Java Pop

About a year ago, I reviewed Caramel-flavor Java Pop, an organic coffee-based soft drink made in Vermont. At the time, I mentioned that there were five flavors, but I could only find Caramel locally, and that was at a local job lot store.

After being more or less unavailable in my area for almost a year however, Java Pop is back, and this time in all five flavors - Hazelnut, Espresso, Mocha, Vanilla, and Caramel.

The Caramel flavor is still rich and butterscotchy and delicious, and so good that as I picked up four-packs of the other flavors I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed. For the most part, I wasn't.

Vanilla is very good; the coffee background compliments the vanilla well and neither of the flavors overpowers the other. I was afraid that it would be very similar to the Caramel, but it wasn't like it at all - there are no butterscotchy or "toasted sugar" notes to the flavor, just sweet and mellow vanilla.

Espresso is the one Java Pop that really tastes like coffee, and it's my wife's favorite. It's less sweet than the others and has a distinctive bitter coffee "bite" to it that she likes (she also likes her hot coffee without sugar, so the bitterness is kind of appealing to her.) I find the dryer taste more refreshing than the sweeter flavors.

Mocha is interesting; I expected it to be more chocolaty, but the chocolate/coffee combination creates an interesting "phantom flavor" that is reminiscent of peanuts. The chocolate flavor comes later, after swallowing, as almost an aroma "left behind" in the mouth.

My least favorite is the Hazelnut, which should come as no surprise since I can't stand hazelnuts or things made with them, and the stuff really does taste authentic.

As always, Java Pops are organic and don't use high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. If you live in New England, chances are you're near an Ocean State Job Lot store, where four-packs of Java Pop in all flavors are being sold right now for $1 each - that's just a quarter for each 12-ounce bottle, probably the best soft-drink deal out there.

Link:

Java Pop's website - a Flash-based site with a hideous soundtrack loop. Go to the bottom right corner of the page to turn off the sound, you'll be glad you did.

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