Sanpellegrino Chinotto

I vaguely remembered having something of Sanpellegrino brand before and being... none too impressed. It's a very popular drink in the cafés and groceries around my city, but I've been avoiding it.

Until now, dear readers. Oh, the things I sacrifice in the name of journalism...

I kid. Either my memory is faulty or there's a horrible flavour into which I'll run someday and tell you all about and this isn't it. All talk of "Citrus" and "Herbal" aside, this drink tastes rather like bubblegum. It has a pleasant dark red-brown colour and a hint of dessert spices, definitely a unique beverage. Not to mention that the label and can design is just lovely. It's a tad sweet for me, but I'd recommend giving it try.

Master Cafe Tiramisu Coffee Drink

Another coffee drink to try out; this time with Tiramisu flavour.  It should be good, no? 

Actually, it was rather confusing.

The girls both thought it smelled like coffee and chocolate.  Both used the term "creamy" to describe it.  My younger daughter found it very sweet and nice, while Spindle got the sense they tried to give it an alcoholic flavour; rum or cognac, perhaps.  She too found it sweet, but also a little watery.

Me?  I thought it smelled like the Pokka Milk Coffee.  I agreed that it had a slightly watery taste, but I also tasted a coffee bitterness that lingered.  Tiramisu?  Not really.  At least not like any I've had before.

Pokka Milk Coffee

This is one of two coffee drinks we taste tested that didn't exactly rock our boats.  They weren't bad, by any means.  Just... not much to say.

My younger daughter thought this drink had a very faint coffee smell, which is completely the opposite of what Spindle and I found.  She also thought it tasted like coffee and pepperoni sticks, with a meaty aftertaste, so I'm not sure what to make of that!  She also felt it tasted a bit like chocolate and caramel.  Spindle, on the other hand, said it reminded her of Vietnamese coffee, with that sweetened condensed milk taste.  To her, it had a tinny after taste, though she also tasted hints of caramel as well. 

As for myself, I must make a disclaimer here.  I thoroughly dislike coffee as a beverage.  I like coffee flavoured things, but as a drink I find it thoroughly unpleasant, much to Spindle's frustration.  For me, this fell into the "coffee flavoured" rather than "coffee with flavour" category.  Basically, I thought it tasted like milk with coffee flavour added to it.  Lightly sweet and without that coffee bitterness.  So for me, it was better than a cup of coffee, but since I also dislike milk as a beverage, it's far from a winner for me. 

Jumex Strawberry Banana Nectar

Well this one seems nice and safe, no? Strawberry and banana is a respectable combination, if slightly unusual for a canned drink, this can't be all bad, can it...?

I'm just kidding with you. It's fine.

Actually it's really nice, even though I'm not personally a fanatic for strawberry & banana beverages at the best of times. It smells more like strawberries and cream but tastes more like banana with a hint of the berry, overall well balanced and not too sweet. Quite refreshing, no carbonation and none of the flavours are overpowering. I definitely recommend it as a summertime thirst-quencher.

Guarana Brazilia

After our last endeavour, we were all a little worried about this unfamiliar fruit drink, but our trepidation was needless as this is probably the least offensive beverage I've tried in a while. It's sweet in scent and taste and has a distinct cream-soda or cotton candy flavour with a slight carbonated bite. If you see this cheerfully coloured can, give it a try! Especially good for a hot summer day.

Nikka Sweet Tamarind Juice Drink.

Congratulations, Sweet Tamarind Juice Drink, you have earned the dubious honour of being the first (undoubtedly not the last) beverage to truly stump us. We passed the faintly amber-coloured drink around, sniffing it warily and entering timid conclusions of... Sweet? Pulpy?

The mystery was no less after we tasted it. It's definitely sweet, a little bit tangy, slightly reminiscent of citrus, and has a severely strange after-taste. None among us could finish it. Unless you already like Tamarind, I'd pass over this squat little tin can in the shelf.

Jelly Drink, Orange

This brand of jelly drink is actually something I've been drinking for a while, my friend and I having discovered it during a fortuitous trip to the Asian supermarket. "Jelly Drink?" we wondered, "what could that possibly mean that isn't terrifying?" so we naturally picked up a couple of cans and became quiet infatuated with the whole notion. No doubt slightly influenced by the vividly coloured label and it's vaguely eerie cat logo. It wasn't long before I foisted it upon my mother and sister with a declaration of "You'll like it! Really!"

They didn't like it.

My sister, after initial revulsion, has come to terms with the idea of "bouncy texture" and "beverage" going hand in hand, but my mother just hasn't seen the light. It was only while pouring (read, shaking out vigorously) the drink for this post that I noticed the rather alarming colour, though...

In terms of taste, this Jelly Drink isn't anything special. It tastes like sweet, orange flavoured soda, described by us all as specifically Mandarin Orange. I should also note that the carbonation is very slight. This is important because you will have to shake this beverage violently.