Solo Banana

Brand: Solo
Bottler: Solo Beverages
Purchased from: Desert Drinks for $5.00

At a glance
Flavor profile: banana, supposedly
Sweetness: low
Carbonation: low

One of my more frequently unpopular opinions is that I tend to love banana-flavored stuff: milkshakes, Laffy Taffy, ice cream, etc. But I had never thought about banana soda before, so when I saw this offering, which is produced in Trinidad and Tobago, it was instantly added to my must-try list.

I regret to inform you that not only does this not compare to those other banana-flavored items I love, it is in fact pretty much undrinkable. This might be the worst-tasting soda I have ever had. It smells enough like a banana-flavored candy product (actually reminding me somewhat of candy circus peanuts), but the taste is nothing remotely enjoyable. Some adjectives that could attempt to describe it: fermented, chemical, sour, expired, toxic. I truly could not make it more than three sips into this bottle. I would be interested to try other Solo flavors (they have a ginger ale, a cream soda, and a "Caribbean cola" apparently akin to bubblegum) to see if the problem is just with the banana variety, but I definitely won't be touching this one ever again.

Rating: 1/10

Similar sodas

Manhattan Special Espresso

Brand: Manhattan Special
Bottler: Manhattan Special Bottling Corp.
Purchased from: Desert Drinks for $3.00

At a glance
Flavor profile: coffee
Sweetness: moderate
Carbonation: low

Coffee soda?! When I came across this online I knew I had to try it. Manhattan Special is a small bottling company that is best known for this espresso-flavored soda, although they also have a few other flavors, which I have definitely added to my list of sodas to try. The most noticeable thing about this brand right off the bat is the natural taste due to the focus on "real" ingredients--the top three are simply carbonated water, real brewed coffee, and cane sugar, and the list isn't much longer than that. That short ingredient list really comes out in the taste of the soda: it's not hard to close your eyes and imagine that this drink was just bottled right in front of you with freshly brewed coffee.

The carbonation is very low in this soda, less than what I was expecting; in fact the drink is not far off from being iced coffee, although I think the bubbles are just present enough to qualify it as a soda. It's also a lot sweeter than I was expecting; there's certainly a good kick of sugar in this thing. I don't think either of those qualities hugely detract from this drink as a whole, though. It is pretty good. Not something I would drink every day, probably not even every week, but as a special-occasion soda it works very well. Everything from the natural ingredients and fresh taste to even the design of the label on the bottle speaks to the craftsmanship of this soda. It's undeniably a quality product.

Rating: 5/10

Similar sodas

Jones Crushed Melon

Brand: Jones Cane Sugar Soda
Bottler: Jones Soda Co.
Purchased from: Desert Drinks for $2.29

At a glance
Flavor profile: watermelon, cantaloupe
Sweetness: low
Carbonation: moderate

This was actually my first time trying a Jones soda. I had heard very good things about the Jones brand, though, so I was excited to see what the hype was about. The first thing I noticed about this soda once I cracked it open was the scent: I was expecting watermelon, and that is present to an extent, but I was really reminded more of cantaloupe. The scent is sweet, fresh, and very strong as soon as you open the bottle, and it smells very close to the real thing, as if you had a bowl of freshly cut watermelon and cantaloupe. (Upon further research, I found that Jones does sell a different Watermelon flavor, so I believe the intent here was indeed to make a cantaloupe-flavored soda!)

The scent carried through to the flavor on my first sip, which was fruity and refreshing. This soda really does not taste "artificial" (sure enough, Jones is known for their use of cane sugar) and is not very sweet; it actually feels almost like a hybrid between a seltzer and a soda, maybe a seltzer with a good splash of juice in it. The carbonation is pretty strong compared to most "craft" or natural sugar sodas, too, which adds to its refreshing profile.

The end of the bottle came too soon for this one. I am a big fan of Jones's Crushed Melon flavor. One of the most refreshing sodas I've had, and with a very unique yet natural-tasting flavor. I don't know how it stacks up against other Jones sodas but I am now very eager to try the rest of the company's lineup.

Rating: 9/10

Similar sodas

Crush Peach

Brand: Crush
Bottler: Keurig Dr. Pepper
Purchased from: Desert Drinks for $5.00

At a glance
Flavor profile: peach
Sweetness: high
Carbonation: moderate

I am not convinced peach is a flavor that can translate very well to soda--certainly I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but I wasn't by this product. Peach Crush has a cloying, artificial flavor that I wouldn't really consider close to "peach." I was able to finish the bottle, saving this soda from the absolute bottom tier of the rankings, but I don't have any interest in drinking one again. Crush sodas are usually pretty good, but this one is by far the worst variety I've had from that brand (hence my wondering whether peach sodas just don't really work).

Rating: 3/10

Similar sodas

Fanta Piña Colada

Brand: Fanta
Bottler: Coca-Cola
Purchased from: Desert Drinks for $5.00

At a glance
Flavor profile: strong pineapple with very subtle coconut finish
Sweetness: very high
Carbonation: light

This tastes almost exactly like the Fanta Pineapple flavor, but the coconut undertones are definitely detectable, especially towards the end of the sip. I enjoy Fanta's pineapple flavoring for a sip or two, but after that, its incredibly cloying sweetness makes it tough to finish an entire bottle. The coconut here does not really do anything to either tone down the sweetness or differentiate this soda from the regular Pineapple flavor. The coconut flavor is not bad on its own though: mellow and slightly bitter, just like the real thing. I think if the coconut flavor was more pronounced and the sweetness was diminished, this soda would be alright. As it is, it's not something I'm particularly keen to drink again.

Rating: 4/10

Similar sodas
Fanta Pineapple