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.

Dr. Brown's Cream Soda

One thing I love about blogging is that I am actively seeking out and researching sodas and learning about new flavors and old flavors I've never tried. This especially goes for Dr. Brown's soda, of which I only believed there to be a couple of flavors. Hardly. They actually produce 8 different types and, to my surprise, make glass bottles. I've only seen cans and plastic and everyone knows soda is best enjoyed out of glass.

"Very good. You just earned yourself a Doctor Brown's."
- Krusty's dad

Dr. Brown's comes in as a very old soda, originating in New York in 1869 with Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda, which is a celery flavored beverage. Dr. Brown's sodas are also kosher, which is not entirely unique, but gives them some popularity.

Now, I am remiss to say that my review will be based on cans of Dr. Brown's cream soda since so far we've only been trying cream soda in glass bottles. I don't believe it will hurt their review, however, from an appearance standpoint it is hard to see the caramel color of the soda through opaque aluminum. Maybe one day science will create glass cans but until then, I just have to make do.

The cans themselves are quite nice, a dark brown color, with clear branding and, building off their New York origins, a picture of the Statue of Liberty centered on the front. I can see on their website that other flavors bear different New York landmarks, similar to Olde Brooklyn sodas. I poured the contents of one can into a glass to get a better gauge of the color and I was not let down. Despite the dark brown cans, the soda is the classic tan cream soda color and if I'm not mistaken, this one is more on the caramel side than the golden. Pouring it into a glass also let me see that this soda bears a substantial bit more carbonation than the others, with bubbles forming all over the sides and creating a thin head on top.

It's that carbonation that pops in the first sip. This cream soda drinks more like a soda and while it is not overly carbonated, bubbles are definitely present right away, sliding across the tongue and bursting on the roof of the mouth. But the most noticeable component of the first sip is the vanilla. It is not one that lasts but as the soda streams across your taste buds it is all you can sense. It is strong and almost on the vanilla bean or extract side rather than a syrup. That short lasting flavor, rather its intensity, makes this a chugging soda. I feel like all my sips are gulps and that taking it in smaller sips would just fill my mouth with carbonation, rather than cream soda goodness.

It is getting harder to really pick one cream soda over another but there is something special about Dr. Brown's. It isn't the creamiest, the flavor doesn't bite, and while it does have a surprising amount of carbonation, it falls somewhere in the middle with its smoothness and flavor.

"There's that word again. Heavy. Why are things so heavy
in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth's
gravitational pull?" - Doc Brown

Smoothness: 7.5 - Smooth, but it doesn't coat your senses in creaminess
Overall Taste: 8.0 - The vanilla is strong with this one

Fizz Factor: 7.0 - An enigma, very carbonated, but not filling

Appearance: 8.0 - Caramel brown, and the added darkness casts a shadow in the center of the glass

Flavor: 8.5 - This is the classic cream soda

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

Stewart's Cream Soda

Stewart's began making soda in 1924 with a focus on root beer. Now I've tasted their root beer and it is delicious, but it is a few of their other flavors that really intrigue me. First, their orange n'cream soda. This soda is readily available at my local store and it has been a favorite of mine over the past few holidays. Now while doing research on Stewart's I came across three other flavors that I did not know existed: a Stewart's grape, a cherries n'cream and a strawberries n'cream. All sound incredible, don't they? Too bad I've never had them. Can't even find them! Wish I could just taste them...

Roger...pass me a cream soda. And make it a double

The cream soda, however, is available in my local market and will be the featured cream soda of Day 3 of this, Cream Soda Week. Stewart's began as a root beer stand and the fountain style flows over to their bottles and taste. These bottles are clear with a red Stewart's logo, which is nicely offset by the golden soda behind it. The label itself reads "Fountain Classics" and everything here elicits a feeling of being at an ice cream parlor, ready to make a ice cream float or have Roger behind the counter slide you a frosty mug.

The first sip...for a cream soda...is something completely different from any other cream soda I've tasted. This shock leads me to turn the bottle around and study the ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor, a preservative, caramel color, citric acid and...quillaia extract. Is that it? Is that the something special that is giving a tiny bite to this traditionally smooth style of soda? I don't know but let me say, there is a bite to each sip of this soda. There is also a substantial difference in carbonation compared to the last few I've reviewed. The soda almost foams in your mouth and where other cream sodas coat tongue with vanilla creaminess, Stewart's does not. But the taste is so unique that I'm on my second bottle and still being hit with that mystery flavor, still wondering what makes this one so special.

For a traditional cream soda, Stewart's is lacking some of that vanilla flavor and some of that smoothness, but it is still a cream soda and still bears that overall likeness. What sets this soda apart from others is the fountain style that it claims. It is definitely foamy, crisp, worth chugging, and with that unique taste, Stewart's Cream Soda is almost in a class by itself.

Smoothness: 6.8 - It's the bite that takes away the smoothness
Overall Taste: 9.0 - Different, a must try, and a unique experience
Fizz Factor: 6.0 - That foaminess is almost a flavor in itself, the bubbles form in your mouth
Appearance: 8.0 - Nice label, nothing too fancy, and the soda is a golden tan
Flavor: 7.8 - A mild cream soda that satisfies

From the company: 12 oz has 180 calories, 0g of fat, 45g of carbs, 45g of sugar and 0g of protein.

IBC Cream Soda

"Sidney, relax. Have a cream soda."

Growing up, IBC root beer was a treat to be had on pizza nights and holidays. The fact that the soda comes in glass bottles was a big reason for that, but eventually I began to associate IBC with good times and good food, and honestly, the root beer is definitely a compliment to home cookin'. When I turned seventeen I purchased my first mini-fridge for my bedroom and stocked it with cans of many varieties but also glass bottles of IBC, for those special occasions. And now, IBC root beer is still a treat, to be had intermittently when I'm craving a classic root beer.

I digress because this post is about the cream soda. Starting with the all clear glass bottle, sans label, we see the soda in its full glory. IBC cream soda is almost golden, looking like a tanned honey, almost radiating from within. It could very well be the clear bottles that add to this display as nothing obstructs light from illuminating the creamy soda throughout. The bottles themselves have a raised glass label, making them unique, but the label itself resembles something from 1919, when IBC first began creating these bubbly beverages.



The first sip is light, almost airy, and the soda heads for the roof of the mouth, expanding to the sides before slipping down the back of the throat. It is not an overwhelming, powerful first sip but the taste is right there. Actually, when sipping the soda the taste does not linger, making you reach for another sip faster than I did with the Virgil's (Oct. 15, 2012). If you drink it, the tastes persists and quenches the vanilla craving, however, you still eagerly grab for another chug. IBC nails the cream soda and vanilla flavor but does so lightly. Halfway through a bottle and the mild carbonation is not affecting me in any way. In fact., the soda tastes so light it goes up into your smell receptors on every sip.

Like golden sun rays mixed with honey and
 trapped in a bottle

IBC's light cream soda is still strong on taste and might be the perfect companion to a meal, like for instance, a pizza night with family.

Smoothness: 9.0 - So smooth you almost miss it

Overall Taste: 8.0 - The taste is definitely there, but a little mild

Fizz Factor: 4.8 - Almost no carbonation but the feeling that the soda is invading your nose from behind means it is there

Appearance: 8.5 - The golden soda looks like a beverage from the gods and clear bottles accent this, although the label is hard to see cut into the glass

Flavor: 8.3 - A classic cream soda, nothing to make it stand out, but still delicious

 

From the company: 12 oz has 180 calories, 0g of fat, 48g of carbs, 48g of sugar and 0g of protein.