Friday, April 30, 2010

Pokka Japanese Green Tea


I know I said no review today, but I thought I would just throw this one up real quick. It's short.

This is unsweetened green tea in a can. Nothing more, nothing less.

That being said:

Verdict: Recommended.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

It's exam week. I'm not going to be updating the review today or Friday. I will resume the normal update schedule next week.

Also, as of tomorrow, I will be fully of age, so this blog will hopefully finally realize its full beverage potential.

Anyway, see you back here in a week.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Novus Egyptian Mint


Novus Egyptian Mint tea is delicious. I'm not a huge fan of herbal teas, but this is one that I can get behind. It is very minty, so it's not for the faint of heart, but if you are a fan of peppermint, this is one to try. It has a smooth, minty flavor that lingers in the back of the throat, and is just overall a great mint experience.

Verdict: Recommended

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Teas' Tea: Lemongrass Green


I recently purchased this tea at a local organic market, and I have to say, it is quite good. It's pretty much what you would expect: green tea with lemongrass. Nothing especially strange here, other than the lemongrass. Now, I love lemongrass, and I'm sure that that biases me a bit towards this beverage, but...I love lemongrass, and therefore I loved this tea. Drank the whole thing, no problem. One thing that was weird, though, is that it's unsweetened, which is fine, but I don't think I've ever had an unsweetened tea out of a plastic bottle, and I've apparently been conditioned to expect that. The first drink was shockingly bitter under the expectation of sugar, but the rest of the drink was fine. I still never really adjusted to it, though, as the last drink was still kinda weird, despite having just sipped on it for over an hour. It did not detract from the quality of the beverage, though. It was just a strange phenomenon that I thought I'd point out.

Verdict: Recommended

Friday, April 16, 2010

Wong Lo Kat



Wong Lo Kat is an excellent product. It is a sweetened tea beverage, much like Thai tea without cream. There's really not a whole lot to say, I suppose. It's a Chinese herbal tea...sweetened...in a can. It's quite delicious, and very refreshing. It tastes very clean and the tea flavor is pretty much intact despite being packaged, which is something on which American manufacturers need to get a grip. I hate packaged (bottled, canned, etc.) tea over here, and I don't understand why we can't seem to make one that doesn't take like chemicals and preservatives.

But Wong Lo Kat is very good. It's a little on the expensive side (about a dollar a can, even in six packs), but it is well worth it. The can is of high quality and feels good in your hand, and the drink itself is light, refreshing, and flavorful.

Verdict: Recommended

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Perrier: Pampelmousse Rose


It's good. It's Perrier with grapefruit flavoring. It's not as good as regular old Perrier, as I prefer it without flavoring, but it's still very crisp and refreshing, nonetheless. And grapefruit is always delicious.

Verdict: Recommended

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Gekkeikan Cap-Ace Sake


This was my first foray into the world of sake, and, I must say, it has left a very good impression. Since I am not really familiar with what makes sake "good" or "bad," I can't really speak to the "quality" of this particular beverage, but I thought that it was delicious. It tastes a lot like wine (primarily because it is), but less fruity and with a stronger alcohol kick. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the drink, as I have nothing to reference it against, but I really enjoyed it. I drank the first half of the sixteen ounce container at room temperature, and then the second half chilled in the refrigerator. It was a little bit better chilled, as it mellowed the alcohol sting a bit, but it was still great both ways. I am going to heat it next time, so I'll make another short post when I get around to it. As a side note, sake, contrary to popular western belief, is not traditionally served warm. Sake is served at a variety of different temperatures, typically based on the season (i.e. warm in the winter, chilled in the summer), so I have committed no foul by not drinking this warm.

Also worth note is the novelty of the container. The white top on the bottle actually doubles as a sake cup.  


Apparently, they sell this in convenience stores all over the place in Japan. It is indeed very convenient.

Verdict: Highly Recommended, but take the recommendation with a grain of salt.

Friday, April 9, 2010

I'm going to miss the post tonight. I don't have the time or energy to write a review. Check back tomorrow.

My apologies.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Butterfly Brand Apple Green Tea


This is another delicious Asian tea. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I love apples. I am of the opinion that there are not many beverages that apple flavoring will harm. Anyway, it is only natural that I would love this tea. I was a little worried at first when I took the plastic off, because it smelled heavily of green apple candy flavoring, which I am okay with, but I was hoping for a more natural flavor. However, after the package had been open for a while the scent mellowed out. 

Anyway, the tea is delicious. It's just green tea with apple flavoring, no bells and whistles. Despite the initial aroma the apple is actually really mild. It's definitely there, but it's mellow. Neither of the two flavors is prominent over the other, giving the tea a really nice balance. It is quite refreshing. But you definitely have to enjoy apples to like this tea. Apple is just one of those flavorings.

Verdict: Recommended.


Friday, April 2, 2010

Arizona Half and Half


Yes, I know that the name actually includes the name of the terribly confused looking golfer that is emblazoned across the can, but...I'm really not concerned with whatever multi-million dollar athlete is "involved" (i.e. he had someone write a check) in the production of this beverage.

Anyway, personal disputes aside, this is one of the more interesting beverages that I've found lately. I typically don't buy bottled or canned iced teas because they are vile, but this caught my interest. It's half tea and half lemonade. It seems interesting enough in theory...but...it's really not that great. It's pretty much what you would expect: nasty factory tea mixed with nasty factory lemonade. The chemical flavor of the tea still prevails, despite the constant acidic assaults from the lemonade, and overall the drink is just sort of a train wreck. It's not terrible, and I only paid a dollar for it, so all things considered, it's really not that bad. But I do think that there is a limit to how many things you can cram into one liquid, and this is a good example of a beverage that just has way too much going on. 

Also, 23 ounces is a humongous serving size for any beverage. Finishing my drink should not be a chore.

Verdict: Interesting and maybe worth a try sometime, but not recommended.