I didn't know what kind of soda this was... "big red" isn't much of a flavor description. But based the the tiny circle that says "so sweet - so smooth" on the label, I figured it might be cream soda-like.

I opened this earlier today before teaching my class at the U: 

In an empty classroom.

Brand: Dad's Old Fashioned Red Cream Soda.

Origin: Jasper, IN.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: Is it a CREAM soda? Is it the flavor of the color RED? I still really don't know. The initial sip is smooth and creamy and pretty tasty with a hit of fruitiness (and I'm not just imagining that because it's red). But then it quickly turns "artificial" and kind of "wet cardboard" tasting. If it could capture and hold on to the initial flavor, it'd be more like an "8" for me. But all things considered (meaning the way the taste gets crappier at the end of each sip), it's being marked a bit lower.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Earlier this week, I stopped by Frattallone's Ace on Grand Ave (the one near Macalester College, not near Ramsey Hill), and I looked through their soda selection:



I walked out with a Dad's soda I'd never tried before:



Brand: Dad's Red Cream Soda.

Origin: Jasper, IN.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: This was OK. As with my only other "red cream soda" that I've tried, I don't know what flavor "red" is. Cherry-like? This one was a little better than that one. It was pretty smooth, but a little "artificial" tasting at the end. Not bad, but not great.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

What flavor is "red?"



Brand: Dang! That's Good Red Cream Soda.

Origin: Milwaukee, WI.

Purchase Place: Frattallones Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Sugar.

Review: The first sip (and the first smell) of this was pretty great. It tasted "red" and it was VERY creamy. The "red" flavor seemed to be mainly cherry, but there was a bit more (maybe strawberry too?) But then a very chemically tastes comes through that sort of ruins it all. I can't describe it very well, but it's pretty "sharp" and not good. It totally takes away from the initial part of the sip that tastes so good. It's good for the first 0.3 seconds, and bad for the rest of the drink. Dang.

Score: 4 out of 10.