The rumors are true - Jones Soda Co. have brought back their Halloween flavored sodas!
Even though Jones Soda has released different varieties of Halloween soda throughout the years, I've actually never tried any of them. Before I started The Holidaze, I overlooked treasures like this because I didn't fully embrace the season. When I first read about these on X-Entertainment in 2006, I was in my 2nd year of College and didn't have the time or patience to keep up with every new release. Halloween hardly lasted a night, let alone a full two months! Looking back, I wish I did it differently, because I know how happy these things would have made me. I even picked the cans up, looked at them, and put them back down. While the review was enough for me back then, I've since changed my mindset to go out of my way and experience things first-hand to share them here for whoever wants to read. It fully enhances, expands, and extends the season. So when I read that Jones Soda was bringing their Halloween sodas back, I knew it would be high on my list of spooky priorities. Luckily, my not-so-local Target is finally stocked for the season!
The can designs are amazing!! I've talked about Halloween soda before, mentioned what I'd like to see and how I'd do things differently, but thankfully, Jones and I think very much alike! First, we have a "Red Licorice" flavor featuring Frankenstein. I absolutely love the way he's designed. The red and green contrast should remind you of Christmas, but they used so much distress, and so many grungy brush strokes, that these cans could never be confused for anything other than Halloween. They're works of art and I'm so happy they're back with new designs!
We had fun guessing what color the liquid would be before we popped the can open. This one was obviously going to be red, but it's a beautiful red. It's the type of color you'd expect from any red-dyed Halloween drink. You want to pretend and imagine that you're drinking blood. Act as if you're in "The Lost Boys" and are about to join the vampires by drinking bubbling blood from the Golden Boned Goblet. That's what makes these flavors so special. I love Cranberry Sierra Mist, which is almost the same color, but it doesn't pour from the head of Frankenstein and that makes a huge difference!
You have to use your imagination and associate these sodas with the season because the flavors are odd and, chances are, you won't like them all. In this case, Red Licorice is a bust. It tastes more like Robitussin than candy, but has enough sugar to know the difference. It's not horrible, none of these flavors are, but it's not something you'd drink regularly. But that's okay! I wasn't expecting deliciousness, I was expecting a conversation starter and a Halloween boost. If nothing else, that's what this can gave me.
Here we have the "Candy Corn" flavor featuring a werewolf. It's gorgeous. This werewolf looks a bit more deranged than your usual wolf man. One eye is bigger than the other, his hair is very unkempt, and we're not sure if he's smiling, snarling, or ready to attack. That's what Jone Soda can do to a man. Actually, this might have been how I looked when I finally found Halloween aisles at Target. The only person moving faster toward the products than me was my girlfriend. It's kinda sad how excited we get over spending money on soda and cereal!
Before you look at the next picture, guess what color the soda is going to be based on the flavor name and can color.
Ahhhh that's just awesome! Not only is it orange, but it's a bright, almost neon orange! Seriously, the picture doesn't do this justice. As soon as it settled in the cup, it was as if the liquid was actually glowing. Between the visual and the aroma, this was guaranteed to be a hit.
As soon as we tasted it, my girlfriend and I both agreed that the Candy Corn flavor is actually that of Creme Soda with more sugar. If you swish it around in your mouth a little bit, you can tell there's a candy corn flavor, but it's not very distinct and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. This is very good as it is and probably one of two that you'd actually drink on a consistent basis.
I've changed the order in which we actually tried these for a better (I hope) post, but "Caramel Apple" is actually what we tried first. We were both very excited for this one because it sounded like a tasty flavor. On top of that, just look at this can character. What is he? He looks like he's melting. He's literally falling apart in front of our very eyes and we have no idea why. His eye has escaped his socket and, from the looks of things, his left eye isn't too far behind. Is he a zombie? If he is, he'll be a skeleton before he knows it. My only hope was that the flavor didn't do this to him. Perhaps it was a cruel joke by Jones. Time to guess the color and see for ourselves!
I was hoping for a green color. I would have killed for a neon green color to match whatever juice is leaking out from Melt-Man's pores, but we get a dark brown color. When it settles, it looks more maroon, but regardless it smells like Fall.
The flavor is unique. You can tell there's a hint of caramel and apples, but it's also bitter enough to taste like Fall. Again, it's not something I'd drink on a regular basis, but it's far from bad. If I was having a Halloween party or camping out on a dark night, this would be the drink I'd offer friends. They may turn it down for a Pepsi, but to truly embrace the Fall season, this is the type of drink you'd want to have. It's not the best tasting Jones Soda , but it finds the perfect medium between Halloween and flavor. In moderation, I like it!
In real-life and in this post, "Blood Orange" was saved for last because I had a feeling this was going to be the best flavor. But before we get into that, we gotta give major props to Jones for another amazing can. I love Dracula, but any Dracula colored anything other than white gets bonus points in my book. In this case, we have a purple Dracula, with yellow eyes, and blood stains on his teeth and lips. Plus, this is the only can that displays an actual pun associated with the can character. "Blood" Orange, get it? I remember when Jones Soda used to do that with all their Halloween flavors, but I think they've realized they don't need to. Just the fact that they're designed for the season with flavors associated with it is enough for us all.
I was hoping for a purple color, expected orange, but received something in the middle. This is such an awesome color and confirms that whatever dye Jones Soda uses is better than anything I've ever seen before. It's probably horrible for us, but so is everything else we eat and drink on Halloween. I'll take my chances to drink a pinkish-red colored, Blood Orange flavored, Dracula canned, Halloween soda in the middle of September. Sounds good to me!
As I assumed, this is the best Jones Soda of them all. Imagine orange soda with a hint of something else to provide an extra punch of flavor. I guess that's the "blood." I've never actually had a blood orange before, but if it tastes anything like this drink then I have a new favorite fruit. This is delicious and, along with "Candy Corn," this is something that I'd drink at any time. If you're going to pick up any 4-pack of Jones Soda Halloween mini-cans, this is the one I recommend, most.
Finding these cans were a pleasant surprise. As soon as I heard the rumor, I knew this would be my opportunity to finally try them. After missing out on them so many years prior to now, I'm happy to have finally redeemed myself and picked these up. In my opinion, these are the best can designs I've seen released by Jones and, if there was ever a year to join in on the fun, this is the one. If we've learned nothing else this season, it's that this may very well be the greatest Halloween of all-time. Of course, it's up to us to create memories and moments outside of trying candy, food, drinks, and cereal, but these companies are surely giving us enough gasoline to fuel our energy.
