Virgil's Rootbeer

Virgil's Rootbeer is has been made since 1916, until it was bought out by Reed's Inc in 1999.

Appearance 

Finally, a glass bottle

I like the design on the bottle. The art work is very nice, mildly reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting.

A very manly Norman Rockwell painting

On the back they give a nice explanation of the origins of the soda, and on the side they tell you all the different flavors and spices used.

And it comes in a glass bottle. I prefer glass bottles to cans or plastic any day. Glass bottles allow the flavors inside to mature and mingle better. Also, plastic bottles breath and lose carbonation over time. Glass bottles hold the carbonation of the soda constant. So whatever carbonation levels you put into the bottle is what you get out.

Appearance Score

8/10 Attractive, caught my eye.

Taste

First and foremost, all soda's in general, and this one in particular, taste better chilled. Drink this one after it's been in a very cold fridge for a very long time. Do not insult the craftsmanship by drinking it warm or on ice.

The first sip of Virgil's is interesting. The front taste is a very well executed generic root beer. It has a round creamy flavor. The carbonation levels are nice.

And then as the soda sits on your tongue the flavors develop. The spices work they're way out of the woodwork. I tasted hints of anise, mint, clove and birch in it. It is a very complex, mature flavor.

And then the soda fades nicely into a sweet, mellow aftertaste. It took me a bit to decide that I liked Virgil's soda. The flavor is a bit large and overbearing to really appreciate at first, but as you go, you get more and more of the notes, and really start to notice all of the subtle things. I don't really liked the licorice flavors in it, because I dislike licorice fundamentally, but it really complements the rootbeer and I'm glad it was in there.

There is an interesting thing to note about Virgil's Rootbeer. It might have been the metal of the cap wearing off, but the rootbeer actually had a savory smell to it. It was interesting, and a little off putting, but ultimately had no bearing on the taste.

Taste Score

8/10 Large, Complex, Interesting and Enjoyable.

Fentimans Rose Lemonade

Fentimans is a "botanical brewery" based in Hexham, UK. They were first opened in 1905. The company is best known for its Curiosity Cola. Also for the fact that it's been hard to find and a 6 pack sampler costs upwards of $20 US on amazon.com.

However, I went to World Market, a US import chain, today and left with an absurd amount of soda. I have review material set for the next month. All of the soda is in glass bottles. All of the soda uses cane sugar. So I'm fricken pumped guys.

And I got out of the store spending less than $20 US

I'm trying Rose Lemonade today, and Fentimans Dandelion and Burdock soda next.

Appearance

The bottle is really interestingly shaped. It really gives it an apothecary feel to it. The label is simple and elegant. It's glass, which is a huge plus. The bottle feels solid and has a nice heft to it and doesn't feel like it would immediately shatter if I looked at it funny.

Though the Lemonade is not pink like I was expecting

Overall I love it.

Appearance Score

9/10 Attractive, elegant

Taste

The rose lemonade is gorgeous. It has a great tartness that is right at the correct level. The soda is sweet, but not obnoxiously so, a fact that I chalk up to the cane sugar, over high fructose corn syrup. There is a slight bitterness that balances the sweet well. The carbonation is large and satisfying. It's very similar to Limonata, but when you concentrate you can notice a bit of ginger and rose in the mix. The rose is not overpowering and only appears when you really squint.

Taste Score

9/10 Delicious

Vimto

Vimto is a soft drink that originates from the United Kingdom with the original recipe dating back to 1908. All hail the great wizard wikipedia.

Appearance

The can confuses me. One side has the label in English, one side has the label in french with a picture of the beverage. I know that I'm drinking Vimto, I don't need a picture of Vimto to inform me that I'm holding a can of it. Also, every time I type Vimto I type"Vitmo" and then have to erase it and rewrite it. I don't know, I don't find the can particularly appealing. Also, I don't know what that little squiggle is supposed to mean.

Seriously, whats the squiggle for?

Appearance Score

3/10 Unimpressive, uninteresting.

Let's crack it open.

Taste 

It's a very fruity beverage. It starts with a cherry flavor, then it transforms itself to a sweet currant. There's some undertones of a Dr.Pepperish taste. It's not that bad. Maybe a little too sweet, but that's passable.
  I just had a friend try it and he says it tastes like "Cheer Wine". Apparently a beverage that one can only get in North Carolina.

But for some reason it has a very sweet bubblegum-ish aftertaste. Which is really really gross.The carbonation is a nice level. Not too harsh, but still satisfying. I'm not sure why, but it definitely tastes like it would be a British soda. I don't know why it tastes British, over say, Spanish or Korean, but it really does.

Taste Score

4/10 Pretty good at the beginning. Aftertaste ruins it.

Chilsung Cider

Chilsung Cider is a Korean drink. It was introduced in 1950. It is not a cider in the typical pressed apple American understanding of cider. It's really a lemon lime soda.

Appearance

I'm growing really fond of these long skinny cans. They just feel better to hold. The can is bright and cheery and has stars and limes and I don't really like it. For some inexplicable reason it reminds me of a beer can one might drink if they were a cartoon character. Or maybe if they were a hipster.

Am I the only one who sees the beer?

I have to admit though, my eye was immediately drawn to the can on the shelf, so I guess it's doing it's job.

Appearance Score

5/10 Ugly but drawing.

Taste

I was really optimistic about Chilsung Cider. I thought Korea might go somewhere interesting and bold and delicious with the fairly mundane fair that is lemon-lime soda. Childsung Cider heard that hope and spit on my tongue with a resounding "NO". The first flavors are a slightly more bitter lime, which could be good if they did it well. It's like the Cider is Limonata's little brother, and is trying really hard to emulate him, but not really getting it.

P.s. Limonata is delicious. You should totally go drink a can.

The carbonation is rough, large, and harsh and quickly bloated me with far to much air. I felt like Charlie post-fizzy-lifting-drink. And then after you wade through a clumsy attempt at interesting, and unpleasant carbonation, the flavor resolves to a sticky, gross, high fructose corn syrup aftertaste.
 So, all around, a pretty crappy version of Sprite. And I hate sprite. Seriously, skip this one and go drink a Limonata instead. 

Taste Score

2/10 would not drink again.

Pocari Sweat

Background

Pocari Sweat is a Japanese sports drink. It was released in 1980 and has a hilariously uncomfortable name.

Delicious Sweat

 Appearance

I like the can. It's tall and slim, with a simple, striking design. There is no unnecessary art or embellishments cluttering up the can. I don't need a picture of splashing on the can to tell me that it contains a beverage. However, I'm going to count the name as part of it's appearance. And it's name is pretty unfortunate. There are few more unappetizing things than drinking sweat. When I offered it to my friends, I got a repulsed reaction. Though, perhaps it does appeal to people like me. "Pocari Sweat? That so gross! I got to try it"

Isn't this side more appetizing.

Appearance Score

7/10 Simple, effective. Poor name choice.



Let's crack it open and see how it is.

Taste

My first sip. And I don't taste anything immediately. It's like I had taken a sip of nothing. Pocari doesn't have any carbonation, and so at first is like drinking water without any flavor. Ghost water.

Clear and Unassuming

But then the flavors sit around for a while and I began to notice things. It has a very mild clean flavor. Mildly citrus-y. Mildly chalk-y, electrolyte-y. It's like you took some grapefruit juice, sanded off the tart edges, mixed it with some coconut water, and then watered it down. Overall it wasn't unpleasant. It didn't leave any bad aftertastes. It just kind of refreshingly faded away. It doesn't have a very imposing flavor. It's pretty unremarkable, really.

However, I know how this is going to work. It's not a drink that I loved. But now that I have it's flavor ingrained in my mind, I'm going to randomly get craving for it. I can see it now. The same things happens with Sunny-D, that American kids drink. I don't like Sunny-D. I find it a little gross. But I crave it probably once a month. And invariably I end up going to walgreens and getting a bottle. And I'll crack it open and stand there drinking it. And in between each sip I'll go "Gross" "why am I drinking this" "This doesn't even taste good" until I finish all of this. So the same thing will probably start happening with Pocari Sweat soon, but at least I won't mind it this time.

Taste Score

6/10 Not bad, just unremarkable. It would be a good after workout drink.

Milkis

I would like to preface this with a statement. I never meant to start another blog. I wanted to study for classes, and pass my exams. But then this store moved in down the street.

 

This jerk.

It is a Korean convenience store, with a pretty decent selection of ramen and an Amazing spread of sodas.
And interesting sodas are my weakness. And this dang store is going to take all on my money.  So this a blog to document my journey trying every single one of these sodas. Let's begin shall we.

Background

Every journey has to have a jumping off point, and I have chosen Milkis as mine. Milkis is a Korean soda that was released in 1989. It is labeled as a "Milk and Yogurt soda" with the hilariously translated slogan "New Feeling of Soda Beverage".

Now this sounds disgusting. And when I try to get people to taste is they usually recoil in horror. But let the record state. While it sounds gross, Milkis is really a nectar of the gods.

Appearance

Hur, hur. "Milk piss"

The Milkis can is slightly smaller in radius and taller than normal cans. It has a nice whimsical design on it. One side of the can is in english, one side is inexplicably in french. No, I'm not sure why.

The man has a tennis racket. I don't know why that is either.

The soda itself is a cloudy white. 

Appearance/Packaging Score

 4/10- While cute, not particularly interesting. Loses points for metal can.

Taste

The first thing you notice about Milkis is how it feels. The carbonation is rather harsh. It's not exactly painful, but not exactly pleasant either. The mouth feel is more acidic the colder the drink is, too. Personally, though, I like a soda with a little bite. My personal philosophy, if it doesn't hurt, it's not worth it. Then that subsides, and it is just glorious. It's hard to describe Milkis. It is in no way fruity. It's not punch you in the face sweet. It is also not obviously milk flavored. I think the best way to describe it would be a very light airy frozen yogurt. Like a frozen yogurt, melted mousse. Yeah. And it's awesome. But really, the best part of Milkis for me is the aftertaste. It doesn't stick around in your mouth like an unwanted guest. It doesn't get expressly sickly sweet. It just kind of fades out with a final whisper of flavor, leaving you satisfied.

Taste Score 

9/10 Awesome, amazing, satisfying to the last drop. 

Maybe I'm biased, because I go out of my way to find and consume Milkis, but I still highly recommend it.
 Next week I'll try something new. 




Edit: I tried Strawberry Milkis and Melon Milkis. I don't feel they're different enough to warrant entirely new review so I'll just stick this here.
Strawberry Milkis is excellent. It has a very round, creamy strawberry taste. I would recommend it, though I prefer plain.
Melon Milkis is gross. Tastes like Banana. I would not recommend it though it might be personal preference.