Soda Pop! Jones Soda Crema De Pina

What:  Pineapple Cream Soda

Where:  Jones is based in Canada but I think these are the Mexican/Latin American varieties.

Why Should I Care:  I freaking love Jones Soda.  Not only do they have some really unique flavors, but they also use real cane sugar.  I mean, Pineapple isn't that exciting (it is, but I've seen other sodas with that same flavor), but I think Jones is the company that made apple soda popular in Pittsburgh.  Plus they have flavors like Berry Lemonade, Bubblegum and Fufu Berry (which is a mix of strawberry and raspberry).  However, I don't really know what to expect with this one.  It's not that I dislike cream soda or pineapple, but is it going to have that same bite that pineapple does?  Is it going to be too sweet?  Is their coconut in it?

Packaging:  It's in an awesome glass bottle with someone's photo on the front.  The caps have a saying on them too.

Non-Taste Senses:  It's bright yellow and it smells like pineapple candy

Taste:  So, this tastes like a really smooth pineapple soda.  It has the perfect amount of fizz (fizzy but not bitey), it's not too sweet and the pineapple flavor focuses on the sweet as opposed to the sour.  There is a bit of a cream soda base to it, but that mostly helps with the smoothness and if you dislike cream soda, you probably wouldn't even notice it.

Overall:  So, I'm honestly a little surprised at how good this is.  I love Jones Soda but the whole creamy pineapple seemed a bit iffy.  But Jones passed with flying colors.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the site.  They also have all kinds of other stuff like submitting your photos for them to put on their bottles and random special editions.

TasTEA Time! Snapple Refreshing Green Tea

What:  Canned Green Tea

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  Oh canned tea.  You're big, you're cheap and you're usually not very good.  There's very few teas in this catagory that use real tea and don't use HFCS (Peace Tea being one of the exceptions).  Now, despite my dislike in the previous Snapple products, the regular green tea was a staple of my lunch when I used to work at Shop and Save.  Plus this is slightly smaller and cheaper than the average.

Packaging:  It's a can on green tea.  It's can, it has a suggested price for it (79 cents, I paid 50).

Non-Taste Senses:  It smells like green tea and it's that yellowish color

Taste:  You can still taste the preservatives, but it's not as bad as Arizona or Brisk.  For the most part, its a fairly generic but moderately sweetened green tea.  Unfortunately, Snapple uses High Fructose Corn Syrup in this which is strange since Snapple uses real cane sugar in everything else.

Overall:  It's a little better than Arizona in that they use real tea but honestly, there's nothing to recommend here.  I'm actually a little surprised that I've given most of the Snapple stuff a pass because I buy Snapple stuff more often than most of the other tea brands.  Eh, better luck next time.

My Rating:  Pass.  

Soda Pop! Cascal Fine Dark

What:  Fermented Soda with hints of Malt and Honey

Where:  California

Why Should I Care:  So, I got a four-pack of this (and the apple one) when it was almost expired.  That was about four months ago.  Granted, I had this back then and I hope the only thing that has changed is that there's less carbonation.  Cascal is a soda that tastes very simular to a wine except it's non-alcoholic and doesn't have the sweetness of sparkling juices.  I actually do enjoy these in between teas for those reasons although the new ones drop the ball by adding Stevia to it (which leaves an aftertaste as opposed to leaving a nice clean palate).  So, what do I think about the Fine Dark with its hints of Malt and Honey (more of a beer rip-off than wine but I actually prefer a good beer to cheap wine).

Packaging: It's in a glass bottle, adding to the sophistication.  It also has a twist-off cap.

Non-Taste Senses:  It's kind of this dark amber/light brown color with a slight murkiness to the liquid.  You can smell the honey pretty strongly

Taste:  I'd like to say it's aged to perfection, but it really could use a bit more carbonation.  I'm actually a huge fan of the mixture of honey and malt, which gives it a slightly heartier taste while still having a lightness with the carbonation.  Also, this tastes so much better without the Stevia.  It's still sweet but it's not overly sweet.  If you're going to serve it (especially if it's four months past expiration), you need to serve it cold.

Overall:  Why'd you have to get rid of this flavor, Cascal?  It's good and I highly recommend people try it if you can find it somehow.  Or write them and tell them to bring it back.  I can't recommend this for everyone, but it's pretty fantastic.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site!

Review! Snapple Kiwi Strawberry

What:  Kiwi Strawberry drink

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  Strawberry Kiwi is one of the most typical, generic flavor combinations out there.  It's safe, you're probably going to get the same flavor profile as you expect to get and it's ubiquitous.  Again, this is something that has been sitting in my refrigerator for several weeks and I know that if I don't get rid of it somehow, it's going to stay there forever.  So yeah, here we are.

Packaging:  Pretty much just a generic glass bottle

Non-taste Senses:  It's pink and it smells like strawberry.

Taste:  It's pretty much what you expect from a strawberry kiwi drink.  For those of you who've never had a strawberry kiwi drink, it's about 40% strawberry, 20% kiwi and 40% sugar (these values are estimates and may change from product to product, although that's unlikely).  It's way too sweet and despite claims of juice, I've seen sodas that I consider healthier.  It does have a hint of juice though, which is more than I can say about brands like Minute Maid, and I don't hate the flavor combination.

Overall:  I understand why people like Strawberry Kiwi stuff.  It's relatively familiar, sweet and has a hint of the exotic.  Do I care for it (in drink form)?  No.  Do I recommend this to people who don't care for SK?  Not really.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the site.

TasTEA Time! Peace tea Imported Ceylon Tea

What:  Cheap tea

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  Because it's 99 cents and has real sugar and tea.  Really that's it.  I forgot to make a pot of tea in the morning and made some coffee instead but being the addict that I am, I needed to get some tea from the 7/11 by school.  Peace Tea is particularly nice if only because it is the same price as Arizona but actually has sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

Packaging:  It's the same type and size can as Arizona but has more hippies on the front (and sides)

Non-Taste Senses:  Looks like tea and smells like tea

Taste:  I actually like it more than Snapple (which is more expensive).  It's not great, the tea is a bit weak and the clarity of Ceylon doesn't come through that well but it tastes like real tea and it tastes like real sugar (the fake stuff tends to taste a bit more syrup-y and has this weird aftertaste).  It's a touch too sweet but I like my things less sweet than more and it doesn't need watered down like Snapple does.

Overall:  Comparing it to Arizona, this is why Peace Tea is better:
-Real Tea
-Real Sugar
-Funky Can
-Just as big and cheap
So there you go

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the site.

TasTEA Time! Grand Ma Ma's Sweet Southern Tea

What:  Sweet Tea that tastes just like your gran-mama made!

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  Despite it being 15 degrees outside, I feel the need to purge my fridge of drinks.  This particular brand is brought to us from 2 time NBA Allstar Larry Johnson, which means absolutely nothing to me.  I have heard good things about Jerome Bettis' restaurant and....some other athlete's hot sauce (sports is not my forte), so maybe this'll be awesome!

Packaging:  Grandma?!  Is that really you!  Actually, my grandma (both of them) never made sweet southern tea so I can't really say anything about that.  Oh wait, this is packaging.  It's a plastic bottle with a nice picture of Larry Johnson's feisty looking grandmama.  I actually really like this design on it.

Non-taste Senses:  It looks like strong tea and it smells really strong.

Taste:  First off, sweet tea isn't my thing.  It's supposed to be really strong tea with a buttload of sugar and honestly, I don't like neither of those things.  That being said, I can tell that if you do like sweet tea then you would like this.  It's insanely sweet but the tea is a decent quality and very strongly brewed without a bitter taste.   It also uses real sugar!

Overall:  I'm not planning on buying it again but I didn't think it was bad.  Too sweet, yes but if you want your sweet tea in a jiffy, this happens to be a good option.

My Rating:  Try it!  You would think that this drink would have a website but no.  So yeah.

Starbucks Frappuccino Mint Mocha

What:  Mint coffee

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  This was something else that I just found in my fridge that has been there since September or something.  Now, the difference between this and the Snapple is that this has milk in it and although the expiration date says February 20, 2012, I'd rather drink it sooner than later.  Starbucks drinks tend to be below average taste for an above-average price and mint X coffee seems a bit...iffy.

Packaging:  Again, I like the mini-milk bottle.

Non-Taste Senses:  It looks like coffee and it smells minty.

Taste:  If you're not a fan of coffee but you love Thin Mints, check out this drink.  It's minty with a hint of chocolate and that whole coffee thing is more of an aftertaste (I don't even taste it at all but it does make your breath smell bad).  I actually really enjoy it especially for breakfast or whenever you want a coffee treat.

Overall:  I like it.  I wish they made this a regular edition as opposed to just some random thing they get once in a while.  For on the go or just even as a treat, check it out.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Don't know if this has the iced drinks, but here's the Starbucks shop.  They look like they have some nice cups too (that are probably at a ridiculous price).

Review! Snapple Peach mangosteen Immunity

Two non-tea reviews in one day?  What is this world coming to!?

What:  Some kind of sugary fruit drink that has peach and some other weird fruit

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  Well, I wasn't planning on doing another review today but I cooked up some noodles and needed a cold drink so here we are.  Snapple is one of those companies that tends to give you a warm, fuzzy feeling when you buy one of their products.  Maybe it's the fact that they use actual cane sugar or maybe it's because of the "real facts" they put on their caps or maybe it's just because of the word Snapple.  Whatever be your reason, they tend to be cheaper than Lipton and actually use real things unlike Arizona.  Plus this kind is using a fancy fruit that I honestly have not tasted on its own.  What the heck is a Mangosteen?  Let's find out.

Packaging:  It's a glass bottle.

Non-taste senses:  As you can see, it's this radioactive orange color.  The liquid smells similar to Peach Jello.

Taste:  It actually tastes like peach jello as well.  The texture isn't really thick but it tastes more like peach flavor as opposed to an actual peach.  I don't taste anything other than peach so don't ask me what a mangosteen tastes like because I can't tell you.  It's not bad, but it is basically just a sugary drink.

Overall:  Honestly, it's not that exciting to me.  It's good and I think if you like peach then you'll also think it's good, but I don't think it's worth the calories.  Also, I bought a 12-pack about 8 months ago and this was the last one so clearly, it took me a while to get a craving for them.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the site.

And here's Tommy

Review! Phenom Blueberry Pomme Coconut water

Greetings from Pitt!

What:  Blueberry Pom flavored Coconut Water

Where:  USA

Why Should I Care:  I love coffee but let's face it:  It isn't that good for you.  Caffiene, in all it's stimulating glory, is technically a drug and is something that when I personally get too much of it, it makes my brain crash.  So I'm attempting to get that morning boost of energy from other sources.  Now for the record, I also try to avoid those energy shots because they're supposedly even worse than coffee despite claims of grandeur.  However, I haven't heard anything bad about coconut water.  The other kind I tried (O.N.E) had all kinds of energy-botanicals to it so in a way, this is a step down.  But it's GNC, a highly-overpriced product (which I ended up getting for 75 cents) with vitamins and added goodness!

Packaging:  This one also comes in a Tetra pack for added refrigeration convenience.  I'm looking at the supplement information though and have to say, I'm not that impressed.  Yeah, it has 150% vitamin C but that's really the only stand-out.  It says it has more potassium than a banana but the information says it only has 2% (is it a typo).

Non-Taste Senses:  It smells kinda like (normal) milk with a hint of blueberries.

Taste:  There's no sugar added so don't expect this to be sweet.  As strange as this may sound, it tastes like a watered down, unsweetened, blueberry milk.  It has a decent blueberry flavor and coconut milk tends to be a bit thicker (and has a slight lactose taste).  The blueberry flavor also goes well with the coconut milk and works better than say, lemon lime.  Make sure to refrigerate it because the thick texture doesn't take room temp well.

Overall:  It's ok.  I think you really need to know whether you accept the taste of coconut milk and the blueberry (because there is no pom) lends well to the taste.  If you find it for a buck (which is probably impossible), check it out.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site but this flavor seems to be discontinued.

TasTEA Time! Dilmah Peach and Lychee Ceylon Tea

What:  LYCHEE

Where:  LYCHEE

Why Should I Care:  LYCHEE.  Oh, and peach too.

Packaging  The one thing I dislike about this whole deal (read the packaging description here for why).

Non-Taste Senses:  Well, it looks like all the other ones but I smell more peach than lychee so I dunno...

Taste:  Oh man, I was scarred for a minute that Dilmah would pull a "pomegranate" (It's a term I made up meaning that a company puts an exotic-sounding fruit flavor on their product in order to entice you, but when you actually taste said fruit-flavored thing, it tastes like a more common fruit.  Pomegranate is one of the most common flavors to do this and most of the time, the juice/tea/snack tastes like strawberry or cherry as opposed to pomegranate).  Anyway, it tastes like pure LYCHEE with a nice, complementary peach taste as well.  What's more, it's a nice strong lychee flavor that doesn't leave me begging for more (flavor, not tea.  I'd always beg for more tea).  Seeing that it's awesome lychee tea, I can't see how it could go wrong with any of the variety of ways you can serve it.

Overall:  What do you think I'm gonna say.  LYCHEE!!!  Not just LYCHEE, but the best LYCHEE I've had thus far.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here

TasTEA Time! Dilmah Apple Ceylon Tea

What:  Apple-flavored Ceylon Tea

Where:  Sri Lanka

Why Should I Care:  Although apple is a fruit that suits more of the October November December side of the cold season, it's still serves as a nice winter fruit.  That and it's one of my favorite fruits.  I know, I know, I say that about every fruit but Apple is definately on the top 5.

Packaging:  If you've read my Blackcurrant review, I pretty much have the same problems

Non-Taste Senses:  That same light-brown color that I associate with Dilmah Ceylon tea.   It smells apple-y

Taste:  Surprisingly, I don't feel like the apple packs as much of a punch as the other kinds.  Oh, it's good and I think if you want an apple tea without the spices, I'd check it out.  The scent and flavor isn't quite as strong as the blackcurrant, but it's still substantial, would still make a good iced tea and can still be drunk with or without sugar.

Overall:  I like it.  I'd buy it.  You should at least check it out.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site.

TasTEA Time! Dilmah Blackcurrant Ceylon Tea

Right now, I'm gong to review three teas from the same brand.  This isn't something I plan on doing often but I'm almost out of the Blackcurrant and was so excited about the Apple and Peach Lychee that I figured doing a few extra Dilmah reviews won't hurt.

What:  Blackcurrant-flavored Ceylon tea

Where:  Sri Lanka

Why Should I care:  Blackcurrant is honestly pretty exciting.  I mean, I don't get as excited over it as I do with lychee or even mango but it's the quintessential berry in my opinion.  It has this perfect blend of sweet and sour while still being fragrant.  Dilmah also happens to be pretty good with their fruits so here's hoping for the best.

Packaging:  Unfortunately, it's just a cardboard box with a foil pack containing all the tea bags.  If it's good (SPOILER:  it is), then that isn't a problem because you'll just drink all of them but if you're not always in the mood for blackcurrant then you should probably look for a separate container.

Non-Taste Senses:  It has a light brown color with a slight tint of red.  It also smells really strongly of berries.

Taste:  I really freaking love this tea, more than the mango even.  It's just, the berry scent and flavor is so strong and rich and yet you still have that slight tea taste.  It's sweet and tangy and even the slight bitterness complements it.  The tea tastes great with or without sugar, hot or cold and really nice with cookies.

Overall:  Just buy it.  

My Rating:  Buy it!  I don't think you need it at this point but here's the website.

Soda Pop! Cascal Berry Casis

What:  Fermented Soda with blackcurrant, tangerine and lemon.

Where:  California

Why Should I care:  For some reason, this seems a lot more mainstream than their other sodas (which tend to have some kind of flower in their flavor profiles).  Blackcurrant is a little questionable but everyone knows what tangerine and lemon are.  I also thought it was called "Berry Crisis".

Packaging:   It's just a boring aluminum can.

Non-Taste Senses:  It's pinkish and smells slightly berry-ish.

Taste:  This has stevia in it.  It's something I noticed in the mango one but was willing to put asside, but that Stevia extract is the lone factor that turns this from a good drink to something that I can't completely recommend.  Here's the thing.  I have the bottles still.  They have 70 calories per bottle for a drink that is a less sweet version of a soda.  Yeah, you only have 60 calories in these cans but it doesn't have that "clear" taste.  Stevia leaves this sweet aftertaste in my mouth which makes me want to eat something or more likely, drink something else.  If I ignore that, which is difficult, it really is great.  The citrus cuts the sweetness of the berry to give it this perfect balance.  It's not overly sweet, it would go great with meat but nooooooo, we need to make it sweeter.

Overall:  I guess I'm disappointed but I honestly can't give it a pass.  It's worth a try and if you can get it cheap, I'd recommend trying all the flavors.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site.

Soda Pop! Cascal Fresh Tropical

What:  Naturally-flavored tropical fake wine

Where:  California

Why:  Cascal is a brand that delivers on making something that isn't too sweet while still being flavorful.  Like I said before, their products taste a lot like a non-alcoholic wine and that's great for a lot of people, whether you're pregnant or a special occasion for a family or just if you want that kind of taste without the alcohol.  Also, it's in mango and I just can't see that being bad.

Packaging:  I got the canned version so it really isn't too exciting.

Non-taste senses:  It has a simular color to mango juice and it smells like mango.

Taste:  I think out of all the ones I've tried, this is my favorite (the malty Fine Dark is a close second).  The mango flavor is strong but not too sweet and is reminiscent of a sparkling juice.  There's also a mix of other flavors including the lime, that makes it a nice blend as opposed to just mango.  The level of carbonation is nice too, not being too strong but still feeling like you're drinking a soda as opposed to juice that's been shaken in your backpack.

Overall:  It's worth a try.  I've had mango beer that's tasted better, but it's a nice blend.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site.  Something that's kinda nice is that they give you food pairings when you look at the flavors.

TasTEA Time! Dilman Moroccan Mint Green Tea

What:  Ceylon Green tea with a hint of mint!

Where:  Sri Lanka

Why Should I Care:  I like Dilmah.  Maybe it's because they use pure Ceylon at a slightly higher quality than I'm used to or maybe it's because they say that everything is packaged at the source, but the tea Dilmah produces seems to have a fresher taste with less bitterness than your average tea.  A couple of months ago, I got a varietly pack of their green tea (Natural green tea, Lemongrass, Cinnamon, Ginger and Mint) and I ended up buying a couple more because I liked to tea from it so much.  I'll try to review each of them but for now, I'll review the one that I had the most of, the Moroccan Mint.  

Packaging:  IFWS.  

Non-Taste Senses:  Light, clear and a golden-yellow hue.  It has a light minty scent.

Taste:  It's nice.  Not great, but nice.  The mint flavor isn't too overpowering and is pretty refreshing.  That being said, it's mint tea.  It's not much different than your average brand and what you see is what you get.  It goes well with sugar and would probably be a nice summer drink (especially if you add lime), but it's not something I crave often.

Overall:  This is my least favorite from my Green Tea Variety Pack, which doesn't mean it's bad or even that I don't think it's good.  I think in compairison to the other flavors, it lacks uniqueness.  If you like mint, it's good and is probably a good option for making a refreshing drink for a group of people, but it isn't something I'd go out and buy individually.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site.  

TasTEA Time! Justin Lloyd Fiery Red Rooibos Chai

What:   Chai Tea with a Rooibos base

Where:  England

Why Should I care:  I love chai tea and it happens to be the perfect weather for chai tea.  I'm also trying to get some unique teas for this blog as opposed to the same old green teas and earl greys.  There's actually a couple really nice things about Red Tea Chai:  this brand is organic, red tea is caffeine-free and (my favorite part) this tea is pretty much idiot-proof.  One time I completely forgot I had it steeping and when I finally got it an hour later, there wasn't any bitter taste and it was entirely drinkable.

Packaging:  Your standard IFWS.

Non-Taste Senses:  It looks like standard red tea and it smells spicy.

Taste:  First off, if you want insanely strong chai, you should probably just make your own.  This is for the people who want something quick and easy and for that, it's pretty good.  Although the spices are more mild that I'd prefer, they didn't skimp on them and I'm sure you could even add a bit of milk to it if you want.  Chai is good with or without sugar and although I'd go with a spicier kind, I'm sure this would be delicious cold.

Overall:  It tastes fine, is generally pretty healthy for you and is inexpensive.  Not perfect, but definately worth a try.

My Rating:  Try it!  Again, i have not found a website so if you find it for 2-4 dollars, it's worth a shot.

TasTEA Time: Justin Lloyd Lavender Earl Grey.

First off, sorry for not writting any posts in a month.  It's been extremely hectic between the 50 hour workweeks, getting everything ready for school (OMGOMGOMGOMG) and me esentially being quarentined from my room.  Heck, I even have a couple half-written reviews but just didn't have time or forgot or whatever.  Anyway, I'm back.  I may not be as active as I was in November but I still will try to post more often.

What:  (another) Lavender Earl Grey tea

Where:  I'm assuming England.  There is no website for this tea and the box suggests England

Why Should I Care:  It's snowing here in Pittsburgh.  It's pretty substancial too which is great because I need to have at least one good snow in the winter (A personal story:  I used to live in Meadville PA, which is farther north and close to a late, meaning they would have snow from the end of October to the beginning of April.  There would be at least three feet of snow for about 4 months of the year.  Now, I love snow but it's like having your relatives over for the holidays:  it's great to see at first but it overstays its welcome fast).  This is the time of the year where I prefer drinking the heartier teas (black and herbal tea) so it was between this and the Fiery Rooibos Chai (I swear I'm going to review that soon).  

Packaging:  IFWS.  The outside packaging is nice too and makes it look more bohemian and adventurous.  

Non-Taste Senses:  It looks like normal black tea and smells like a slightly more floral Earl Grey.

Taste:  There are two types of Earl Grey (and Chai for that matter) that I like:  relatively mild and ridiculously strong.  This falls into the former category.  It's fresh and the spicy part does tingle your mouth a little, but i don't feel the need to add milk or sugar.  The tea itself is decent quality, not bitter but not strong either.  Like I said, I don't think this would really hold up well with milk, but I don't think it would completely fall flat either.

Overall:  I like it more than the Revolution one.  I mean, it's drinkable and the other one...wasn't.  I think there are better Earl Grey teas out there but this one was cheap and it's organic.  If you get this for a gift-basket, you won't be disappointed by the extras.  

My Rating:  Pass.  It's good, but there are better brands out there.  I really have not found an official website for this so just try your luck Googling it.