Guaraná Antarctica

Aroma : The drink has a sweet, almost fermented scent, like a can of mild, fruity beer. This is the work of the guaraná berry, and prodigious amount of sugar (39 grams a can, dang).

Taste : The flavor of guaraná is mild, pleasantly sweet and almost apple-like, stirring memories of more notable apple flavored sodas (Apple Beer, Sidral Mundet), but has a different, berry-like finish. It is quite original and very palate pleasing.

Price : Varies, available in various sizes at various places, particularly at WalMart and prolifically at Mexican/South American restaurants.

Ingredients : Carbonated water, sugar, (E150d ) caramel (color), citric acid, (E211) sodium benzoate (preservative) and (E202) potassium sorbate (preservative), ascorbic acid (antioxidant), guarana extract and natural flavors.

Other Comments : Guaraná Antarctica is owned, oddly enough, by AmBev, a South American beer company, and can be hard to find in the US. In 1999, PepsiCo agreed to begin distribution of said beverage, with the aim to make it a top 10 selling beverage within 5 years. Not sure if that ever happened, but it matters not. Guaraná is noted for having several benefits, aside from its high caffeine content, and is rumored to have aphrodisiacal qualities.

Overall : This is possibly one of the best tasting sodas I have ever put to my lips, quite a welcome change from the cola and citrus sodas dominating the market, and using regular sugar instead of the notorious HFCS earns extra points. I only hesitate to give this a 5 due to the fact it is a carbonated, sugary beverage produced by a large corporation and distributed by another.

Rating : 4.5/5 stars.

-WiseGuise