Wells Banana Bread Beer

Just in time for the holidays (although brewed year-round) comes Wells Banana Bread Beer from Wells & Young's Brewery out of England. I'm generally a fan of sweeter tasting beers, so whenever I see a dessert-inspired beer, I have to try it.


Not surprisingly, this beer smells like ripe bananas. As expected, this is a sweeter tasting beer, but the sweetness is not overwhelming. The sweet banana flavor is nicely balanced with a little bit of hoppy bitterness and a hint of cinnamon (and possibly nutmeg). Much like the previously reviewed Creme Brulee Stout, I would not want to consume more than one bottle of Wells Banana Bread Beer in a single sitting. Still, it is a very tasty and flavorful brew that I will look forward to drinking again someday.
Overall grade: B+

Jelly Belly Blueberry Soda

I've tried about 4 or 5 of the Jelly Belly sodas so far, but I've yet to come across a flavor that I would enjoy drinking on a consistent basis. Adding to that trend is the Jelly Belly Blueberry Soda.


One thing this and the other Jelly Belly sodas have going for them is that they do taste very much like the jelly beans. But other than this similarity, the drinkability quotient here isn't very high. The blueberry flavoring is very artificial tasting and awfully sweet. For a better blueberry drink, try this sparkling juice instead. Again, the novelty behind the Jelly Belly's line of sodas is great, but I wouldn't recommend buying them in bulk.
Overall Grade: B-

Mr. Q. Cumber Soda

Yes, cucumber soda. As much as I love cucumbers, the thought of drinking cucumber-flavored soda was not very appealing to me. But seeing as unique sodas are my thing, I did not hesitate to pick up a bottle (purchased at Gene's Delicatessen here in Chicago).


Upon twisting off the cap, my first reaction was "wow, this REALLY smells like a fresh cucumber." And after my first sip, the reaction became "wow, this really TASTES like a fresh cucumber too." I was not surprised to read the words "All Natural" on the bottle. The flavor is sweetened a little but also has a slight bitter aftertaste. Imagine biting into a cold cucumber (skin and all) dipped in sugar. As gross as that sounds, Mr. Q. Cumber soda isn't too bad and is surprisingly refreshing.
Overall Grade: B

Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock drink

I found this at World Market here in Chicago and I had no expectations whatsoever seeing as I have no idea what dandelion and/or burdock taste like. Fentiman's is a British company that offers several unique botanically brewed beverages from Victorian Lemonade and Ginger Beer to Shandy and Curiosity Cola.

Dandelion is a flower/weed and burdock is a flower/thistle, but this drink doesn't really taste at all like flowers. Thankfully, the drink is sweetened with pear juice and ginger and anise are also added. The pear and ginger are the two stand-out flavors, but there's a lot more going on. It's certainly not your typical one-note carbonated beverage. This drink is sweet, spicy and refreshing. Definitely a must try!
Overall Grade: B+

Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout

After reviewing a handful of unique sodas, I finally have a chance to review a unique beer: Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout. I picked this up at a wine and beer store called Armanetti's here in Chicago, and though it cost $10 for a 22 ounce bottle, this beer was well worth the steep price.


The first deliciously noticeable characteristic of this stout is the smell. The aroma screams caramel and vanilla and it is perhaps the best smelling beer I've ever smelled. After enjoying the sweet aroma for several seconds, I took my first sip and my taste buds were just as satisfied as my sniffer. The vanilla and caramel flavors dominate, but there are also hints of chocolate and coffee. I was surprised to read the 10% ABV on the bottle, as the combination of sweet flavors mask the alcohol pretty well. The sweetness may be overwhelming for some, but just as creme brulee isn't an everyday dessert, this certainly isn't an everyday beer. One glass per sitting was enough for me as this beer is a dessert in and of itself.
Overall Grade: A-

Jeff's Orange Dream Soda

I normally wouldn't consider an orange cream soda as being unique, but Jeff's Orange Dream Soda isn't your ordinary orange cream soda. Jeff's Orange Dream is an egg cream soda and among its ingredients are milk and cream. While most sodas are fat-free, Jeff's Orange Dream is not, though it contains a mere 1 gram of fat.

So what exactly is an egg cream soda? Egg cream sodas were invented in Brooklyn, New York and contained neither eggs nor cream, but are similar to ice cream sodas. A traditional egg cream relied on a mixture of three ingredients: chocolate syrup, seltzer and whole milk. You can check out a video here to see how to make your own egg cream soda.


While traditional egg creams do not contain cream, Jeff's Orange Dream does, and as you can see from the photo, this soda is thick and creamy. The carbonation was almost non-existent but I was hoping for something a little fizzier. The consistency is a little thick which made the soda more filling and less refreshing. It felt more like eating dessert than drinking a soda. Despite this, the orange cream flavor is pretty delicious. I just didn't have a desire to drink another. It's a unique and tasty soda, but not something I'd want to drink all the time.
Overall grade: B+

Jelly Belly Sour Cherry Soda

It's no secret that I love Jelly Bellies, so when I spotted Jelly Belly Soda at a nearby Walgreens, I knew I had to try it. Sour Cherry was the only flavor at the time, but they have since added Green Apple and Lemon Drop. And according to this website there are ten flavors total, including french vanilla, crushed pineapple and juicy pear! I can't wait to try them all!


Starting with the Sour Cherry flavor, there are two adjectives to describe this soda: sour and cherry. Eating sour candy is one thing, but drinking sour soda is another. Let's just say that it's unique, and one must love sour flavored things in order to enjoy this soda. The good news is that it absolutely tastes just like the sour cherry jelly belly, which is good news for the other flavors I want to try. This wasn't a detestable soda, just something I wouldn't want to drink all the time.
Overall Grade: B

Julmust

Julmust is a Swedish soft drink served and consumed traditionally around Christmastime. I found this at Gene's Sausage Shop & Delicatessen in Lincoln Square, Chicago. Gene's is a unique deli and grocery store that specializes in European treats and delicacies. Hence the Swedish soda.


I didn't really know what to expect from a Swedish Christmastime soda, but Julmust was pleasantly tasty. Julmust tastes a little like Dr. Pepper, but it's not as sweet and not as fizzy. Because of the mild carbonation, it's also smoother going down. Julmust is made with hops and malt extracts, so it may seem that alcohol is present, but since it is not fermented, it contains no alcohol. Overall, Julmust is a refreshing soda that offers a unique combination of spices, and despite being a "Christmas soda", it can be enjoyed all year round.
Overall Grade: B

Blumer's Blueberry Cream Soda

I saw this unique soda at America's Market in Wheeling and had to buy it. The Blumer's brand is made by the Joseph Huber Brewing Company (makers of Berghoff beer) in Monroe, Wisconsin and they also make a tasty root beer, along with cream soda, black cherry and orange cream soda


Blumer's Blueberry Cream Soda is refreshing and smooth. It is sweet, but not too sweet. The blueberry and cream work well together and neither flavor overpowers the other. The fact that I've never seen anything like this before also gives it a few extra points for me.
Overall Grade: B+

Filbert's Banana Soda

Yes, that's right, Banana Soda. This is made by a company called Filbert's, located in Chicago. Filbert's is best known for their root beer, but they also produce 22 other types of soda, including watermelon, pineapple and yes, banana. Ignore the label here. I bought this at America's Market in Wheeling, IL and at this store you can create your own labels for the bottled soda. This was their last banana soda so they let me take it from the "create your own bottle label" display.


My expectations were high for this soda because I never had a banana soda before. Needless to say, I was slightly disappointed. The banana flavor was not strong enough. In fact, it didn't really taste like banana. It has more of a sour citrus taste with a slight minty aftertaste. It was certainly unique but did not meet my expectations. Not that it was gross or anything, but I just don't think I would ever buy this again.
Overall Grade: B-

Ginger Peach?

This next soda is from a shop in Wheeling, IL called America's Market, which specializes in gourment snack foods, candy and an amazing collection of vintage sodas. I love peach sodas and I love ginger ales, so I figured I'd love this Ginger Peach soda from Thomas Kemper Soda Company.


Even though Ginger and Peach are both common flavors, I must say, I've never had anything like this before. The overall taste is a good balance of peach and ginger. Despite this, the ginger taste is rather mellow. I was hoping for a stronger, spicier ginger flavor, but in retrospect, that may have overwhelmed the peach. Still, a very tasty, refreshing and unique soda.
Overall grade: B+

Sopranos Limoncello Soda

Here's another soda I bought in Homer. I vaguely remember hearing about this when it first came out a few years ago back when The Sopranos was a popular hit show. It is made by a company called Imbibe and they also make an Amaretto flavor and a Chianti flavor. As you may have guessed, the idea here is to create sodas flavored after stereotypical alcoholic drinks enjoyed by the mob.


This is of course non-alcoholic, but if you like REAL limoncello you will love this. It is a very refreshing soda with a distinct lemon citrus flavor. It is made with real lemon juice and natural sugars, which contributes to its sweet and smooth taste. I really want to try the other flavors, but if I ever see this again, I will definitely buy some more.
Overall Grade: A

Dang that's Good!

My first few posts will concentrate on unique sodas. I recently made a trip down to Charleston, IL and on the way back I stopped in Homer, IL, a small town of about 1,000 near Champaign. There isn't much to see in Homer, but it is home to the Homer Soda Company, a small soda shop located within another store called the Village Wardrobe. You can check out their blog at http://homersoda.blogspot.com/. They have an incredible selection of single hard-to-find glass-bottle sodas, so I put together a six pack for myself. After making a sixer, which was difficult to choose just six, I was probably most excited about drinking "Dang! That's Good Butterscotch Root Beer."


This is some good stuff. The butterscotch taste is subtle and not too sweet. I was actually hoping for more butterscotch, but in retrospect, more butterscotch may have ruined the soda. It is very light in taste, not in the sense of being diet or sugar-free, but rather in the sense that it lacks a strong sassafras taste. This lighter and creamier taste makes this a very refreshing and easy to drink beverage. For Harry Potter fans, perhaps this is similar to what Butterbeer tastes like. Or maybe not.
Overall grade: A-
Dang Butterscotch Root Beer is brewed by Imperial Flavors out of Milwaukee.

Welcome fellow beverage enthusiasts!

Welcome to my newly created blog, all about unique soda and beer, and perhaps occasionally other unique beverage concoctions. I will try to focus on the most bizarre stuff I can find, so unique does not mean Vanilla Coke or Bud Light Lime, but rather Banana Mango Berry Soda or Chocolate Chili Beer. Okay, I just made those up, but that's basically what I'll be searching for. The hardest part will be finding these rarities, but each post will explain where I found the drink, along with a review and overall grade. I currently live in Chicago, so hopefully that will make the search a little less difficult. Thanks for reading and enjoy the blog!