a taste to revisit each year. Here's to hoping Jones puts this back on the shelves for Christmas 2013!

Overall Taste: 6.3 - Surprising, and what you could call a must have for ginger bread fans.

Fizz Factor: 3.5 - No bubbles? No problem.

Appearance: 7.0 - Again for Jones, the color of the soda is something to marvel. Like the perfect purple for the plum, the transparent hint of yellow for the pear, the ginger bread is a natural brown, almost like a cream soda color but missing that honey/golden touch.

Flavor: 6.3 - Perfect ginger bread. Wouldn't have thought to make it a soda, but it works.

 

From the company: 12 oz has 190 calories, 0g of fat, 47g of carbs, 47g of sugar, and 0g of protein.

Jones Pear Tree

Second up in our review of Jones Holiday 4-Pack is Pear Tree. I figured to continue on the fruit theme and go with the Pear Tree. For some reason, Candy Cane is the most anticipated flavor for me, I am saving that for last, so the Pear Tree fits perfectly for today, January 1st, 2013.

                                              

With the success of the Sugar Plum, I have high expectations for this one. This time I won't forget to relate my feelings on the bottle. Again, this one has a picture label, a snowman (a female snowperson by looks of her bikini), which is perfect for the holiday season, but also fits into a winter theme. The soda itself reminds me of the plum, in the sense that the plum was a faint purple, the pear is an almost clear yellow, mimicking the natural pear interior.

The pear bites right after turning the screw top, but it's not a burst like the plum. The pear flavor is spot on but this soda lacks some of the carbonation to give the flavor a bit of an extra kick. That, for lack of a better term, flatness, fits a pear but makes for a flavor that is appealing only it's uniqueness, unless the drinker is a big fan of pear flavored anything. I am coming off very negative for this soda but the reality is that I enjoyed it. It was something different, and probably a flavor that no other distributor will duplicate. Pear Tree is a strong part of the Holiday 4-Pack and an interesting flavor, but not something that will find its way into my regular soda rotation.

"I want my 35 cents back. Charlie,
give him the pear." - Mac
"I can't. I just ate it." - Charlie

Overall Taste: 5.5 - Better than average, but pear might not be the best flavor for a carbonated beverage.

Fizz Factor: 4.0 - Almost non-existent, which fits a pear, but not a soda

Appearance: 7.0 - Great label, unique color

Flavor: 7.0 - Perfect for a pear soda, but I think pear itself might not be a coveted flavor for many enthusiasts

I am not disappointed in this flavor. Coming off the spectacular Sugar Plum, I had high expectations but I did not expect to be blown away by the pear soda. The Pear Tree is a great pear soda, but not something for everyday consumption.

From the company: 12 oz has 160 calories, 0g of fat, 39g of carbs, 39g of sugar, and 0g of protein.

Jones' Holiday 4-Pack

Candy Cane, Pear Tree, Ginger Bread and Sugar Plum

Friend of the blog Chuck Woolery (probably not the real one) sent me a Jones' Holiday 4-Pack containing 4 holiday flavors: Candy Cane, Pear Tree, Ginger Bread and Sugar Plum. Every single flavor is one I've never heard of and am excited to try. Jones is known for some of their unique flavors as well as for having interesting labels, some that people can customize themselves and order 12-packs with their uploaded artwork, pictures or photos on each bottle. Since beginning this blog my interest in soda has spiked and looking at Jones' website, I already see a few new ones I'd like to try, specifically Berry Lemonade and Blue Bubblegum.

The first soda of the holiday flavors I'm going for is the Sugar Plum. The two main reasons for trying this soda is one: I'm so thirsty for a soda right now, with me being snowed in for the past 24 hrs and not having access to any I just want one so bad. Two: of the flavors, Sugar Plum looks most inviting for a moment when I need a pure soda, not a unique (and possibly not tasty) flavor. Popping the screw top I'd knew I made the right choice. You are hit with tiny bubbles of plum sweetness, almost a perfect match for the real plum experience. It is a fruit soda at heart and while nailing the plum flavor, the soda delivers with moderate to above average carbonation, a sugary, sweet flavor, and a smoothness that makes it more like a regular fruit soda than a speciality flavor. I'm not saying "regular fruit soda" in a negative way, it is just that this flavor would fit in with grape, strawberry and orange. Even as the bottle empties, the last few sips have that plum burst and a tongue-biting goodness.


With this being a seasonal or maybe one-time flavor, I will have to try hard to get some other Jones choices in this blog. I'll also have to savor the other flavors as this plum...I just can't describe it. I'm not even a plum guy, it's not a top 10 fruit for me, but this soda is just amazing! And I finished it long before I even finished writing this post!



    "I was plum surprised"   



Overall Taste: 9.0 - Only those who hate plum should stay away from this soda, but for all others it is a MUST try.

Fizz Factor: 7.0 - Regardless of the measurement, on par with fruit sodas and perfect for the flavor. The level makes it extremely smooth and it floats down the throat.

Appearance: 9.5 - I hardly discussed this in the review because as soon as I took a sip I was just so excited. The soda has a light purple hint (just perfect) and the label, well, this one has a baby crying on Santa's lap...perfect for a holiday flavor, while being unique and funny.

Flavor: 9.5 - I wasn't skeptical of a plum soda but did not realize how delicious this flavor would be. It is something that I might pick up once every three months. It's a flavor that I'm still craving but not only that, might be sought after by me once the craving strikes in a week or so.

Bottom line: you must try this soda. Get your hands on some as soon as possible if you can, before the flavor is gone for the season. Go on Jones' website too. I almost want to order like 12 12-packs right now. And don't look at their retired flavors because if you are like me, you'll wish you had a crushed melon or cherry right now.

From the company: 12 oz has 180 calories, 0g of fat, 44g of carbs, 44g of sugar, and 0g of protein.

Coca-Cola Holiday 2012 Bottles

Chug you gorgeous fat man, chug

While buying a Coca-Cola the other day I noticed polar bears on the can. I turned to my friend to say "wow, they still have cans left over from last year?" Her response? "Don't you think it might be for this holiday season?"

It seems like only yesterday I was posting about the polar bear can controversy from last year. Coca-Cola did not make the same mistake again this year, launching the holiday season with red cans as opposed to white. However, their bottles will not be confusing to buyers as this year they feature Santa drinking a Coke. So here's to the holiday season, beginning a little early, but welcomed, because there is nothing more I like than to enjoy a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal accompanied by a cold bottle of the good stuff.





Seasonal Surprise: Pumpkin Pie Soda

It's not often that I get to celebrate the season with a specific soda offering but this autumn has presented me with a new flavor, one of which I'd never heard nor tried in my life. The flavor, pumpkin pie, comes to me from Maine Root, a soda company out of Portland, Maine. Instant attraction to this company, just listen to these other flavors: mandarin orange, blueberry, lemon lime...and the company is probably most famous for their root beer. With them being local I can now begin an active search to locate more of these drinks.

Apple, peaches, pumpkin pie -
Who's not ready, holler I!

The pumpkin pie for me might be the least appealing. Outside of eating toasted pumpkin seeds, my love of all things pumpkin flavored is non existent. It is quite a detriment here, however, I do not despise pumpkin. The rare pumpkin pie slice is in my history and overall, I find some of pumpkin's cousins, like squash, appealing. So when cracking into this bottle, my expectations were low and I was pleasantly surprised by a mist that had more of a cinnamon aura compared to that of a pumpkin. Inhaling more of the vapors, I am able to pick out a rich flavor, with a distinct root or spice buried within.

Now, taking the first sip I'm instantly hit with the pumpkin pie taste. There is no escaping it. It splashes across the tongue and the back of the throat and basically permeates the nostrils. The taste is there in full force and the soda component takes a back seat as this is not a very sweet beverage. I find myself taking sip after sip because in all honesty, I'm trying to find something I like about this drink. The basic fact that I do not love pumpkin IS a detriment here and although the soda is flavorful, and really, slightly spicy, I cannot fathom a time when I would opt for pumpkin pie flavored soda.

I would like to call these tests inconclusive but I'm going to grade the soda now and then present this soda to a few friends who love pumpkin pie. I'm hoping that the soda needs a better judge because in my honest opinion, I would not recommend this soda unless someone specifically asked me if I knew of a pumpkin flavored, carbonated beverage.

                                                                   

Overall Taste: 3.5 - Just not for me so the low rating is pure opinion

Fizz Factor: 5.0 - It has a bite but this is a cane soda and quickly loses its pop
Appearance: 7.0 - Bottle is non-descript but is the soda orange? That's is pretty cool
Flavor: 7.0 - While I don't like the flavor, it tastes like pumpkin pie

From the company: 12 oz has 165 calories, 0g of fat, 40g of carbs, 40g of sugar and 0g of protein.

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.

A&W Cream Soda

A&W stands for Allen & Wright, a fact I did not know until writing this post and a fact that maybe you, the reader, did not know either. Tuck it away in the back of your memory to be pulled out later during trivia. Much of America's familiarity with A&W comes from it's root beer stands and restaurants, which serve classic American burgers and other delicious food and according to their website, still make root beer in store. Growing up I was only exposed to one A&W and trips there always meant a root beer float. I'm looking at their website now and drooling over their freezes and floats and burgers and chili dogs and...

But the cream soda. Right off the bat I'm stating this is the darkest cream soda I've tested. With the lighting, it is truly hard to tell, but I think everyone can see the dark brown tornado center within the middle of the glass. Even coming out of the bottle it looks more like molasses than caramel. The bottle itself is nothing amazing, drawing on only the iconic A&W logo, but within...within is that All-American soda.

Remember: A&W = Allen & Wright

What can I say about the first sip other than it is all encompassing. It blasts your nostrils and almost pops in your mouth. The whole sensation is balanced, with no flavor, or bubble, truly dominating but existing within the whole experience is a slightly new taste. Like Stewart's, it appears A&W's secret recipe incorporates something different and looking at this label I see "yucca extract." Now, like with the Stewart's, I'm not going to definitively say this is what makes it unique, but what I will say is that A&W has an aftertaste that almost craves for a food compliment. I'm not sure if it is my memory but sipping this soda I begin to want a burger to go along with it. My mind is almost demanding french fries, which is an obviously sneaky request initiated by my stomach. From a fizz factor standpoint, the soda is, like with the taste, balanced. It is not overpowering but it does bubble and you will feel it inside you as you chug more and more.

After 5 different cream sodas, I'm beginning to find a clear front runner in my mind. A&W right now is not it, but it does offer some things that others can't. First, it might be the perfect one to drink with a meal. Second, it has a unique aftertaste. Third, it is widely distributed and easy to find. Lastly, it delivers on the vanilla taste demanded by cream soda enthusiasts. The soda is not only a must try because of the different taste, it is also a classic American beverage brewed by a classic American company.

Smoothness: 7.5 - Smooth...bubbles and vanilla are balanced

Overall Taste: 8.2 - Unique aftertaste and fountain style beverage

Fizz Factor: 7.5 - They are there and part of the overall style of this soda

Appearance: 7.8 - Dark, but minimal bubbles and no head, the soda is almost a uniform caramel color

Flavor: 8.3 - This is cream soda from the makers of an All American root beer...so you know it's good.

From the company: 12 oz has 170 calories, 0g of fat, 46g of carbs, 45g of sugar and 0g of protein.