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.