Topaz BONUS Review of Fentimans Dandelion Burdock

I've reviewed a Fentimans product before; Curiosity Cola. Read that Here.

This time around I've decided to try out another Fentimans Drink. This one is called "Dandelion Burdock." As always it is botanically brewed, and all-natural.

Taste
This is the only category I will touch on, as you can refer to my previous Fentimans review for the rest.
The first thing you think of when you taste Dandelion Burdock is "Black Licorice." It's very strong, which will please people who enjoy black licorice naturally. It has sort of a sting to it, probably caused by the minimal amount of alcohol. It's very bitter, which is a good thing for black licorice, and makes for an intense drinking experience. For people who don't enjoy black licorice, this isn't the drink for you. For people who do, go get this beverage, as it won't disappoint you.

65/100

Topaz BONUS Review of TEPACHE frumex Original Pineapple Cider

Holy bejeezus. This stuff is beyond belief. I mean whoa. Since this is a bonus review, It wont be as long, but I will make my main point clear; This stuff is extremely potent, and will in fact melt your face off. Right the fuck off. I mean, have you ever heard of a PINEAPPLE cider drink? I haven't until today, and let me tell you it is one of the best ideas I could have ever imagined. Just think, what if there's a Pina Colada flavor? That, my friends, would be awesome.

TASTE

This is just so intense. You take a sip, and are immediately overwhelmed with an array of magical pineappleness; its not even too sweet, seeing as it's fermented. It has a very long lingering flavor, and can allow for hours of hindsight. You know what I mean.

TEXTURE

Smooth carbonation, from a glass bottle. Very good. I assume that the carbonation is not artifical, as barley and yeast can actually form it. Also, there are no artificial substances in this beverage WHATSOEVER. Thats right. Oh yeah.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So good. I just want to stop writing and finish it!
Buy it if you can find it, but be warned, its not for everyone.

Topaz BONUS Review of BIG BLUE

Comment if you've heard of it!

If you don't live in the southern United States or Tahiti, you probably don't know about Big Blue, a curious little cream soda drink. The company that manufactures Big Blue is most famous for creating Big Red, the drink from which Big Blue was derived from. Seeing as I've never had the chance to consume a bottle of Big Red, there is no possible way for me to compare them. After some research, it seems as if Big Red tastes the same as Big Blue, with the only difference being the color. Once I get my hands on some Big Red I'll update you guys with a comparison.

TASTE
Now some people say that Big Blue tastes like bubble gum, which is true to an extent. It's actually a cream soda with a bit of orange, but I would still classify it as a bubble gum flavor, seeing as it tastes almost identical to the artificial bubble gum flavor that we all know and adore. It makes me wonder whether or not this was what Big Red LTD was going for when they created the unique flavor.
It's a somewhat mild flavor, that has an odd bitter aftertaste, which does make some sense, seeing as bubble gum does have that feel to it.
Where's the market for bubble gum flavored soda?
49.9/100

TEXTURE
Big Blue is riddled with high fructose corn syrup, and as a result has a very sticky feeling to it. For some reason it reminds me of a laundromat. Very obvious and non surprising sub par machine grade carbonation here, which is very boring I might add. Also, it goes flat in about a half hour.
Big Blue will leave your lips sticky, and by the time you wash them of it, it's flat.
35/100

DESIGN
Big Red LTD always takes a simple approach to their bottle art, usually only having a splash of whatever color the drink is under the title text. The font used is very boring and reminds me of generic laundry detergent. Something about this always reminds me of laundry for some reason.
Anyways, the art is very dull and tiring. It's just generic product text under a blue splash of liquid. Absolutely invigorating.
25/100

OVERALL
I didn't expect too much, and for good reason. Big Blue has some serious flaws, and I honestly can't think of a good reason to buy it again. Why is this so popular in the southern states? It makes no sense to me.
Big Blue has nothing to offer except for the altered cream soda flavor, which really isn't all that great in the first place.
30/100

SCORE AVERAGE - 35

Topaz BONUS Review of: FENTIMANS CURIOSITY COLA

“FERMENTED BOTANICAL COLA DRINK”



Fentimans Curiosity Cola has a very distinctive cola flavor. It interests you from beginning to end. As you drink it, you want more, just to see if it will taste as it did a moment ago. What the case usually is, is that it surprises you the entire time. Fentimans contains less than 0.5% alcohol, a product of the fermentation that takes place during brewing. This product is brewed in a very unique way. On the bottle it says “botanically brewed.” This basically means that Fentimans used herbs, yeast, and other natural ingredients to ferment it.

TASTE
Fentimans hits you with a very unique flavor as soon as you take a swig. The fermentation process makes for such a natural, distinctive, incredible flavor. Many people may not be used to it but as you drink more, you realize that this is so much better than regular, over-processed cola. It has a slight bitter aftertaste due to the minuscule alcohol content, which could have grown annoying, if it was not for the moderately small amount of soda that you get. 9.3 ounces to be exact. This is definitely a good thing, or I think that I'd be getting buzzed from a soda drink.

70/100

TEXTURE
Fentimans has no real unique texture, which comes as a surprise to me, considering the extravagant way it is brewed. To be honest, it is heavily overshadowed by the flavor, and I don't have much of a problem with this, as the flavor is very good. I was hoping for a little more umph, but that was compensated for by the flavor, which I might add, is very mood enhancing.

50/100

PACKAGING
The glass bottle that Fentimans comes in is simple. As you may know by now, I like simple. It resembles a wild-west bottle of beer, which makes me feel like I'm drinking the past. Like I'm drinking a primitive, yet amazing version of cola, as it first came to be. The bottle has 'BOTANICALLY' and 'BREWED' engraved near the curve. Nice touch.

78/100

OVERALL EXPERIENCE
I had a good time with Fentimans Curiosity Cola, and I must admit that I was VERY curious as to what it would be like. I am happy to say that it is a wonderful experience overall, and right now after drinking it, I feel a lot more relaxed. Again, this probably leads back to the alcohol content, even though it contains such a small amount. (0.5%, Lol, I'm such a lightweight) The taste is unique, the bottle is full of wildness, and I really want to try Fentimans other flavors. These include Ginger Beer, and Victorian Lemonade.

80/100
Fentiman's Website

Topaz BONUS Review of Country Time lemonade

You can buy Country Time lemonade in either powder form, or pre-mixed. For this review, I drank the powdered kind.

Country Time lemonade is an easy alternative to squeezing your own, but it comes with some sacrifices. Since this is a powdered drink, there is an ingredient that is absent from Country Time lemonade. Lemons. Instead, we get lemon flavor, which can be a let-down if you want an authentic lemon experience. That said, the lemon flavor does an average job of recreating the taste. Another drawback of powder, is that sometimes you will taste the particles, or feel them run down your throat. This applies to all powdered drinks however.


I was a bit disappointed that the makers of Country Time decided to use high fructose corn syrup. It adds a unique flavor to drinks as opposed to regular sugar, which only sweetens. I personally believe that sugar-only tastes better. (Pepsi Throwback anyone?) It would have been easy to include sugar, all they would have had to do is add the correct amount to the powder.

Counrty Time lemonade is not very good for you. It has high fructose corn syrup, yellow dye, artifical flavor, citrates, and acids. There are no lemons to be found here. It doesn't taste like real lemons, and the corn syrup disrupts the flavor. Convienence comes at a price, but this is too big to pay.

Score: 40/100

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BONUS Reviews Information

At random times, I will do a BONUS review! This might include powdered drinks, smoothies, or anything really! I live down the block from a 7-11 so I have access to a lot of cool drinks to buy! Keep checking back for BONUS reviews!