Jason Draper - 2709 Reviews

This is pretty darn tart, in a good way. A bulk of the flavor comes from a combination of passionfruit and lime juice. The rest of it is the guayusa. If nothing else this is very interesting. It's the type of drink that requires a learning curve. If you go into it blind I would expect that you wouldn't really enjoy it and that it would just taste weird. When you know what you are getting you can start to enjoy it. The more you drink it the more you enjoy it. It is a bit odd drinking something that is passionfruit flavored that is not super sweet, but life goes on and by the time I reached the end of this can I was totally on board, even if I was tentative with the first few sips.

Most seltzers/sparkling waters keep things simple with just carbonated water and some sort of flavoring, usually under the umbrella of “natural flavoring.” Who knows what those natural flavors are? They could be any sort of weirdness that exists in nature, but has a similar taste to the flavor the company is trying to put forth. Who is to say that snail spit doesn't taste like blackberries?

Spindrift lets you know what you are getting, and I feel that due to the percentage listed they use more of it than most companies, which is apparent also in the taste. This can says it contains 7” juice and that comes from the “fresh orange juice” and “alphonso mango puree” listed in the ingredients. Sure that little bit of juice gives you 1g of sugar per can, but isn't they tiny amount worth knowing what's in your drink let alone how superior it tastes. It still very much tastes like a seltzer and not a sparkling juice, and that is the way it should be in this beverage. Both orange and mango are present enough to be noticed and taste real, but still faint enough to drink it without thinking about it.

I'm always interested in trying “alternative” energy drinks. I'm not really sure who dubbed them that, but at some point a person or a sentient computer decided that any beverage that was meant to give you energy, but did not contain taurine and a bunch of chemicals wasn't of the norm. I'd like to think that ingesting artificial ingredients would be out of the norm, but who am I. Naturewise tried to remove the stigma by labeling their beverages “Whole Body Vitality Drinks.” They give you a little pep, enhance focus, suppress food cravings (don't we all need that?), and reduce stress. That all sounds like a good deal to me and I will take the change in moniker to have it.

This is sweetened by erythritol, stevia and monk fruit and it has a strong fruity/bubblegum taste that always accompanies the latter of the three. The first time I ever came across monk fruit was in Vemma, and now I always relate anything with it to that weird pyramid scheme energy drink. It's a very specific taste and a strong one at that. In fact it is a contender for the prize of being the strongest flavor in this can. The magic trick that monk fruit plays is that the more you drink of a beverage the less you notice the taste and the other flavors take over.
The flavor of this is supposed to be citrus matcha, which sounds great. The thing is I don't really taste any specific citrus, nor do I get a strong green tea flavor. What I do get is something that, to me, tastes kind of like Juicy Fruit gum. It's actually kind of great, but it's not what I expected. Towards the end of the can I got a bit more tea flavor, and I think the bottom ¼ of it was the peak of the flavor.

I am always pleased when a company can make a beverage that uses zero calorie sweeteners and the don't taste like specific garbage. It's nice to be able to enjoy a beverage and not feel bad for all the calories you just ingested, and that is from someone who has never been on a diet in their life.

This is the last of the three Wicked Lekker teas that are currently available and if they are nothing they are a consistent company. They are actually more than just consistent though. They are a company that makes great tasting teas that I could sip day after day and not get sick of them.

I love peaches, but I am wary of peach flavored things because they have a tendency to taste candied and that is something I'm just not looking for. After my first taste of Wikked Lekker's black currant I was pretty sure they were going to do right by peach and I was not disappointed. It actually tastes like fruit and the use of white tea is always the wise choice. It has a softer taste that sits a little in the background and gives the rest of the drink a little time to make your acquaintance. After the rooibos tea says “what's up and stuff” to your taste buds the white peach slips in to make sure that everyone is getting along well, and trust me it's a love fest in there and my mouth wants to host that party for a long time to come.

I don't know if I will ever get used to non-carbonated energy drinks. Yes, I know the original energy drinks (coffee and tea) were not carbonated and served this world for hundreds of years without people complaining that they needed more. Times have changed though and when I see the word energy listed on a beverage the taste of chemical bubblegum-y citrus flashes across my senses. The thing is that it's not that great of a flavor, we've just become acclimated to it. It's a nice change of pace to have a product that will give you a rush of caffeine and vitamins to help get you through the day that is out of the norm.

This tastes like a plant was bottling some diet black cherry soda, but the line to carbonate it was out of order and also about 1/3 more water got into it than should have. I understand those sound like negative things, but this is better than any black cherry soda I've ever tasted. It also tastes way less diet than I had anticipated since it is sweetened with sucralose. I expected that horrible fake sweetness to punch me right in my uvula, but it turns out it's fairly mild. To such an extent that I believe it could be passed off as “energy flavor.”

Black cherry may not be my flavor of choice, but I have no real complaints about this. It gave me the little boost I needed to get me through my work day and it did it while maintaining a decent taste. What more can you ask for in these times?

Ahhh Big Lots, where seasonal drinks go to die. Well at least until a year passes and they rise from the ashes of discount stores to achieve premium prices once again. Look, the chances of me spending $3+ for a 9.5oz bottle of iced coffee are very slim, even if it is delicious. The chances of me paying $.80 for them a few months after the holiday season that is depicted on the label? Let me grab a case or two and finish them within a week.

This is something else. I hesitate to even call it a coffee drink because it is so far buried under a delicious mountain of peppermint and chocolate that I wonder if it's there at all. Do you know what the best decision they made about this drink was? To use dark chocolate. Do you know who prefers milk chocolate? Kids and those with weak taste buds. The same people who would put ketchup on eggs or mac and cheese. Those are the same people who probably shouldn't be drinking coffee, no matter how much it's hidden in a beverage. People with developed palates appreciate dark chocolate. These people also want to throw all of their fancy tastes out the window and enjoy a sugary nonsense treat and pretend they are kids again. That's it, this drink is for adult children and I am proud to be part of those ranks.

For a second I wondered why they didn't just change the label of this and make it available year round. Then I closed my eyes as I took a sip and all I could think about was Christmas and the winter. Like nog it is tied to the season. You can certainly enjoy it other times of year, but I challenge you to drink a bottle and not think of the holidays. It's like someone made hot chocolate out of a nice dark chocolate(with a bit of coffee in it I suppose) and then melted candy canes in it before chilling it and somehow making it a bit frothy.

ps. This was my last bottle. I should have bought another case and a diabetes testing kit that I would have certainly needed. 33g of sugar in 9.5oz is a lot.

Okay, I should probably go back and re-review the cherry version of this. I just read what I wrote and after drinking the tropical version I think I was just being difficult. Pretty much my main issue with the cherry was that I misunderstood what it was and had prepared myself for yerba mate and was shocked when that was not what it was. How can I hold the company responsible for me being a dummy? With this can of tropical I knew what I was getting into and I found it to be a much more enjoyable experience.

Like the can says this is “Healthy Energy.” Most energy drinks are full of chemicals that you are not quite sure how to pronounce. This is juice, water and guayusa leaves. There isn't even any sugar added. All of the sweetness comes from the juice and trust me it does its job. It does have a base guayusa flavor, which can be a bit odd when you're not used to it. Not to worry though because you quickly become acclimated and after a few sips it no longer stands out. There are a handful of fruit juices in here doing the rest of the flavoring, but to me the tropical they speak of seems to be a mixture of lime and passion fruit. It's a combo that I have never had before and I need to have a lot more of.

This is bubbly, sweet, and pleasant tasting. I would enjoy it even if it weren't functional. As it is I also get the added bonus of a bunch of caffeine, antioxidants, and potassium. I feel like I'm winning all over the place. It could also be that the caffeine is hitting me pretty hard.

In a recent review I spoke of how no sports drink company will be able to overthrow the dynasty of Gatorade. It has become to ingrained in our culture that it's essentially on the same level as Jello, Xerox , or Kleenex. Many have tried to replace it and all have failed. If there were a movie made about the fall of big Gatorade Kra would be our star. Rising from humble beginnings and fighting against all odds to take down the behemoth.
Sadly, at this point this is only fiction, but I feel a change is going to come. My faith comes from the thought that started this product to begin with; “Why do athletes, who are so committed to taking care of their bodies, hydrate with super-sugary, chemical-filled sports drinks?” The truth is that there aren't many readily available options and young athletes are taught to bow down before the G at such an early age that they rarely question it. Kra created an alternative. It is a sports drink made from water, juice, minimal (real) sugar, and sea salt. There is nothing artificial in here, which means there is nothing to feel bad about ingesting. It tastes like a slightly salty juice and that salt goes a long way to not only replenish your body, but to also make the flavor a bit more interesting. It in no way tastes like a ton of salt was dumped in here, it's just around the edges, but it sticks to your lips a little making it intriguing.

This is like a Juicy Juice for adult athletes (sure kids can drink it too). It does it's intended job and does it while tasting great and not being syrupy. Soon people will chant “The king is dead. Long live the king.”

I have never had an Irish Cream before. In fact I wasn't quite sure what it was. I assumed it was some sort of creamy liquor that people put into coffee, hence the saying “Irish up your coffee.” Look at me putting the obvious dots together. Turns out I was correct. One thing I do know in the world of Irish Cream is Baileys and the reason I actually know anything about Baileys is the Old Greg sketch from Mighty Boosh. It's the best thing the show ever created and it includes some fine art based on Baileys.

With all that said, this tastes pretty much how I would have expected it to. It's a cream soda with the tiniest hint of coffee in it. It's quite delicious and I'm enjoying it way more than I had anticipated. The coffee is there enough to make you notice it but it's subtle enough so that it is still primarily a cream soda and not just a coffee pop.

Before I can say anything else about this product I have to acknowledge the fact that this is the second can I have drank and both of them made the craziest noises when I cracked them open. It was like I was opening a vault door to some sort of cryogenic chamber. Highly pressurized air came rushing forward and for a moment I was in a scene in a science fiction movie.

Cold brew has been making quite a splash over the past couple of years. Not only are local coffee shops serving it more regularly, but it seems like new companies are popping up every week to see you their ready to drink version. RISE only uses two ingredients in their cold brew, water and coffee beans (organic of course). The thing that makes them stands out in this sea(okay small lake, or maybe a pond?) of new companies is that they infuse it with nitrogen to make it creamy and smooth, which I will attest to, it is. To me this tastes like coffee grounds smelled when I was a kid. It was such a wonderful flavor, but then when I tried it brewed, the taste/scent never matched up. This would have made me a regular coffee drinker at an early age. Like most things that are good it is simple. That is where the power lies. The more garbage you add to a beverage the more you have to worry about things evening out. When it's a two item process, there is so little that could go wrong, especially when you know how to do a proper brew as RISE does.

In our dystopian future where machines have taken over everything and the only hope humanities has lies in the fact that they can still make delicious coffee, RISE will be king. (that's what we call a call back in the biz. People like when you explain things like that, right? )

You're probably thinking the same thing as I am, “Why would someone create a new sports drink when there are so many on the market that no one seems to drink?” This is true. For decades Gatorade has had the market on lockdown. Sure Powerade tried to step up, but it always seemed like a lesser version of the original(?). In recent years Body Armor has been making a big push to steal the crown, but I'm not sure how far they have gotten. I mean you don't see a cooler of Body Armor getting dumped on the coach when a professional team wins. I'm not trying to talk down on these companies, well maybe Powerade, but it seems like people like to stick with what they know, and in this niche market they certainly know Gatorade.

The thing that makes Nth Degree stand out is that they use Palatinose aka Isomaltulose as a sweetener. The benefit of that is that it is fully digested slower than most sweeteners so the energy from the “sugar” is spread out over a longer period of time. It also has a low glycemic index and supports fat oxidation. All of those sound like good things to me. They also sound like the things that would help them fight their way to the top of the sports drink empire. It's full of B vitamins and electrolytes, so it should be a full service sports drink. I will say that it has a decent taste to it as well. It has the familiar taste you would expect from such a drink but there's something else there as well. It has a slightly different texture than I expected. It's a little thick, but not in a corn syrup way. The raspberry flavor tastes artificial, but it's not offensive. To top it all off the taste of the stevia doesn't run rampant.

Do I think this will kick Gatorade out of top ranking? No, I think the company has been far to ingrained in American sports. I do think that if they had come out at the same time that the coolers wouldn't be orange or green anymore with a G on them.

The Ito En / Teas' Tea company doesn't mess around. They keep things simple, natural and delicious. Their iced teas actually taste like tea instead of sugar, like most companies. They know the secret that tea is delicious on its own and it does not need to be disguised by sweeteners. Sure sometimes you want a little something extra in it, but for those times you certainly do not need to go overboard and dump the equivalent of a semi's load into a single bottle. With this “Lightly Sweet” tea they added 20g of sugar, as opposed to the 30-40g range that a lot of teas fall into. To be honest I didn't even need that much sugar. I think it detracts a bit from the green tea and hibiscus. When you use quality ingredients you don't need to mask the way they taste, and there is nothing but quality in this bottle. Do I think the floral taste would have been better without any sugar? Yes, I do. Do I really mind that they added some? No. It is still delicious. I believe hibiscus is at its peak when it is paired with some spices, such as cinnamon, but I do think it has a lot to offer in solo form and this drink proves that.

I'm sorry but lemon black tea just does not excite me. First off, when it comes in an iced form it almost always tastes like it was made from a powdered mix and not brewed. It's probably a dumb memory from my junior high years when I used to make way too much iced tea with Lipton powder and of course use an excess of the mix. That was some pretty strong tea that I would completely dislike now, but when I was 13 going to hangout with my friends and skateboard it worked just fine. You would think that something that tasted of good memories would be something I would enjoy, but now I just find it boring. It doesn't help that lemon is the lowest level fruit flavoring a beverage can have (which would be the “secondly” part). There is nothing bad about this tea, but it does not hold my interest. It is the kind of drink that could be the only thing in my fridge besides water for a month and I still might not get to it. Oh, did I mention that I really enjoy drinking water though?

Germany may have Club Mate, but Canada now has Matero. Both are yerba mate sodas and both are phenomenal. I really wish I had a Club Mate here so I could do a side by side taste test. In my memory this tastes extremely similar, but I want to say that Matero may be a bit better. Mainly because I think it tastes a little less sweet. I love every sip of this. I'm well aware that this isn't for everyone. In fact, I think a majority of the population would turn their nose up at this, but those people are fools. Just because something isn't like a “normal” soda doesn't make it bad. I would definitely rather drink this over most sodas. It's just carbonated yerba mate tea with a little cane sugar in it. It packs a nice punch caffeine-wise and it's all done naturally. In my dreams this company will trickle down over the border and take over drink coolers everywhere. I may have to go across an ocean to get Club Mate, but I just need to cross a border 15 minutes away to enter Canada to get more of these.

They cannot fail. The Pepsi-Cola company simply cannot fail with their 1893 line. The other flavors had me very excited, but I was skeptical about the black currant. We had a currant bush in my backyard growing up, and I enjoyed eating them, but I generally find their tartness rarely takes me where I want it to in beverage form. It is really great in this cola though. More than any other flavor in this line this reminds me of a cherry cola with a twist. I always think of currants as a form of grape, even though I know they are berries. I don't know if it's that thought process or an actuality, but this kind of tastes like a mixture of cherry/grape cola. I really enjoy it so much more than I ever would have anticipated. I wondered if they were going to release a cherry version of this, and now I think it's unnecessary. This fills that void and does it in a unique and enjoyable way.

These New England folks have done it again. They have made a tea that should have been completely average something that I truly enjoyed. When you think of a lemon tea your mind tends to wander to the mundane. Apparently the secret to success with that is to throw that black tea out the window and embrace rooibos aka red tea. It has a somewhat earthy taste with a hint of vanilla. What drink doesn't vanilla improve? I'll wait while you try to figure that out.

I am not a fan of lemon normally. I find it boring and unless it is in exceptional lemonade I tend to think most drinks would be better off with it omitted. The Meyer lemon in here is something different though. It definitely enhances the flavor by blending in with the tea in a way that normally doesn't happen. I expected so little from this tea and I was given so much in return. To quote the Pet Shop Boys, “What have I done to deserve this?”

Something is off with this. At first I thought it tasted like plastic. Then I thought that maybe it had been sitting around too long and had expired. It doesn't and it hadn't. Then I realized that it tastes like the pomegranate that they juiced for the flavoring of this tastes like it wasn't even close to ripe. When it's perfect the fruit is a bit sour, but this is just bitter. I will say that it has one of the most authentic pomegranate tastes I've ever come across in a beverage, unfortunately it's like they took the bad aspects of fruit and left all the wonderful things behind. It's not horrible; it's actually very close to being amazing. That is also its downfall. It leaves me wanting to such an extent that I can't appreciate what is there.

For how little I care about the Pepsi-Cola company, I really love their 1893 line. I'm talking probably 8 out of the last 10 sodas I have bought for pleasure have been them. That's probably spaced out over the past six months, but those are some pretty good numbers. While I find their regular, every day cola pretty boring and uninspiring this stuff is just great. It is dark. It is bold. If I had reviewed the original instead of Mike it would have gotten top marks. It is everything I could have ever wanted out of a cola.

Now they have gone and twisted things up a bit with this citrus flavor. When I heard this was going be released I thought it was going to be lemon or lime (perhaps a combo of the two), or possibly orange, which would have been fantastic. I never would have anticipated that the citrus fruit they used was going to be grapefruit. It was a bold move and I think it really pays off. While I do prefer the original, this is something unlike anything I have ever had before and it is really great. The thing is that it is like two sodas mixed into one. I don't know how they have kept the flavors separate, but that's how it goes down. When it's in your mouth and initially after you swallow it tastes like a fantastic grapefruit soda. Very quickly that fades and the 1893 cola taste replaces it.

At first I was unsure what to think about this. It most definitely was unusual. It took about half the can before I realized that I really loved it. I've generally moves away from sugary beverages in my older age. They tend to make me feel a little bit like garbage and they always seem to have too much sugar. This tastes incredibly sugary sweet, but it works in here. I find myself savoring the sweetness like I normally wouldn't in other sodas. When this line first came out I was sure that it would disappear from shelves within a few months. With the release of two new flavors it seems that it is here to stay and I'm excited to see where else they take it.

When I first saw this I made a joke about it being from Massachusetts, specifically Boston. Anything with the word “wicked” in the title has to be from there, right? Guess what? IT IS! I didn't really think was going to be. I mean people joke about people from that region saying everything is wicked this or wicked that, but I had no idea that the denizens of MA actually embraced the stereotype. That is better than my joke could ever be. I also just discovered from the company's website that lekker is the Afrikaans word for awesome. That's right, this companies name translates to “Wicked Awesome.” Somewhere Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are very proud.

As much as I would like to, and will, laugh about this company's name, they are right. This tea is pretty great. Due to it being a rooibos tea it is a different beast than the iced teas you are used to. It's slightly nutty and a little fruity. It's definitely a nice path to take from time to time as a respite from your normal iced teas. You can really taste the honey in here as well. Most importantly, at least to me, is that the black currant isn't overpowering. You can taste it, but it adds to the flavor rather than taking over the whole show.

Wicked Lekker, your name is ridiculous and I love it. I also love your teas. I hope the fact that I found it at a discount store means that you are just redoing your labels and not that your company is in trouble. I want to see more of you.

Water is water, right? I mean sure, some companies water might taste a little different because of the bottles they use or the inclusion of trace amounts of sodium for some reason, but other than that it's all just water. WRONG! I used to be as misguided as you, but then I had special waters. The kind of waters that you would imagine only rich people could afford. Waters with a higher pH. These waters ARE different and they are deliciously smooth. This just happens to be one of those magical waters and it doesn't cost you a week's worth of pay like you might expect from something so extravagant.

Waiakea water is naturally filtered through volcanic rock and as a result it gets enriched with minerals (without tasting like mineral water) and it also makes it naturally alkaline. If you're a dummy like me, you have no idea what that means, so let me lay it out for you; It helps to remove toxins form the body and regulates the body's natural pH. It also does not decrease in pH over time and stays at 8.8. Does all of that really matter though? When you're drinking it all most people care about is the taste and it is good. It's water, but it tastes better than water. It's as if it is what all water hopes to become. It's crisp and clear, while being strangely smooth.

On top of all of that the company also donates 650 liters of clean water to Africa for every liter sold. Well played.