This week, Will and I have chosen to review Fentimans Botannically Brewed sodas. Fentimans has a large selection of flavors, and we chose six of them to comment on. We’d have reviewed them all, but the store only had six.
One thing to note about Fentimans is the process of how the soda is made. Botanical ingredients and natural plant substances are boiled and fermented for seven days to create the beverages. Due to this process, there are trace amounts of alcohol present in the sodas. This added a bit of a challenge for me to this review, as I have never once tasted an alcoholic drink that I liked. Granted, there is so little alcohol in these sodas that the taste of it was barely there, but in a few of them the taste was noticeable to me.
The first soda that we tried was called “Curiosity Cola”. This may not have been the best one for me to start with, as it was the one that smelled and tasted most strongly of alcohol out of all six. Getting through that, though, the soda tasted very much like Coca Cola to me, and reminded me of the time that I had tried a rum and coke.
Our second soda was the “Victorian Lemonade”. I liked this one very much. The soda had an incredibly sour lemon flavor, which was great. There was also very little alcohol flavor to this one.
Third on our plate was the “Ginger Beer”. Right off the bat, I wasn’t too fond of this one. The soda smelled strongly of ginger, but not in the good way like other ginger ales. The flavor did remind me of ginger ale, but it was much more bitter than any I had tasted before. This soda also made me realize what people meant when they said that a drink was “dry”.
“Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger” was the next soda that we tasted. This one definitely tasted like an orange, but was so strong that I had actually recoiled when I tasted it. I know that April got a picture of my face when I did it, so I’m sure we’ll be putting that up on the blog somewhere. This was probably my least favorite of the bunch, just due to how strong the tartness of the orange was. The lemonade was sour, but this seems completely different.
Soda number five was the “Dandelion and Burdock”. I’ll come right out and say it, this was by far the best out of the entire bunch. As far as I’m aware, I had never tasted dandelion flavor, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to be getting into with this one. When I tasted it, it reminded me strongly of Bazooka Bubble Gum. It even had the same odor.
Our final soda to review was the “Cherry Tree Cola”. Out of all of the soda’s, this one had the lightest odor of the bunch. I had expected it to have a noticeable cherry smell, but if it was there I couldn’t sense it. Another thing that I had noticed was that this one did not seem to have any trace of the alcohol taste or smell. Either it wasn’t there, or I had grown acclimated to it from tasting all of the other sodas. Finally, this was the thickest of the sodas. Much like the Pepsi Next from a couple weeks ago, the “Cherry Tree Cola” stuck to my mouth like none of the rest. Fortunately, this tasted much better than the Pepsi Next did. (Side note: Since the Pepsi review, I have grown to like the Pepsi Next. Either that bottle was bad, or it was just something I needed to warm up to.)
Over all, I definitely enjoyed the Fentiman brand of sodas, and will probably have them again in the future. Definitely the “Dandelion and Burdock” flavor, at least. If you’re interested in finding out more about these sodas, visit www.drinkfentimans.com. There, you can see the other flavors available, and what stores nearby carry them.
I love trying foods and beverages that have fallen out of style. Maybe it's the feeling of delving into the past to find what forgotten treasures lie abandoned in the deep recesses of our history; like some culinary Indiana Jones. Or, is it the puzzle of it that interests me so? Why are these treats no longer commonplace? Are the ingredients scarcer, is the method of production no longer viable, or have our tastes really evolved so much that they are no longer desirable? Or am I just being contrary, like so much hipster, and enjoying these things simply because they are no longer in fashion? Regardless, I loves me some old-timey drinks.
For those unfamiliar with the process, sodas used to get their fizz the same way beer or sparkling wine does, not from the addition of carbonated water, but from fermentation. Yeast is added to the brew, and allowed to do its thing, which is to eat up sugars and produce alcohol and gas. In the case of sodas, though, the fermentation is cut off very early, preserving much of the sweetness while allowing only a very small amount of alcohol to be produced. This of course makes for a very different kind of drink than the sodas we enjoy today, most of which (though not all) contain not even this miniscule amount of alcohol.
I have tried a number of old style beverages in the past. I have gone so far as to make my own celery soda syrup, which is much better than it sounds. I even brewed my own ginger ale completely from scratch, an endeavor that was far less successful, as I think I allowed it to ferment a tad too long, and it tasted rather strongly of alcohol. This failure did, however, give me a good reference point for what to expect of classic brewed sodas. So, upon seeing six of Fentimans offerings at one of my local supermarkets, I couldn't wait to try them.
Curiosity Cola - We started off with quite a doozy on this one. The cola had the strongest alcoholic scent, similar to a whisky and cola, with a strong ginger smell as well. The taste was likewise gingery, and not unlike the bubble-gummy flavor of champagne soda. This was not one of my favorites.
Victorian Lemonade - Perhaps it was just the bottle I had, but I was initially assaulted by a skunky smell upon giving this one my precursory whiff. The taste, however, was a bit more pleasant, though the skunkiness persisted. Still the dry, sour flavor wasn't too bad, and would be nice as a drink mixer I think. It reminded me a little of a Mike's Hard Lemonade, with far less alcohol and much less sweet. Not bad.
Ginger Beer - As a huge fan of ginger beer I had high hopes for this one. The aroma was quite heady, and I happily inhaled deeply several times. The smell was slightly deceptive, however, as the ginger flavor was much milder than I expected. Perhaps I am just used to Jamaican ginger beers which tend to be sinus-searingly strong, but this one had only a slight kick to it. It is on the dry side, something I quite like, especially in ginger ales and beers. It was definitely superior to my own failed attempt. This was among my favorites and I highly suggest it.
Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger - I am no fan of orange sodas, but this one is a nice exception. The smell was very tart and reminded me immediately of a screwdriver. The taste was equally tart, and not at all sweet. It tasted like a mimosa made with a cheap sparkling wine, but in a good way. This is another that would make a good drink mixer, though it's still enjoyable on its own.
Dandelion and Burdock - This is the one I was most looking forward to trying, as I had no idea what it would taste like. I have had dandelion wine, and steamed dandelion greens, but never burdock. It smelled very similar to a grape soda, tea, and most oddly, a bit like cough syrup. The flavor was very complex, but reminded me most of horehound candy and tea. This was not only the most interesting and complex of the lot, but also hands-down our favorite. Try this one.
Cherry Tree Cola - There is no subtlety with this one, the cherry smell hits hard, like a cherry hard candy left to melt in the sun. The flavor is much the same, so strong that it tastes artificial. It's viscous body and overall sweetness reminded me of cherry syrup. Again, this would be a nice mixer, but I couldn't think of having more than a sip on its own.
Overall, I enjoyed Fentimans line of Botanically Brewed Beverages, even the ones I wouldn't race out to buy again. I feel an additional shout-out is in order regarding the Dandelion and Burdock, which I give my whole-hearted endorsement to. I imagine I will be having the occasional uncontrollable craving for one from now on. All of these flavors are well worth trying, and I hope to have the opportunity to try the remaining Rose Lemonade and Shandy flavors listed on their site.
For this week’s review, we decided to do a taste test of two new soft drinks that have recently come out, Pepsi Next and Dr Pepper TEN. We started the test with the Pepsi Next.
First thing I noticed about the subsequent Pepsi was that it didn’t seem as fizzy as normal Pepsi, or even Diet Pepsi. This may be attributed to the small serving we had poured ourselves, as pouring a full glass causes soda to fizz up more.
After taking my first sip, I realized that there could be another reason for the soda not being as fizzy as I had hoped. The Pepsi Next is incredibly sticky. Usually when you drink something, the taste fills your mouth, and when you swallow the taste goes with it. Sometimes, it takes a bit of time or a sip of water to fully get rid of the taste. With the Pepsi Next, after taking a sip, the taste would not leave my mouth. It was the same for April and Will as well. In order to cleanse our palates for the next soda, we had to drink some Ginger Ale, followed by water to finally get rid of the taste.
Looking into what made Pepsi Next special, I found out that it contained four different sweeteners: high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. For something that claims to include 60% less sugar, it sure contains a lot of it. I can only imagine that they needed all four sweeteners to get the taste that they wanted, but it seems like they could have done without one or two of them.
The Pepsi also seemed to have some sort of after taste to it. I enjoyed it (which was a good thing, since the taste had no intentions of leaving my mouth), but I could not tell what exactly it was. At first I was thinking it was vanilla, but now a day later I’m starting to think it was more lemony/citrusy.
Well, after we washed the Pepsi Next from our taste buds, we moved onto the Dr Pepper TEN.
I hate to be negative right off the bat, but Dr Pepper TEN did not taste good at all.
First thing I noticed was the strong, cherry-like smell. It reminded me of the smell of Dr Pepper, but was almost offensive in its strength. I was equally displeased with the taste of the soda as I was with its smell. The taste of cherry was still there for me, but reminded me more of cherry-flavored children’s cough syrup than of anything I would normally ingest.
The Dr Pepper TEN wasn’t advertised as being cherry flavored (which is good, since I love Dr Pepper Cherry), so I can only assume that what I was tasting was some weird mix of spices that Dr Pepper is known for. Speaking of the spices, I noticed that the Dr Pepper TEN seemed to have a much stronger “bite” to it than normal Dr Pepper.
In the end, I think it’s clear that given the choice between these sodas, I prefer the Ginger Ale I used as a palate cleanser!
Thinking back though, I would be willing to give Pepsi Next another try, now knowing what to expect from it. Can’t see myself ever buying another Dr Pepper TEN any time soon, though.
 A tower of Pepsi Next-- co-starring Will's thumb. I have something of a love/hate relationship with soda. I require enough caffeine to get me through the day to give an elephant the jitters, and the sheer volume would make even the likes of Hunter S. Thompson or Charlie Sheen nod their heads in respect. Sometimes my beloved coffee or various caffeinated treats are just not available or feasible options . In those dark times sodas help keep the monkey off my back.
I do try to avoid soda, however, for health reasons. Over the last year and a half I have lost over one hundred pounds. I feel better, look better, and want to stay this way; so I avoid any unnecessary calories in my drinks. The obvious solution would seem to be to switch to diet sodas; but on top of disliking the flavor, artificial sweeteners pose a host of heath issues of their own. Still, caffeine is a hell of a drug, and daddy needs his fix.
I have tried a number of diet sodas, and found few that manage to be palatable. When we decided to review two new options that appeared on the over-saturated soft drink market, I did not have high hopes. The first was Pepsi's newest offering: Pepsi Next.
I have always been more of a Coke guy than a Pepsi guy. The darker caramel flavor of Coke, with its highly carbonated bite always appealed to me more than Pepsi's mild flavor and carbonation. I admit, though, that I am fond of Pepsi MAX, if only because the excessive number of ingredients help mask the flavor of its artificial sweeteners.
When I first laid eyes upon Pepsi Next and saw its boast of containing less sugar and only 60 calories my interest was piqued. I thought for a moment that Pepsi had released a dry cola, something missing from the main-stream market. Alas, no. Pepsi Next uses a combination of high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and sucralose for its sweeteners.
Before even tasting the drink, the artificial sweeteners are immediately apparent in the nose; as well as in the telltale fizziness of the drink. Upon first tasting the drink one gets a rather strong hit of vanilla, and it does seem slightly less sweet than other diets. I was somewhat pleased at first, but as the drink lingered its viscosity betrayed it. The sweetness soon gives way to the bitterness so associated with the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners, and the thickness of the drink assures that one will be tasting it long after the sweetness of the corn syrup is a memory.
We had discussed a palate cleanser before the tasting session started, but had agreed it was likely not necessary. We were wrong. A quick swish of ginger ale (ginger being a well known palate cleanser), followed by some water and a short wait cleared the way for the Dr Pepper Ten.
I rather like regular Dr Pepper, it's a nice departure from the standard cola flavors that are so ubiquitous. I am no fan of their normal diet offering though, and I hoped that Dr Pepper Ten would give me a better low calorie option.
The bouquet was immediately reminiscent of cough syrup: sickly sweet, and with a weird chemical scent. Similarly to Pepsi Next, Dr Pepper Ten had a less sweet initial flavor than it's normal diet does. Other than the initial obfuscation of the sweetener, though, it initially tasted exactly like the diet. This grace period was short, though. While the unpleasant aftertaste of the Pepsi Next creeps up on you, Dr Pepper Ten's simply attacks with a full frontal assault. The medicinal taste hinted at earlier in the smell makes itself known with a vengeance, and can best be described as tannic, like a bad red wine or very bitter tea. I felt as though I had been chewing on a bit of varnished wood. I discarded the remains of my cup after just two sips.
The Pepsi Next might be worth a taste, though I fail to see the appeal of a soda with 60 calories per serving. If you want to save calories go with a full diet, or better yet, water or tea. As for Dr Pepper Ten, I cannot recommend it. I personally look forward to seeing these two go the way of New Coke and Crystal Pepsi.
 Note the rivets on the packaging; this product really IS super manly! Nice work, Dr Pepper. When I was young soda was something around which my life revolved. I drank so much of it that my doctors used to attempt to scare me off of it through anecdotes about stunting my growth, or the health effects of too much sugar, or some other things which I can't remember now-- to be honest, I wasn't really listening; I couldn't hear them over the fizzing of my delicious soda. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that it was ascertained that I have a genetic metabolic disorder that makes me constantly crave sugar because I need it for my body to function normally. Ha! Suck it, my former pediatricians!
Like most children, the soda that I preferred was Pepsi. It's sweeter and less acidic and thus gentle on young, sensitive palates. As I grew older, I switched to Coke and Dr Pepper. For this week's three-way review, we decided to each give our impressions of Pepsi's and Dr Pepper's latest emanations: Pepsi Next and Dr Pepper TEN.
Pepsi Next probably derived from the same logic as that which led Coca-Cola Co. to come up with C2 back in June of 2004. It is made partially from sugar, and partially from artificial sweeteners-- touting a 65% reduction in overall calories compared to original Pepsi.
There is a paradoxical conundrum for the average soda consumer-- we're told that too much sugar is bad for us, but we are also told that artificial sweeteners are tantamount to having cancer cells injected directly into our vital organs; logically, some people have moved on to simply drinking water, but sometimes water just isn't what one desires. Of course, this whole debate is a HUGE "white whine", considering the number of people in the world who don't have anything to drink-- but that's for another article.
The absolute first thing I noted upon tasting the Pepsi Next was that it was still just as throat-burningly sweet-- yet a sweetness which, in fact, somehow managed to blossom awkwardly from youthful sugar bliss (should one be so inclined) to angst-ridden adolescent bitterness. Seriously, I think I heard it listening to The Cure from the refrigerator. This bitter flavor somehow managed to cling, quite relentlessly, to the inside of my mouth-- so much so that before tasting the Dr Pepper TEN, in order to cleanse my palate I drank a chaser of ginger ale and water.
What was amazing was that despite tasting just as sweet, the soda itself was vastly more carbonated than traditional Pepsi. That's the opposite of what I loved about Pepsi when I was a kid: the fact that, though it is a carbonated beverage, the acidity always seemed to be phoning it in. I suppose that the additional sweetness from the artificial sugars is what helped the flavor remain generally the same, even with the increased sourness. Another thing to mark was an odd note of vanilla in the overall flavor profile, despite the absence of any such flavor explicitly listed in the ingredients. What it brought to mind were those final dregs of a cola float, where the ice cream and carbonation have made sort of a foamy slurry at the bottom of your mug. This aspect was actually not all that unpleasant, at least not until the bitter flavor obtruded once more upon my nostalgic denial.
As I previously mentioned, Dr Pepper was a beverage which I didn't drink until I was older (in my teens), and it is one of my favorites. We recently made a Dr Pepper cake, and man was that thing sublime. I loves me some Dr Pepper. Given the fact that "Diet Dr Pepper really does taste like regular Dr. Pepper", I expected Dr. Pepper TEN ("10 Bold Calories, Same 23 Flavors") to taste roughly analogous to the aforementioned, but slightly stronger-- perhaps in the vein of Coke Zero. My expectations, sadly, were dashed, tea-bagged, and punched in the kidney.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take Tonic Water, mix in a boxful of Luden's Wild Cherry Old-Fashioned Cough Drops and a dash of Triaminic? Well, you need wonder no more-- just pick up a bottle of Dr Pepper TEN and take a swig of it. Though the flavor was less obdurate in leaving my mouth, the taste was spectacularly more unpleasant than the Pepsi Next.
Apparently Dr Pepper TEN is meant for men; at least, that is to whom it is being marketed primarily. As testament to this, the label on the bottle is minimalist, with dark gray and burgundy. Looking at it now, after discovering this specific marketing tactic from the makers of DP TEN, I can't help but feel that the bottle belongs in an armchair, holding a beer and watching some variety of sporting event.
What seems odd to me is that, in executing a plan to draw in more male drinkers of Dr Pepper, they seem to have made the soda much sweeter and far less biting and acidic. That isn't to say that I feel it casts aspersions on a given individual's masculinity to appreciate a sweeter soda, but I marvel at the fact that the people at Dr Pepper thought that they could succeed by making a product that seems less in line with what most of the men I know like to drink, and that the end-game manifested with the product tasting so badly. I'd like to think that there was some focus testing involved in the process. There had to be some sort of focus testing involved in the process, right Dr Pepper? Right?
In the end, I was rather disappointed in both of these new sodas. After going in with a clean palate and an open mind, I still found them to be lacking and regrettable. The Pepsi Next was underwhelming and bitter, and the Dr Pepper TEN was medicinal, too sweet, and tasted so badly that it caused me to involuntarily crinkle my nose. I tried to relax it, but my nose remained staunchly so until I drank lots of water. All I can say is this: give them both a shot if you're a soda fan, or perhaps just curious; it's entirely possible that to you they will become new favorites, and that they just didn't jive with me.
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