Bai Congo Pear

And I'm back. Sorry for that sabbatical. Anyway, If you remember my last encounter with Bai, you'll remember that I drank the whole bottle of Sumatra Dragonfruit before finishing the review. (or first paragraph... or first sentence...) Anyway, what made it so good was that it was true to its flavor. Not somewhat, and not, "well things that are flavored X taste like this, so that is what it should taste like," but, I taste fruit X in this bottle, for real. (Because that wasn't vague or anything.) However, I don't know about this one. Pear is a tough flavor to liquify because it is a rather subtle flavor in its natural form, not to mention a lot of it is due to the pear's gritty texture. Either way, I've liked every flavor I've tried, (I think there are 6 in all) so I have faith in it. And the Congo part? Isn't it Zaire Pear?

Color: Watered down apple juice. Think a Mott's for Tot's type thing. Pretty tame, compared to other drinks.

Smell: Pear. Legit pear.  Well, well, Bai. You've done it again. There truly is no other way to describe it than authentic, natural pear. Very good.

Taste: Woah. Whole lotta pear going on here. And it is good. Pretty awesome. It captures not only the sweetness of the flesh of the pear, but it has a bit of bitterness coming from the pear skin. Again, Bai has taken the natural flavor of a fruit and really turned in to an accurate drink. Just like Dragonfruit. I could complain that it isn't as bold, but remember, as I said, pear is rather subtle. But don't take that the wrong way, it's still pretty impressive, considering it only has 4% juice, 5 calories, and 70 mg of caffeine per bottle (the same as a bottle of Mountain Dew, or 2 cups of green tea.) Well played, Bai.

Rating: ****

Not as good as Dragonfruit, in my opinion, but still an amazing drink, far above most other ones I've tried. Drink it, drink it now!

A Quick Vacation

Alright, guys. I'm sorry to say that I will be at camp until mid-August, so, unfortunately, there will be no reviews for a while. But, when I get back, I'll be doing more reviews than ever, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading InFizzible, and like us on Facebook!

Coco Exposed Goji Berry Lychee

I have to say, I've been putting this review off for a while. This bottle has been sitting in the back of my fridge for a solid month now, and now that I'm out of other beverages, it is time to review this one. Not that I think that this is gonna make me blow chunks over my MacBook, but it just never looked that exciting to me. The bottle certainly doesn't pop off a shelf, and definitely not out of a stocked fridge. The flavor, you ask? It's just another infused coconut drink. This type of drink has grown on me though, so I think it'll be pretty good. My only concern? It is 15% Aloe Vera. Yes, the same green goo that you put on sunburn is in this bottle. Goji and Lychee, bring it on, but Aloe? What are we thinking?

Color: Light beer. (But if you happen to be under the age of 10? Apple juice!) With little shreds of fruit pulp floating in it. Ingredients say? Aloe Vera Pulp. I thought Aloe was a leaf! How is there pulp in a leaf?

Smell: Somewhere between bread and Buttered Popcorn Jelly Bellies. This smell seems to be the sign of fermentation, since the Kombucha I drank earlier smelled like this too. But, according to the ingredients, there isn't any yeast or live bacteria in this drink (or so I hope). The smell honestly makes me think the drink might have gone bad. We'll see.

Taste: Tastes exactly like how it smells. It starts off pretty well, actually. There is a nice citrus flavor present when the drink hits your mouth, but then, the whole experience heads south. As fast as that nice citrus flavor appears, it is replaced with an extremely bitter and almost rotten fruit flavor. Enter Lychee. Yup, this asian fruit is not for me. But that's only the start. After the Lychee fades, you are hit with another rotten flavor, which is much more earthy than the first. That must be the Aloe. And folks, when I say rotten, I don't mean gross, I mean the fruit in this drink was probably infested with maggots when it was juiced. Not to mention that the mouthfeel of the drink is ruined due to the Aloe Pulp. Never again, folks. Never.

Rating: *

Alright, I'll admit. I hated this drink. But I think it is one of those drinks that someone with the right palette could really enjoy. So, just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you won't. Try it out, and see what you think. You can find this one at your local Whole Foods or specialty market.

Arnold Palmer Half Sweet Tea Half Pink Lemonade

So, we have another Arnold Palmer on our hands. I think Arnold Palmer is pretty freaking awesome, (in case that hasn't become blatantly obvious by now) but it does unnerve me that they keep manipulating the name to include other beverages. (My rant begins here, so skip this area unless you enjoy raw cynicism) I mean, the man never walked into the 19th hole and ordered pink lemonade and sweet tea! That just isn't right. His drink was lemonade and tea. End of story. And besides that, isn't that combo already sweet enough? God! (Rant is over here.) But really, the fact that the lemonade here is pink and the tea is sweet (and the bottle says Southern style) makes me think that it will be diabetic-coma sweet. Not to mention the 90 extra calories in the bottle. But I still have high hopes. Arnold, don't let me down bro.

Color: Surprisingly, not lighter that regular Arnold Palmer. Actually, it's a lot darker, and a little more red. But like it's original counterpart, the top foams, so I could be wrong.

Smell: Exactly like normal Arnold Palmer. Tea is noticeable, and so is the sugar, but the lemon is the most prominent smell.

Taste: Well, to be honest, it doesn't taste like much of anything. It's okay, I suppose, but the fact that the tea is so sweet makes the lemonade fade. So, it's like really sugary water that smells like lemon and tea. The only redeeming quality is that it is a little more tart than the original, which I do like. But otherwise, it's a no-go. I think they may have varied a little too far from the original, just as I suspected.

Rating: ***

Average. You may like it, because there's really nothing wrong with it, but it wasn't for me. Too sugary, not enough lemon or tea. Sorry Arnold, but Arizona screwed you.

AriZona Arnold Palmer Half Green Tea Half Lemonade

Arnold Palmer. Odds are, if you are under the age of 40, you know how much his drink costs, but not how many green jackets the guy has. (That would be 4.) Anyway, Palmer's name has now become synonymous with the Lemonade-Iced Tea combo we all love. Whether it is at your local restaurant or out of an AriZona can, almost everyone has tasted this popular drink. But now, they've decided to exchange the traditional black tea for an asian flavor, using green tea instead. I don't mind green tea, and I love Arnold Palmer, so this can't be bad, right?

Color: Same color as regular Arnold Palmer, but a little lighter. Yeah, that would make sense, I guess. It also isn't clear like the normal one. This one is pretty turbid.

Smell: I guess because green tea has less smell than black tea, it makes sense that this has a very strong lemon, dull tea smell. Not quite Lysol, but very lemony.

Taste: It's really good, and is a nice variation off of the normal Arnold Palmer. The lemonade is the main flavor, but it still has some good tea flavor, and unlike the black tea, it has that green-tea-mouth-drying quality. Yeah, find the real word for that and I'll make sure to get you a can of this stuff. Because it's really good. Really. Good. That citrus flavor makes it refreshing, especially on a 90 degree day. The best thing about it though is that it isn't too far from the original flavor to make people stick solely to the original. People, it's just good. Pull the dollar out of your pocket now.

Rating: *****

Call me biased, but Arnold Palmer's name has not been tainted with this drink. Over Original? Ehhh... maybe. Just drink it. Now. Leave.

BodyArmor Tropical Mandarin

So, what I've caught on to is that if you want to sell beverages, you should add coconut water to your drink. Or at least, that's what it seems like. Anyway, BodyArmor is a new line of beverages to bear the coconut flavor, with 10% coconut water mixed in. My only question is why anyone would name a beverage company BodyArmor. Isn't that stuff made of steel? Whatever, this might be the drink that gets me off the string of abysmal beverages.

Color: Orange Gatorade. Or Tang. Yeah, the same Tang that went into space. Yup. Finally, a drink that isn't green.

Smell: Very orange. That's a good sign, affirming that the drink is actually natural. But there is another smell in there too, almost like a creamy scent.

Taste: It's one of the more interesting flavors I've tasted. Lots of tropical flavor in there, especially pineapple and mango. Then you get hit with some mandarin orange, as well. It has a nice tart flavor, which counters the sweetness nicely. And, if you are a coconut water fan, you'll be happy to know that you can taste the coconut. Not bad at all, actually. And it's pretty good for you too; the bottle has 100% or more of your daily value of 6 nutrients.

Rating: ****

It was pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good. The best thing about it is all of the flavors mixing together. And, on a hot start to the Memorial Day weekend, it's pretty refreshing as well. I'd drink it again. That is, assuming I can find it again...

GT's Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha Multigreen

Kombucha. You guessed it, this is another drink that's a direct result of the Whole Foods that just opened in my town. Of course, I bought it and headed straight to Google. Wanna know what this strange looking concoction is? Fermented tea. Now, that sounds disgusting. But, what's funny here is that it really isn't packaged to look tasty, but instead, packaged to look healthy. Don't get me wrong, I care about health, but shouldn't I want to drink it because it looks good? I mean, the stuff has blue-green algae in it. That was literally the first form of life ever on our planet. And now it is in a beverage? Give me a break. There is so much of the stuff in the bottom of the bottle, I'm gonna have to strain before I pour. I don't think I'll like this, but I'll try my best to stay unbiased.

Color: Oh god. It is truly the deepest, darkest green you can imagine. Scary, actually. Oh, and look what the result of my straining was!

Yup. That stuff is bacteria, it's alive, and I'm sure the strainer didn't catch all of it.

Smell: Yeast. Like, that fermented old-wine-cork smell. Odds are, if this had any more sugar in it, it would be an alcoholic beverage. (Author's Note: There is a ring of bacteria in the glass. Oh god help me.

Taste: (Here goes nothing) It fizzes. Apparently, the fermentation causes so much pressure that it fizzes. But anyway, it is really odd, and not good. It starts with an intense, almost sour fizzing feeling, and then becomes a mix of very earthy, bitter flavors. It is not sweet at all, and it is quite unpleasant overall. Just really, not good. Or at least, for my tastes. I won't be drinking it again any time soon. Then again, I drank a total of 5 mL of it just now, so this review may be a little off.

Rating: *

It fizzes. If it didn't fizz, I'd give it 2 stars solely because I didn't hurl, but it does. So, to the abyss of one-stardom it goes! Unless you enjoy drinking algae, never get this. Ever.

Columbia Gorge Coconut Water Celery Kale

Celery. Those myths that it burns calories? It does. Cool, right? I always thought so. I still don't like it, (except with my chicken wings) but here I am, drinking this. And then, there's Kale. I don't like that leafy green either. It has a bitter taste that I can't stand. And, you already know how I feel about coconut water. I mean, people! Celery, Kale, and Coconut, in the same bottle? Come on. America has taken health food too far. Go eat a Twinkie or two while I suffer through this one. (And yes, I support the Oxford comma.)

Color: It looks like split pea soup. Or toxic waste. Maybe I'll get superpowers! But really, this is only delaying the inevitable. We all know this will suck.

Smell: God awful. God awful. It smells exactly like what it is. And mixed with pepper. So, it is essentially liquid salad. Enjoy that thought, folks.

I'm so scared guys. Here goes nothing.

Taste: Oh god. It tastes like exactly what it's made of. Celery, Kale, and Coconut water. I took one sip and will not be taking another, for health reasons. It tastes peppery, and veggie-y. Really folks, it's just awful. Who thought this was a good idea? Who? OH GOD WHY IT IS SO FREAKING BAD!!! Even hippies that are obsessed with health and the benefits of veggies will hate this. Never buy this, ever.

Rating: *

The sadists at Columbia Gorge should be subjected to chugging a gallon of this. 'Nuff said. Excuse me while I sprint for an Arnold Palmer to clear this out of my system.

Guayaki Yerba Mate Traditional

If you've ever been in a specialty market, you've probably heard of Yerba Mate. If you've ever talked to an Argentinian, you've probably heard of Yerba Mate. If you haven't done either of those, then this stuff is probably pretty foreign to you. Yerba Mate (pronounced Yerba Ma-tay) is a traditional hot Argentinian tea that is served in a gourd (the Mate) with a special straw that filters out the leaves. Now, just because I know this doesn't mean I've ever tasted this stuff. It just means I can search google. But I've never heard of it served cold, so we'll see. 

Color: Looks like iced tea. And it is iced tea, just fancy iced tea. No surprise here.

Smell: It smells like tea, but there's something else there too. It smells like... nature? I guess? I don't know. You decide. It smells really good though, so I'm not too concerned about the taste. Wait, it's pineapple.

Taste: It's pretty lame. Only a little bit of tea flavor, and it isn't some exotic tea flavor either. To me, it tastes like really watery, sugary Lipton.  That's the weird thing. It is way too sweet for a tea drink not mixed with something. Almost like they wanted it to be really sweet, and the tea was an afterthought. There's nothing bad about it, it tastes fine, but at the same time, it's not good because it really doesn't taste like anything at all. Except sugar.

Rating: **

There's nothing disgusting about it, which is why I gave it 2 stars, but I wouldn't drink it again. It just has no flavor at all. It tastes like sugar, looks like beer, and smells like pineapple. Strange...

Mamma Chia Cherry Lime

Remember the Chia plant? You know, the Ch-ch-ch-Chia one? You took the terra cotta head, sprinkled the seeds on it, and watered it. Wait a week, and your head has a big head of green, leafy hair. And by now, you've probably realized that those little things floating in there are chia seeds. Yeah, the same ones that gave Scooby his leafy scalp are in this drink. That's the whole gimmick here. Otherwise, it's just a cherry lime drink. I'm actually kind of excited for this one, but at the same time, I'm hoping the chia seeds aren't too bad. Guess we'll find out.

Color: Red with little seeds in it. Everywhere. It could not look more like a jar of fruit preserves, actually. What I don't understand is how the seeds get suspended in the juice without them floating to the top. But not too creepy looking.

Smell: Swedish Fish. No mistaking it. There might be a little cherry in there, but really, it's Swedish Fish. Surprising, considering there's more lime in it than cherry. But it smells fine. 

Before I go to taste, since there is stuff actually in there with the liquid, we'll call it Taste/Texture.

Taste/Texture: That is some weird stuff there. When you first drink it, you don't really notice the seeds, but as it sits in your mouth, you soon realize what you're dealing with. The problem here is not actually the seeds themselves, but the fact that the seeds are surrounded by a little web of slimy fruit flesh. What fruit? The Chia? I don't even have a clue. This odd liquid/mucus/crunch texture, in my opinion, is really hard to swallow, not to mention the fact that you end up chewing your drink, which just feels wrong anyway. And, even worse, the flavor is so light that it can't even get my mind off the crazy little seeds in there. Add sugar and come back, people. It needs some sweetness. Not for me, but I could see some people really enjoying this. 

Rating: *

Bummer. I really wanted to like this. But take my review with a grain of salt, because it might just be my tastes that led me to not like this. I will not drink it again, but you should try it. You might enjoy it as, maybe, a slushy. Who knows? Give it a shot.

Bai Sumatra Dragonfruit

Dragonfruit. Yes, dragonfruit. Odds are, if VitaminWater Power-C (That flavor? The one we all like? Dragonfruit.) didn't exist, you would have no idea that this exotic fruit even existed. And if you've ever had the chance to eat it fresh, it is definitely a treat. And Sumatra? No freaking idea. Don't ask. Anyway, this drink is from a relatively new, unknown company called Bai. (This is what happens when your town gets a Whole Foods.)  I've never seen it before, but it really doesn't look bad at all. The only concern I have is whether it will really taste like dragonfruit or just that tropical flavor we all know and hate. Leggo.

Color: A pretty standard translucent red. It is the color of every other juice drink on Earth, really. For all the exotic stuff on the label, I'm underwhelmed that it looks like Snapple Apple.

Smell: It does smell like dragonfruit. It's likely that you wouldn't know what they smell like, but since I've hunted one down before, I can say it is authentic. 

Taste: Awesome. Just really freaking awesome. (Pours second cup) It does taste like real dragonfruit, almost with passionfruit too. If you don't know what either of those taste like, it is like a really good tropical gum. (Pours third cup) And apparently, it has coffeeberry in it too. Again, don't ask. It does not taste artificial at all, and not too heavy on the flavor either. The fact that this is marketed as low-calorie also keeps it from being too sugary. People, it has 10 calories a bottle! Drink it!

Rating: *****

Folks, we have a winner! This is the first drink to receive all five stars. Overall, this stuff is a really great blend of tropical fruits that is not overpowering or caloric, making it just really awesome overall. You may not find it at every grocery, but keep hunting, 'cause its worth it. And by the way, the whole bottle is empty now. I'm done here.

Zico Chocolate Coconut Water

Okay, so by now you've probably had coconut water. Even if you live in Canada, far from the tropics, companies like Zico and VitaCoco have made this exotic juice common. And normally, it comes mixed with something. If you've had it straight, you are a trooper. But that's besides the point. What I'm saying is that when it comes mixed, it is usually with something also tropical, like mango, or pineapple. But no. This is chocolate. And, yes, it has cream in it. Scared? Yeah. Time to pour!

Color: It is really just opaque brown. Like pudding brown. Not what I'd expect from something that is, in fact, coconut water. This has me concerned already.

Smell: Chocolate. Not coconut, but just chocolate. It is somewhere between hot chocolate mix and chocolate pudding jellybeans. But it smells like good chocolate, not artificial, so this is somewhat comforting.

Taste: It starts out really good. Like, a perfect chocolate jellybean in liquid form. That was awesome. But that only lasted a fraction of a second. You then are bombarded with the bitter taste of straight coconut water, a tough flavor to really verbalize, so I won;t try. And, unfortunately, that is the flavor that lasts after you drink it, not the good chocolate part. It isn't bad, it is just a really odd combination of flavors, and it isn't my favorite. That isn't saying you shouldn't try it; it was legitimately better than I expected it to be. The more I think about it, the more I like it, actually. And hey, it has more potassium than a banana. 

Rating: ***

It wasn't vile like I expected it to be, but it wasn't spectacular either. I won't reach for it over another flavor (except plain) any time soon, but I think this could be a good way to get people to try an otherwise strange type of juice. Worth a shot? Yes. Worth a second shot? Not for me. But you decide.

AriZona Chinese Apple Pomegranate Green Tea

And we're back! Back to reviewing, at least. We got some new beverages and we're ready to go!
So, this is AriZona tea. Yes, its usually good. But how good? Anyway, it has natural flavors and colors, (tree-huggers and hippies rejoice), which is always a plus. However, I think the question here will be whether or not there are too many flavors in the mix. I mean, chinese apples, pomegranates, and tea? Someone drank too much Monster. (Wait, I've just been informed that chinese apples and pomegranates are the same thing.) Never mind. To the beverage!

Color:    Red. Like, really electric, translucent red. How is this natural? I'm concerned because I expected it to be like reddish tea, but no, red.

Smell:    Sugar. Cold, straight sugar. And maybe some pomegranate. Maybe.


Taste:    It's actually pretty good. The tea is definitely more prevalent than the pomegranate here, but you can still taste the fruit. In fact, there is probably a little cranberry in here too. Like all teas, it packs a good antioxidant punch, with 100 percent of your daily Vitamin C in each bottle (if you care). It goes from a tart tea to a sweet pomegranate as you drink it, which is nice. And, as the label states, it ain't artificial and you can tell. It is really refreshing, which is pretty surprising for a tea. Generally, mixed tea drinks are either really bitter or really sweet, but this is a perfect balance. Katy finished hers already. Case closed.

Rating: ****

AriZona came up big here. I will not be spilling this one, folks. At the end of the day, it is just really good tea. This will certainly now be in my rotation. (It was already in Katy's anyway.) Well played, AriZona. Well played.