Cabana Lemonade

These bottles were given to me courtesy of the good guys at Pacific Bottleworks. The beverages are available at multiple stores in the downtown Toronto area, but I am sure they can be easily found elsewhere.

Original Lemonade

It will be a crime not to start with the Original Lemonade to lay the foundations for these reviews.

The Original Lemonade is cloudy and some sediment is present at the bottom, so I made sure to follow the instructions on the label and to shake the bottle. Off the bat this smells like a fresh lemonade with a very intense and sour lemon aroma. The first sip seems a bit watery, but as soon as the liquid made its way along my tongue, I was hit by a wave of intense lemon flavors that stiffened up my jaw.

The taste is well balanced, because the sour intensity only lasts for a few moments and then comes the moderately sweet finish that's rounded off by its candy-like sweetness. The aftertaste is clean and dry with a gentle lingering lemon note.

Really refreshing stuff. Love it.

Taste - 9.2/10

Limeade

After the lemon comes the lime. It is only logical. Cabana's Limeade is hazy and filled with sediment that you need to shake up...that's from the 11% juice. The aroma is limey and creamy and moderately intense, while the taste is full-on intense. The taste starts off a bit watery like the lemonade, but even quicker, that sour and sweet lime flavor punches you. I like the way this one finishes on a fruity, sour, yet sweet and creamy note with a lot of lingering traces of lime. Very enjoyable and veeeery refreshing. Damn, I like this one more than the Original Lemonade.

Taste - 9.3/10

Strawberry Lemonade

Heavy strawberry aroma with tart lemon peel notes hidden behind it. The flavor comes at you in a very interesting way. You don't get much at the start of the sip, but then you get a hit of sweet and tart strawberries, followed by a subtle tart lemon peel, followed by a burst of lemon sour goodness right before the dry finish. Some strawberry creaminess comes in the aftertaste.

Great, refreshing lemonade with a creamy strawberry finish. Good stuff.

Taste - 9/10

Cherry Lemonade

The aroma is dominated by cherries with the lemonade providing a sour citrus backdrop making it seem like sour cherries were used. The taste is strong on the cherries and at first you don't taste the lemonade, but you feel its sour nature around the jawline, twisting and pulling your muscles back. After the muscle twisting comes the actual lemonade flavor, which blends well with the cherries giving you the sensation of drinking sour cherry juice near the finish. The aftertaste is clean at first, but moments later traces of lemon and cherries become noticeable.

I found this one to be the most sour one of the flavors, but combination of lemons and cherries wasn't something that I expected to be so good.

Taste - 9.3/10

Overall Notes and Impressions

There are around 45 grams of sugar in each bottle, but none felt overly sweet. The tart lemon flavors definitely keep the sweetness from building up, but even when you get a hint of sweetness, it has depth and roundness to it. It isn't just an overly sweet shock in your face. I love that.

Califia Fams Cold Brew Mocha Mexica

I found this cold brew at a Target in Michigan for $2.69.

Taste

The Mocha Mexica has an interesting chocolate cake aroma with a bit of almonds poking through. The mouthfeel is fairly heavy due to addition of almond milk, but the beverage goes down smoothly. Almond milk and cinnamon are the predominant flavors at first, but give it a few moments and you will be hit with a bit of chili and sweet chocolate. Don't worry, it isn't that spicy. There is just enough chili to give your tongue a tingle and warm the back of your throat a little. However, please note that I do like spicy foods so maybe if you are someone with low tolerance, you shouldn't try this one.

Coffee doesn't come in until the finish and when it comes, it isn't very strong. The finish and aftertaste are dominated by cinnamon and remnants of the sweet chocolate flavors with a bit of funk from the almond milk and a tiny bit of salt.

The cinnamon, chili and sweet chocolate was a very unique and interesting combination. There is a moment right in between the finish and aftertaste where you can taste only chili and cinnamon, which gives this beverage a very interesting clarity.

Energy

There is no caffeine content listed anywhere on the label, but I can tell you that this drink works quickly. I woke up with a foggy mind that was cleared within minutes by the chili/cinnamon combo. While my mind was clearing up, I did look up the caffeine content on the Internet and found through Califia Farms website that there are 110 mg of caffeine in this bottle. Not very much, but still a respectable amount.

Within 10-15 minutes after my mind cleared, I was already feeling pretty energized. I was a bit jittery, but not as much compared to an energy drink. The kick lasted for a couple of hours and just slowly faded away without much drama.

General Comments

This beverage has tons of labels on it - GMO free, Vegan, Gluten Free, BPA free and Carrageenan free. The bottle also contains around 45% of your recommended daily intake of calcium.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 7.8/10

Overall - 16.6/20...thick, a bit spicy with a decent kick

V8 Fusion Energy Black Cherry

I picked up a 6 pack of these from a Target when I was passing through Michigan not too long ago for $5.99. I only wish these were available in Canada. Come on Campbells, bring them over!

Taste

This energy drink looks like a blend of red pure and freshly pressed juice. It smells amazing and tastes even better. The mouthfeel is on the medium thick side since 50% of this energy drink is pure juice. The taste is one solid flavor all throughout - fresh, ripe, tart black cherries! I don't usually like cherry-flavored beverages as they remind me too much of cough syrups, but this tastes like freshly picked cherries, which is much, much better.

The aftertaste is refreshing with long-lasting tart cherry skin notes. Best V8 I have yet to date! Strongly recommended.

Energy

There are 80 mg of caffeine and the effects start to creep in fairly quickly. I almost got jittery, but the drink is good enough to not get you to this point. If you are caffeine sensitive, you might experience a case of the jitters, but if you are used to pounding back Red Bulls and Monsters, then jitters shouldn't affect you.

Once the caffeine kicked in, I felt focused for 30-40 mins and energized for almost a couple of hours. No crash at the end!!!

Scores:
Cost - $5.99 for a 6 pack
Taste - 10/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 16/20...best V8 and one of the best energy drinks I have had. Strongly recommended

Power Toothpaste Review

Among other things, my morning routine consists of a shower, coffee and brushing my teeth before heading out the door. I chose to give up the coffee part of my morning for the past couple of weeks to give Power Toothpaste a chance to prove itself.

Taste

When Power Toothpaste approached me with the opportunity to review a caffeinated toothpaste, I wasn't sure if I was the right person for this job and I wasn't sure if this product was right for this blog...but what the heck.

Before agreeing to the review, I did some snooping around on the Internet and there were already lots of posts on this toothpaste from energy junkies on blogs and sites. The most common comment was on the potential bitterness of this product (these posts were not of users who had reviewed the toothpaste). After reading all the comments I could find, I got a bit scared but soldiered on and got the product.

My response to all the people who think this would be bitter is - "You crazy mofos!!!" This toothpaste is anything but bitter. The intense peppermint flavor completely overpowers any bitterness you might get from the caffeine. I mean, this toothpaste is so minty that it gives you a much fresher and longer lasting fresh breath than my normal peppermint Colgate. Bitterness....pshhhh...there is none of that here. If you weren't told that this is caffeinated toothpaste, you would have thought that this is just another intensely minty, good ol' toothpaste. There is not much else that can be said regarding the taste...or should I re-label this section "Flavor"???

Energy

There are 106 mg of caffeine per mL of toothpaste!!!! That's the most intense concentration of caffeine you can find on the market...except maybe pharmaceutical grade caffeine. After almost a couple of weeks I weighted the semi-empty toothpaste tube and calculated that I was using an average of 0.7 mL of toothpaste each time I brushed my teeth. In other terms, I was using around 74 mg of caffeine.  And yes, I did take into consideration the specific gravity of the average toothpaste when I did the conversion.

The intense mint flavor perked me up on its own each time I brushed my teeth. It is hard to gauge how much caffeine I was ingesting through my gums, but I was definitely feeling a tiny bit more alert on my morning walks just from using the toothpaste. Though you shouldn't rely only on this toothpaste for your morning buzz, it will definitely give you a tiny boost.

Hey, use this alongside your caffeinated shower gel, soap and aftershave and you will probably absorb just as much caffeine as a small energy drink.

If you are curious to try this product yourself, check out Power Toothpaste's website to get a free sample. Come on, you have nothing to lose. Stay tuned for their Indiegogo campaign, launching on January 19, 2016.

Scores:
Cost - unsure
Taste - 9/10
Energy - hard to relate

Overall - 9/10...great toothpaste that also happens to have caffeine

Zola Coconut Water Espresso

Zola has been on the Canadian market for years. In fact, one of my very first reviews, more than 6 years ago, was of Zola's Immunity Smoothie. The smoothie was the best tasting product on my blog for years so when I was given a can of their Coconut Water Espresso (or should it be Espresso Coconut Water?), I had very high expectations.

Taste

The contents of this can look like any other iced coffee - medium brown and very muggy. The aroma is also very similar to any other iced coffee with a strong coffee presence. There is no coconut presence, but with a flavor as dominant as coffee, it is easy for the coconut notes to get lost.

The taste is very interesting. I kept drinking and drinking trying to decipher and put it into words, but I found it a bit difficult. OK, so I was expecting coffee to the dominant flavor, but I was greeted by a semi-sweet, very well defined coconut flavor at the start of each sip. That was followed by the tiniest hint of sourness you get from coffee, which was then followed by more coconut, a bit of chocolate and a hint of coffee. The finish is where the coffee finally came out and lingered well into the aftertaste. The aftertaste, itself, is long, a bit dry with a strong coffee presence and a hint of sweetness. Since there is a tiny bit of milk added to it, a bit of the typical iced coffee raunchiness is also present in the aftertaste.

I knew the coffee was there, but I sensed it not through its flavor, but through its other characteristics, like bitterness and sourness and even a tiny bit from its aromas the top of my mouth was exposed to...well until the flavors finally came out in the finish. Very interesting and enjoyable.

The beverage is very smooth and very easy to drink. The sweetness is well balanced and the coffee is more of a supporting character than the main one.

Energy

What, did you not expect this to have any caffeine? Come on, that is literally in the its title. There are 150 mg of caffeine in the can, which is very typical.

"Oh, but the can is so much bigger than other energy drinks...this sucks". Well, my response to this is to read the label. Despite its large appearance, the can contains only 47 mL more volume than your standard energy drink. That's less than 10% more!

So not only are you drinking coconut water that your mom tells you is good for you, but you are also getting jazzed up. The effects are a bit slow to roll out as it took around 15 minutes for me to feel the kick, but the effects are much smoother than your typical sugary energy drink. This drink almost gave me the jitters when it started to kick in, but I didn't really feel like shaking my leg more than once. Once it started to kick in, I felt much more awake and very focused before all the caffeine kicked in and I just felt exhilarated and really into reading a few reports I had on my desk. The kick lasted for a good 3-4 hours and ended without a crash. Excellent kick!

Scores:
Cost - unsure
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 8.5/10

Overall - 17.3/20...interesting coconut/coffee combo with a great and focused kick

Little Big Shot Energy Mixed Berry

Little Big Shot Energy is a UK energy drink without the caffeine or taurine. The label states that the energy comes from the "energy releasing vitamins" so I bought myself a can from the local health store to give it a shot. This 250 mL retails for $2.49 from Essence of Life in Kensington Market in Toronto, but I am sure it is sold other places as well, because the label has been properly done in English and French and it is not just a sticker.

Taste

The aroma is very intense with pomegranate, hibiscus and blackcurrants being the dominant notes. The taste is similar with pomegranate being the front most dominant flavor, while the blackcurrants come up from behind to finish it off. Right before the finish, a wave of tart lemon kicks in to give this beverage a clean finish. The hibiscus is very subtle and doesn't appear until well into the aftertaste once the lemon washes off.

This drink is intense. The flavors are all very well done and alternate. Each one is well defined and is not lost in a generic mix of berries. The sweetness and tartness are very well balanced and it never got too sweet or too tart.

Energy

Welp, there is no caffeine. There is ginseng, B6, B12 and a mix of minerals. I didn't get a rush like I do with regular energy drinks, but I did find myself a little more focused and perky after 10 or so minutes. The feeling lasted for about 30 minutes and then I felt very calm, but not super energetic. Not sure if this is a placebo effect or if this is what this drink is supposed to do, but I liked it.

Scores:
Cost - $2.49
Taste - 9.8/10
Energy - meeeeh...

Overall - 9.8/10...not rating the energy since it doesn't stand a chance against the big, sugary brands

MASH Water Drink Review

There is something about the shape of these bottles that makes me very happy and makes me want to hold them. The stubby factor makes them feel solid and just right in my hand while the wide mouth makes it much easier to drink and get more of the liquid into your body...a feature not to be underestimated when it is very hot out and you are very thirsty.

MASH is produced by the same guys who make Boylan Soda...Boylan Bottling and seems to be available in the same stores. MASH are lightly carbonated, low calorie beverages sweetened with crystalline fructose and sucralose. Each bottle contains only 100 calories...but enough  of this, let's try the flavors.

Ripe Mango Blood Orange

The aroma this one has is absolutely amazing. The ripe mango and blood orange create this amazing fusion that could only be described as a honey tangerine with bits of sweet mango pulp. Seriously, strap a bottle to my nose and I will be happy smelling this for the rest of my life.

The taste is not bad either. It is like a sandwich that starts off with a mild citrus zing, followed by a strong sweet mango flavor that dominates the middle ground, followed by more of the initial citrus zing. The aftertaste is a balanced mix of mango on top with a subtle citrus undertone. The crystalline fructose adds a mild candy-like sweetness that I find very enjoyable.

The mango is well done and right where it needs to be - not too sweet or dominant. The blood orange could be improved a little. I did like that it is not overly sour, but it can definitely use just a tiny bit more for a bit more zing and a cleaner finish.

Taste - 9.3/10

Lemon Peel

Very lemony aroma. The taste is mild and lemony at first, but builds up right up to the finish for tart, yet not too intense finish. Some candy sweetness comes up right after the end of each sip, giving the aftertaste a sensation similar to sucking on a mild lemon drop.

The lemon tartness builds up slowly with each sip around the back of the jaw giving the beverage a relatively clean finish (OK with a bit of candy sweetness) at the end of the bottle. Refreshing, but a bit too mild for me.

Taste - 8.0/10

Grapefruit Citrus Zing

This one starts off on a very high note with an amazingly rich ruby red grapefruit aroma. The first sip is a bit dull, but each one after that is not so don't be too hasty with your judgement. Each subsequent sip starts off with a moderate pink grapefruit flavor which gives way to a lemon/lime combo and comes back as the dominant flavor near the finish. Some creaminess appears near the finish and lingers along with the grapefruit well into the aftertaste.

Great ruby red grapefruit drink with the right amount of sweetness.

Taste - 9.0/10

Pomegranate Blueberry

I am amazed at how equally balanced the aroma is. You get both pomegranate and blueberry notes each whiff and you don't have to go looking for them. The flavors are nice and tart with pomegranate dominant up front and in the middle, with the blueberry rounding off the finish. The aftertaste has a candy-like blueberry sweetness to it with pomegranate making a brief return. The sweetness in the aftertaste is well balanced and not overpowering. The tartness disappears for a while in the middle, but comes back in the finish.

Very impressive and well defined flavor.

Taste - 9.3/10

Overall Impressions

Overall, these MASH beverages are fantastic, but you must be aware that these are low calorie beverages and some sweetener notes are present. The tart flavors of the Pomegranate Blueberry eliminate that presence, but it is apparent in the Lemon Peel and Grapefruit Citrus Zing. The Ripe Mango Blood Orange one has a moderate sweetener presence since there is some mild tartness. I bet if it was dialed up a notch, all traces will be eliminated.

Ikea Dryck Julmust Swedish Festive Drink

Yes, I was at Ikea a few days ago and as I do with every place that offers beverages, I stop by to peruse the drinks section. This time Ikea had a bunch of sweet sparkling beverages for the holidays (love those by the way) as well as this mysterious and dark Swedish festive drink - Dryck Julmust. Julmust is a combination of words that means a Christmas not yet fermented juice...apparently some sort of infused, fruity drink with hops.

The aroma is somewhere between a root beer, cola and mixed berry juice. The flavor is very unique and interesting and the moment it hit my tongue, I knew I was going to like it. Up front you get a bit of caramel and root beer, but after a few moments, a slightly tart flavor comes in with hibiscus and mixed berries. The aftertaste has a subtle lime-like twist with traces of burnt brown sugar. Yes, I know that caramel is essentially sugar, but it usually has a bit of vanilla and milk/creak to give it depth. This just has traces of burnt sugar, which are a little different.

Very interesting drink that will appeal to root beer fans and Europe natives.

Scores:
Cost - $1.79
Taste - 8.8/10

Guayaki Yerba Mate Cran Pom

Here is another Guayaki Yerba Mate I haven't been able to track down, courtesy of the good people at Pacific Bottleworks. Thanks to these guys Guayaki's products are now available at a lore more places in the GTA.

Taste

The aroma is very similar to that of the Revel Berry, except there is a bit more of a sour undertone. The taste is very different, though. It starts off with a strong and tart cranberry note which quickly transitions to pomegranate and then back to cranberry near the finish, which is dry and almost completely clean. Some light cranberry and lemon notes linger at the back of the tongue, but for most parts, the finish and aftertaste are clean. The tartness hides most of the earthy yerba mate flavors, but some still come up here and there. 

This flavor drinks more like a regular fruity energy drink than a tea-based one, which I think will appeal to a wider audience that wouldn't normally enjoy the taste of yerba mate. I found myself liking it more than I thought I would with its hidden earthy tea flavors.

Energy

Surprisingly there are only 80 mg of caffeine in this can. The reason why I found it surprising is because I was expecting 120 mg in a 355 mL can which would make sense proportionally when compared to the other 473 mL cans of Guayaki. 

In any case, you still get a fantastic kick out of this can. I noticed the initial effects within 15 minutes of consuming the first half of the can. I started to perk up and concentrate more on the tasks at hand. I felt like a cloud has been lifted off my brain. There were no jitters, just focus which lasted for about 20-30 minutes. After that I felt a bit more physically energized and was ready to do some laps. The kick lasted for almost 2 hours before me feeling pretty normal...as in not wanting to run around.

Great kick, I just wish it kept the proportionality of its larger counterparts. 

Scores:

Cost - unsure

Taste - 9.5/10

Energy - 6.8/10

Overall - 16.3/20...amazing taste but wish it had just a tiny bit more caffeine