Rainforest Cola

The beverage aisle in Ocean State Job Lot is often an occasion for adventure. Although some items are always available (San Pellegrino sparkling water and Polar soft drinks, for example) other stock rotates in and out according, I guess, to whatever kind of odd lot deals they come across.

And that's how I found Rainforest Cola in slender and unique 12 ounce cans.  The ingredients looked interesting, and includes:

• A small amount of sugar, with the rest of the sweetness provided by stevia leaf extract
• Acai juice
• Ginseng
• Guarana
• Green tea extract
• Kola nut extract

Rainforest Cola has quite an interesting taste profile.  The first sip is pure cola flavor with a hint of tartness, which Lynnafred compared to Haribo Gummi Cola Bottles. But other flavors soon come out as well, such as a hint of cinnamon and a strong dried stone fruit flavor. I'm not really sure where that comes from - it could be a acai juice, or it could be under the non-specific "natural flavors" on the label.

I've found it to be a pretty decent summer morning drink; although iced coffee is still my favorite, there is plenty of caffeine in Rainforest Cola to open my eyes as I sit at my desk at work. And even though I do like it quite a bit, I have to say that I think the company might be going a little heavy on the stevia because I'm getting that "non-sugar sweetener aftertaste" at the end. I use stevia in my coffee and occasionally on my cereal, and even though stevia is completely natural, I still get that aftertaste if there's too much of it.  Still and all, I would buy it again...if it becomes widely available by me.

Rainforest Cola is a product of Rainforest Beverages, a company that started up in 2009 to make 100% natural antioxidant soft drinks. As of right now, the cola seems to be their sole product, and it has kind of limited distribution (you can check out the locations selling it by clicking here.)