REVIEW: A&W Limited Edition Ice Cream Sundae Soda

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Are you a millennial like me? If so, you must remember the New York Seltzer craze. Those cheery glass bottles with their cartoony NYC skylines were everywhere. And I know this seems off topic, but stick with me because I had entirely forgotten about the existence of that stuff until I popped open a can of A&W’s new Ice Cream Sundae flavored soda and was instantly transported back to a bygone 1991 and watching Rugrats while carefully holding one of those aforementioned glass bottles because very young me staunchly refused to allow my seltzer to be poured into another vessel.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that if you yearn for the taste of a long-discontinued cream soda flavored seltzer, which came back in 2015 and was discontinued again, have I got a product for you.

This soda isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t say it tastes like an ice cream sundae, either. Maaaaaybe a mid-tier egg cream. At best. On that front, I’m disappointed. It smells chemically, leaning toward chocolate, but I don’t really taste much in the way of chocolate flavor at all. The overwhelming taste is cream soda (as if that weren’t evident by the first paragraph) with a smack of something… else. Something I can’t quite put my finger on. Is it supposed to be maraschino cherry? Maybe caramel? Whipped cream? Sprinkles? I don’t know, but I can say that it really doesn’t add much to the final product. If you generally like cream sodas, you’ll probably like this one just fine.

There’s a strong and up front vanilla note surrounded by an artificial undertone that’s a bit distracting but not too horrible. It fades away quickly into a mild vanilla aftertaste. I think this would make a decent float, as the game you can play by scanning the QR code on the packaging suggests. The color is also a bit paler than I expected, but then I do tend to get my sundaes with chocolate ice cream, so that one might be on me.

On the whole, this is worth a try for the novelty factor, but don’t expect something completely new and unique.

Purchased Price: $8.78
Size: 12 pack/12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 150 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 70 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 40 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Mountain Dew Dragon Fruit

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Despite its namesake, dragon fruit isn’t exactly the boldest of flavors. Now, don’t get me wrong, I \*like\* dragon fruit, especially the yellow kind. However, I really find that it adds more in the way of color and texture than flavor, which is why I was honestly kind of surprised when I heard that Mountain Dew, a brand known for bold flavors like Flamin’ Hot and Code Red, had decided to add a dragon fruit flavor to its lineup.

I do have to give them credit where credit is due (or Dew, haha): this stuff DOES really taste like dragon fruit. The flavor is mild, but it is present, and it does evoke the actual namesake fruit. There is a hint of that trademark vaguely citrusy taste most varieties of Mountain Dew share as a background note and a slight aftertaste, and that Dew scent remains present. However, there is a sort of mild, earthy hint of kiwi-like sweetness from dragon fruit that ties it all together.

Even the color looks close. If you’ve ever blended a few chunks of red dragon fruit into an otherwise pale smoothie, topped some Greek yogurt with it, or even just picked up a piece with your bare fingers, you know that bright pink shade it imparts, and I daresay this Dew nails it.

All that being said, the flavor is still really weak. If I’m taking in as much sugar as two servings of Skittles (there’s no zero sugar variety), I want to TASTE something! This almost feels like a sweetened La Croix with the fruit-like whisper of flavor the dragon fruit lends. So, if you’re looking for a bold new Dew to celebrate the summer with, I might suggest Baja Cabo Citrus, 7-Eleven’s exclusive Infinite Swirl, or the returning Summer Freeze. Because sadly, this one just misses the mark and the flavor I have come to expect from one of my favorite soft drink brands.

Purchased Price: $2.38
Size: 20 fl oz bottle (also available in cans)
Purchased at: Walmart (Exclusive)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 280 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 73 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 73 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Lay’s Wavy Magic Masala Potato Chips

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I’ve been enjoying the influx of internationally inspired, inventive, or trendy chip flavors that have been coming out lately. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good sour cream and cheddar Ruffle, but “New!” holds a special kind of allure for me, and creative AND new? Well, sign me up yesterday!

Lay’s Wavy Magic Masala isn’t the brand’s first foray into the world of internationally-inspired flavors. Heck, it’s not even the only one available on shelves right now… but it’s definitely a unique addition to the lineup and the lineup of other seasonally available or otherwise limited edition chip flavors at my local grocery store, and that counts for something!

These chips smell amazing as soon as you open the bag. There is a distinct waft of spices in the most delicious way. Strong, but not overpowering, much like the flavor. They have a great balance between the bold spices and the rest of the ingredients, with a surprisingly perfect kick that leaves that gentle warmth on your lips and tongue for a few minutes after eating them. Perfect if you like that sort of thing, anyway.

My favorite Indian restaurant starts every meal with a little bowl of a complimentary snack called Aloo Bhujia: thin, crispy, spiced potato noodles. These chips remind me almost exactly of that. The spice blend is strikingly similar (thus, I feel it’s probably fairly authentic to the chips’ Indian inspiration), and it complements the potato base equally as well. It’s a perfect pairing of crispy texture and a flavorful, spicy seasoning that doesn’t hold back (probably a six on a 1-10 scale of relative snack food spiciness). They would go great with a cooling, creamy dip, too. The color is also nice and bright without that artificial Cheeto-y orangeness some chips have. And while we are on the topic of color, I absolutely love the bag design! The colors are bright, the accents are fun, and it definitely lets me know that something special and delicious waits inside.

I’m most definitely picking up several more bags of these, along with the ingredients for a nice homemade raita to dip them in.

Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 7.5 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz) 150 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Mtn Dew Baja Cabo Citrus

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There’s a new Dew in town, and that town is Cabo. Or is it Baja? Both of those are towns in Mexico, right? I wasn’t sure, so I looked it up. It turns out Baja is a state in Mexico, on the California peninsula, while Cabo is a city in Baja, so I guess the name kind of works? Anyway.

In the bottle, this soda is shockingly orange. The deep teal label provides a nice counterbalance, heightening the depth of the drink’s color. I know this might be a bit much for a color, but I find it really appealing. It’s very summery and bright. Looking at it just feels refreshing and summery. Like, I want the bottle to be wearing sunglasses with a pool floaty around it.

Opening the bottle, the scent is very orange-forward citrus. It’s not overpowering, but definitely noticeable. There are faint hints of lime as well, but kind of a syrupy sweet lime, unlike Baja Blast itself. It’s really nice and fresh, and I wouldn’t mind an air freshener or candle that smelled like it.

Then I took a sip. Have you ever had those very generic gummy orange slice candies? The ones dusted with sugar and seemingly only available at gas stations? Yeah, Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus could have been called Mountain Dew Gas Station Orange Slice based on flavor alone. The lime and supposed “Citrus Punch” vanishes into the background, all but invisible against the looming presence of sweet, yet very artificial tasting, orange. If you’re a fan of orange sodas in general, I feel like you’ll probably like this. There’s a brief flash of Dew-flavored aftertaste, but that candy flavor is far more dominant.

I think this would make excellent floats with some vanilla ice cream or freezes with some lime or orange sherbet. It’s not bad, and I actually like it. It’s just very, very orange-forward, and I’m a lime girlie who really appreciates the more tart notes in my soda. (RIP Pitch Black II, the sourest of them all!)

In conclusion, this isn’t a super original flavor, but it is a nice orangey addition to the Dew lineup if you aren’t into that spicy mango flavor that recently dropped at Little Caesars.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Per Serving: 280 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 74 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 74 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sonic Unicorn Dreams Slush

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Have you ever wondered what it might be like to get brain freeze from a mythical creature? No, that’s just me? Well then, you’re going to find out anyway because Sonic’s magical new slush is definitely worth getting an ice cream headache for!

Sonic describes their newest slushtastic creation as: “A vibrant pink slush filled with magical flavor bubbles, crowned with a fluffy cloud of whipped topping, and finished with a sprinkle of shimmering sugar crystals.” While that is true, it doesn’t do enough to describe the truly ???: *???:* ??magical *:???*:? nature of this pink and blue drink.

If you like cotton candy-flavored things, you’ll love this. The flavor is very solidly cotton candy in all its sticky-sweet glory. The blue raspberry “flavor bubbles” (aka popping boba) are a nice change of pace, serving to highlight the cotton candy while adding a nuanced blueness all their own. The whipped topping is a lovely creamy addition, especially if you swirl it all together a la the Taco Bell Baja Blast Dream Freeze I reviewed recently (I wonder if that nomenclature is solely because “dream” and “cream” rhyme…”

If I have some constructive criticism, it’s that I wish the shimmering sugar crystals on this drink were more like the chunkier, more textured versions from the same chain’s LTO Strawberry Shortcake Snowball Slush Float. Hah, try saying that three times fast! In all seriousness, though, the crunchier sugar crystals that drink used would have made the Unicorn Dreams slush a 10 out of 10! So if anyone from Sonic happens to be reading this review, consider switching up the sugar crystals! As much as I enjoyed the aesthetics of the sprinkle of pink and blue fairy dust on top of the whipped topping, they brought nothing else to the party and pretty much just dissolved on contact.

As an UNEXPECTED BONUS, this drink also comes with A UNICORN HORN SHAPED STRAW!!! OMG WHAT!? I literally giggled when it was handed to me. It’s a great little perk of ordering the drink and definitely made the drinking experience a bit more fantastical. Unfortunately, the smaller side of the straw is too narrow to accommodate the blue raspberry flavor beads. So, unless you want to use the straw like a peashooter and spit the blue things across the car, you’ll need to ask for a separate boba-sized straw.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: Medium (only size available)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 430 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 102 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 101 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

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