November 24, 2010

Safeway Twelve Pack Sales

Hello,

Two nights ago a took a trip to my nearest Vons, also known as Safeway. While I was there I happened across an ad that proclaimed "Buy 2 Twelve Packs of Soda, Get 3 Free!" As you may have guessed, I was giddy at the idea. The price of 2 Twelve packs was about $6.50.

The flavors I got were:
  1. Sunkist Solar Fusion
  2. Sierra Mist Natural Cranberry
  3. Diet Mug Rootbeer
  4. Diet Pepsi
  5. Diet Pepsi Cherry
The only reason I got the two diet Pepsi packs was the fact that I have family over for Thanksgiving, and that is what they like.

Stay tuned.

November 12, 2010

Topaz Review of Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry




Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry is a good alternative to the regular Cherry Pepsi, with only a few minor problems. If you're concerned about sugar intake, but still want to get the full taste of Cherry Pepsi, this may or may not be the beverage for you. The way it is put together is really a hit-or-miss; as in most diet drinks, Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry contains a good amount of aspartame, which can take away from an ideal beverage experience.

TASTE
The first sip of Diet Wild Cherry did not taste like cherry for a few seconds, and instead I tasted regular Diet Pepsi. The cherry flavor sensation came though, and when it did I got what what I expected. This is the same cherry flavor you know and love, made with natural and artifical substances. If you have ever had any cherry sort of snack or candy, it is very similar to that. It isn't too strong of a flavor though, but just right.
Since this is a diet beverage, you can expect the same old taste of aspartame to invade your tastebuds the entire time. It is not worth getting diet at all, so if you don't want to drink sugar for any reason, just don't get diet soda! Aspartame can be worse for you.
A positive thing about the aspartame is that its flavor seems to complement the cherry flavor somehow. The downside is the aftertaste, which is a combination of the two.
55/100

TEXTURE
Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry seems like it can be extremely fizzy at times, and extremely flat too. It's sort of like a mix of the two unviverses, with a flat fizz that rolls accross the cheeks, leaving nothing but confusion. There isn't too much carbonation, but what is there is harsh. It seems almost as if you can taste in between the bubbles. That's probably where I got my idea that it can be flat and fizzy at the same time. It is really weird, but unimpressive as well. I can never feel like I can take a big sip of it without something odd happening in my mouth.
65/100

DESIGN
When it comes to design, Pepsi usually goes for the smooth, clean look, rather than the information explosion you see a lot today. The can has a very simple design, with red slowly fading away from the top down. Since the Pepsi logo already has red on the top, this looks nice next to it. The words on the can that proclaim "Wild Cherry" are red, but towards the bottom, making for good contrast. While a flavor called "Wild Cherry" can seem gimmicky at times, I feel that there is no other way it can be. Why fix it if it ain't broke?
85/100

OVERALL
I feel that while the texture could have been way less confusing, and something besides aspartame could have been used, Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry is good. If the store is out of regular Pepsi Wild Cherry. Only use this as a fallback, and only then if you have an extreme craving for cherry flavor. Even then, you could just get Crush Cherry, which is a lot better I might add, although it is missing the cola component of Pepsi. That however, is another story.
45/100

November 04, 2010

Topaz Review of Snapple Peach Green Tea


Snapple Peach Green Tea Official Site (clicky)

A good price, a good flavor, and a can that is easy on the eyes. The Snapple corporation certainly knows how to market their products, and it shows in Peach Green Tea. The main thing that enticed me to buy Peach Green Tea was the price. At only 79 cents, most of the time it's going to be the cheapest drink in the coolers. You get a good amount for your money too; the can holds 16 oz. of liquid. The design on the can is simplistic, yet passable, and doesn't bother me.

TASTE
The first thing you notice about Peach Green Tea, is the peach flavor. It is very strong, and I can imagine it being overwhelming for some people. The Snapple Corp. absolutely packed this beverage with flavor, and it feels really bold in the mouth. Almost immediately after the peach flavor is experienced, you feel the familiar taste of green tea roll across the tongue. The blending of flavors could have been made more streamlined, and sometimes it feels like the peach overpowers the green tea. It's like drinking a drink that tastes like you're taking bites out of a peach, and only sipping green tea. If you like peaches, and I mean like peaches, this is for you.
66/100

TEXTURE
You can sort of feel the tea particles, and whether or not this is a good thing is dependent on if you like pulp. It's a very very fine pulp though, and is hard to notice unless you drink Peach Green Tea non-stop. Other than that, it has the same texture as any other Snapple brand beverage, not too harsh, not too weak.
55/100

CAN
The can has a simple design on it near the top. It is not too bad looking, but it certainly could be better. Most of the can is green, with the only decoration near the title. The color scheme here is a good choice, with a tea-green endowing almost the whole can. The orange band around the top declares ".79 (suggested retail price) and is an attention catcher. Good marketing, and cheap too. They didn't really want to spend the time and effort on making the design on the can look beautiful, now did they?
59/100

FINAL THOUGHTS
Peach Green Tea is a cheap, moderately good tasting beverage that doesn't have any real glaring flaws. At Seventy-Nine cents, you definitely get what you pay for. It goes well with some potato chips, but only worth it if you have the extra change. Overall, I would give it a...
59/100

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