2012年01月14日
Canada Dry Cassis Ginger Ale
Today, one of my friends and I drank Canada Dry's new Cassis Ginger Ale. These are our reviews.
Me:
The combination of cassis (they're grapes, let's be honest) and ginger ale works well. It's different enough to be its own pop, but not a crazy departure from the Ginger Ale end of things.
I think it's pretty good. I will buy it again.
Her:
This package is cool. It was good. The taste is not like anything else. That's all.
Me:
The combination of cassis (they're grapes, let's be honest) and ginger ale works well. It's different enough to be its own pop, but not a crazy departure from the Ginger Ale end of things.
I think it's pretty good. I will buy it again.
Her:
This package is cool. It was good. The taste is not like anything else. That's all.
2011年12月27日
Pop review: Lime Crush
One thing they've got plenty of in Canada that we don't see often in the States (or Japan) is Crush. There are all kinds of flavors, erm, "flavours" I guess we'll say, though the only one I'd ever heard of stateside is orange. You come North, however, and there's all kinds of flavors. Spending Christmas in Canada, I was excited to come across Lime Crush at a convenience store.
You see all kinds of lemon-lime sodas like Sprite, 7-Up, and Sierra Mist, but rarely do you see a label having the guts to drop the lemon. I think 7-Up tried this with Dn-L a few years back but I can't remember how that tasted.
Lime Crush turned out fantastic. I'm a huge lime fan, I should say. Just the night before writing this, I was stacking a Coca-cola glass full of like 9 lime slices to make a great-tasting beverage that seems to appeal to only me. I remember Coke with Lime having a life all too short and I suppose this is how I bring it back. Crush's version of a lime soda comes with a strong taste that's not as sour as actually biting into a lime, but accurate enough for a soft drink. I love it.
Ditching the lemon was a bold move that works well for Crush, and I wish I could find this stuff at my home in Japan, because I'd buy it all the time.
You see all kinds of lemon-lime sodas like Sprite, 7-Up, and Sierra Mist, but rarely do you see a label having the guts to drop the lemon. I think 7-Up tried this with Dn-L a few years back but I can't remember how that tasted.
Lime Crush turned out fantastic. I'm a huge lime fan, I should say. Just the night before writing this, I was stacking a Coca-cola glass full of like 9 lime slices to make a great-tasting beverage that seems to appeal to only me. I remember Coke with Lime having a life all too short and I suppose this is how I bring it back. Crush's version of a lime soda comes with a strong taste that's not as sour as actually biting into a lime, but accurate enough for a soft drink. I love it.
Ditching the lemon was a bold move that works well for Crush, and I wish I could find this stuff at my home in Japan, because I'd buy it all the time.
2011年10月22日
White Soda Review (Suntory White Pop)
Today in class, two students and I tried Suntory "White Pop."
We tasted it, talked about it, and shared our review scores. The kids both compared it to Calpis Soda, which I have had only once, and it was like 3 years ago, so I don't have a great memory of it.
Below are our comments and scores. I typed and fixed some grammar while the kids expressed their thoughts.
Heath: 2/5
Comment: It's not bad, but it tastes like yogurt. I don't usually like yogurt drinks.
Student 1: 4/5
Comment: It tastes like Calpis Soda and drinkable yogurt, mixed.
Student 2: 4/5
Comment: It's the same as Calpis Soda. I like Calpis Soda.
It appears speech contests and video game reviews aren't the only areas in which I am the harshest judge ^^;;
We tasted it, talked about it, and shared our review scores. The kids both compared it to Calpis Soda, which I have had only once, and it was like 3 years ago, so I don't have a great memory of it.
Below are our comments and scores. I typed and fixed some grammar while the kids expressed their thoughts.
Heath: 2/5
Comment: It's not bad, but it tastes like yogurt. I don't usually like yogurt drinks.
Student 1: 4/5
Comment: It tastes like Calpis Soda and drinkable yogurt, mixed.
Student 2: 4/5
Comment: It's the same as Calpis Soda. I like Calpis Soda.
It appears speech contests and video game reviews aren't the only areas in which I am the harshest judge ^^;;
2011年10月12日
ミツヤサイダー (Mitsuya Cider Review)
One of Japan's finest drinks in regular production is Mitsuya Cider. It's not just visually clear, it has a clean taste about it. At the core, one might compare it to 7-Up, but at the core, one might also get punched in the face by me. Mitsuya's subtle hint of lemon is appreciated, though there's a lemon variety that ups the presence of that taste, for those that want more. I love to pour a big glass of this over ice on a hot day. Nothing better. I just wish it didn't give me such a huge headache. :(
(Yeah, some pops consistently give me headaches. This is a problem with me though, not the soda, so it goes unpunished.)
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(Yeah, some pops consistently give me headaches. This is a problem with me though, not the soda, so it goes unpunished.)
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2011年10月08日
Mello Yello: Soda Review
Mello Yello was the Coca-Cola company's answer to Pepsico's extremely popular Mountain Dew. Coke saw the success of Mountain Dew and, as many businesses would, said, "Me too." I guess dropping the 'W' from both words was the company's attempt at being edgey? It hasn't worked. Pepsi's strong foothold in the "citrus soda" market has over the years proven to be a mighty big hill to climb for Coke, as Mello Yello constantly stands in the shadows of Dew. I admit I'm a Dew man myself when it comes down to it, though I should say I do love a good Mello Yello once in a while.
メローイエローはマウンテンデューの悪いいとこです。
It's a little more lemony than Mtn Dew, especially the Japanese version. Japanese Mello Yello has a stronger lemon flavor than the American counterpart, which comes as no surprise, given the outrageous popularity of lemon as a flavor of everything here.
It's not something I crave too often, but when it's around, I like a good 'Yello. 3 Stars!
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2011年10月06日
Mountain Dew Grape Soda Review
Now that the original Mountain Dew has been reviewed, there's a Japan-only grape spinoff that came out this summer and is now slowly fading from the market. I expect it to be impossible to find by the end of November.
This pop is OK in small bursts. Its grape flavor is surprisingly stronger than I expected it to be, especially since it's a Japanese exclusive; flavors tend to be a little more subtle here, especially in beverages, perhaps CC Lemon being the biggest exception. But it's not so much a grape fruit flavor or traditional grape soda flavor so much as it's that patented grape candy flavor -- you know, the kind you taste in almost all grape gummies, chewing gum, Warheads, or Jolly Ranchers.
That's fine, because hey, if I want a "traditional" grape soda, I already have 10 different options for that, and it'd be hard to beat Welch's at their own game. The problem I have is that it's labeled "Mountain Dew Grape," and there's not much Dew to it. If I want a pure Cherry soda, for example, I have Chery Crush or Cherikee Red (that IS spelled correctly, but if I want Cherry Mountain Dew, then I pick up a Code Red Mountain Dew. If I want an orange pop, I pick up an orange Fanta, something generic, orange Crush, or Sunkist, but if I want Orange Mountain Dew, I go for Livewire. See where this is going?
Grape Mountain Dew might have that candyish grape taste about it, but it doesn't really seem like a flavor of Mountain Dew to me. This is not to say something HAS to be Mountain Dew in order to be good -- not so at all -- the name is just a little misleading. The drink itself, overall, is enjoyable on occasions, but I often don't find myself wanting to finish the can, let alone go for multiples.
I know it's going out of production soon, so I have the instinct to stock up while I can, but every time I go to a machine I just can't bring myself to spend the money. Final verdict: this one is just OK.
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This pop is OK in small bursts. Its grape flavor is surprisingly stronger than I expected it to be, especially since it's a Japanese exclusive; flavors tend to be a little more subtle here, especially in beverages, perhaps CC Lemon being the biggest exception. But it's not so much a grape fruit flavor or traditional grape soda flavor so much as it's that patented grape candy flavor -- you know, the kind you taste in almost all grape gummies, chewing gum, Warheads, or Jolly Ranchers.
That's fine, because hey, if I want a "traditional" grape soda, I already have 10 different options for that, and it'd be hard to beat Welch's at their own game. The problem I have is that it's labeled "Mountain Dew Grape," and there's not much Dew to it. If I want a pure Cherry soda, for example, I have Chery Crush or Cherikee Red (that IS spelled correctly, but if I want Cherry Mountain Dew, then I pick up a Code Red Mountain Dew. If I want an orange pop, I pick up an orange Fanta, something generic, orange Crush, or Sunkist, but if I want Orange Mountain Dew, I go for Livewire. See where this is going?
Grape Mountain Dew might have that candyish grape taste about it, but it doesn't really seem like a flavor of Mountain Dew to me. This is not to say something HAS to be Mountain Dew in order to be good -- not so at all -- the name is just a little misleading. The drink itself, overall, is enjoyable on occasions, but I often don't find myself wanting to finish the can, let alone go for multiples.
I know it's going out of production soon, so I have the instinct to stock up while I can, but every time I go to a machine I just can't bring myself to spend the money. Final verdict: this one is just OK.
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2011年10月04日
Soda Review: Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew's original marketing was actually to like, old people and farmers -- quite the contrast with today, when it's marketed generally at teenagers and college kids. Compare the original advertising scheme:
...to the more recent theme of the last, let's say 25 years, perfectly captured in this clip, which I think made its debut when I was in high school:
But commercials don't change the taste of the drink itself, and cheesy ad campaigns be damned, I love Mountain Dew. You can detect just a little bit of lemon, a hint of lime, and...some kind of blend that only, for my money, just tastes like Mtn Dew and that's that.
I love Japan -- love it to death. But no human can deny the power of the subconscious, and we all need to have some kind of comfort snack or drink. Mountain Dew is a sort of connection to home for me. I like to end a day a nice cold Dew from the fridge. The Japanese version with its cane sugar and slight decrease in the amounts of caffeine and carbonation render it a bit inferior to the American version in my eyes, but that's of course because I grew up with the latter.
Of all the sodas I consume, one that keeps on satisfying me time and again is Mountain Dew. I can't rightly give it anything other than a 5-star rating.
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...to the more recent theme of the last, let's say 25 years, perfectly captured in this clip, which I think made its debut when I was in high school:
But commercials don't change the taste of the drink itself, and cheesy ad campaigns be damned, I love Mountain Dew. You can detect just a little bit of lemon, a hint of lime, and...some kind of blend that only, for my money, just tastes like Mtn Dew and that's that.
I love Japan -- love it to death. But no human can deny the power of the subconscious, and we all need to have some kind of comfort snack or drink. Mountain Dew is a sort of connection to home for me. I like to end a day a nice cold Dew from the fridge. The Japanese version with its cane sugar and slight decrease in the amounts of caffeine and carbonation render it a bit inferior to the American version in my eyes, but that's of course because I grew up with the latter.
Of all the sodas I consume, one that keeps on satisfying me time and again is Mountain Dew. I can't rightly give it anything other than a 5-star rating.
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2011年10月02日
Soda Review: Coca-Cola
Anyone who knows me knows I love a good soda, or as we call it where I grew up, "pop."
I'm going to start doing some pop reviews on this blog, because I notice a lot of people are really curious about drinks I'm walking around with, even though they're usually not imports! Here in Japan, you have a wonderful variety of sodas on the market, especially the seasonal ones that rotate in and out of stores. Some of those are definitely cut way too short (come back, Pepsi Azuki!).
Fitting for the first one, I might as well start with the king of all carbonated drinks, Coca-Cola. Years and years before the birth of Pepsi, Coca-Cola making a name for itself with its unique taste.
In the 1980's, fearing the uprising of Pepsi's "new generation," company hotshots changed the flavor a little bit, which resulted in huge backlash. Tail between its legs, the company backpedaled and went back to the old flavor, rebranding the drink "Coca-Cola Classic." On paper it looks like a terrible PR move, but I have a feeling Coke knew the new formula would bomb all along, and used the "failure" as a way to rekindle America's love of Coke.
History lesson out of the way, Coke is the single most popular soft drink in the world today, and for good reason. Did you know that aside from "OK," the words "Coca-Cola" are the most recognizable across any language? I saw that on the Food Network. TV is great.
Coke is, to me, the definition of good cola. There are very few times when a Coke does NOT sound good to me. There are several sodas I personally like a little more, but the Coke legacy cannot be denied, and its satisfying taste earns it a high score. Always Coca-Cola.
I'm going to start doing some pop reviews on this blog, because I notice a lot of people are really curious about drinks I'm walking around with, even though they're usually not imports! Here in Japan, you have a wonderful variety of sodas on the market, especially the seasonal ones that rotate in and out of stores. Some of those are definitely cut way too short (come back, Pepsi Azuki!).
Fitting for the first one, I might as well start with the king of all carbonated drinks, Coca-Cola. Years and years before the birth of Pepsi, Coca-Cola making a name for itself with its unique taste.
In the 1980's, fearing the uprising of Pepsi's "new generation," company hotshots changed the flavor a little bit, which resulted in huge backlash. Tail between its legs, the company backpedaled and went back to the old flavor, rebranding the drink "Coca-Cola Classic." On paper it looks like a terrible PR move, but I have a feeling Coke knew the new formula would bomb all along, and used the "failure" as a way to rekindle America's love of Coke.
History lesson out of the way, Coke is the single most popular soft drink in the world today, and for good reason. Did you know that aside from "OK," the words "Coca-Cola" are the most recognizable across any language? I saw that on the Food Network. TV is great.
Coke is, to me, the definition of good cola. There are very few times when a Coke does NOT sound good to me. There are several sodas I personally like a little more, but the Coke legacy cannot be denied, and its satisfying taste earns it a high score. Always Coca-Cola.
