This goes down in history as one of the few times when I thought a soda would be awful and it was actually pretty good. Like, not just pretty good, but memorably-enjoyable kind of good. I had feared that my expectation of something being awful actually made it awful, but I expected this to be repulsive and it was delightful!
My first sip was a pleasant, if unremarkable, cream soda flavor. It was on the high end of sweetness, but there was enough carbonation to keep it somewhat light. Before I knew it I was hit with a subtle smokiness. What? Then the porky bacon flavor rode in. I wouldn’t call it a strong bacon flavor, but it’s enough that you start to question everything that you’ve ever thought possible in a drink. The whole experience was a deep and nuanced cream soda that would be a perfect ice breaker for an otherwise awkward social interaction. That’s something I need in my life. I’m drowning in awkward social interactions.
If you thought that the Cicero Beverage Company was some novelty soda group, you were mistaken. Apologize now! I had actually hoped to meet someone from Cicero while I was in Chicago recently, but my email went unanswered. They were probably intimidated by my reputation as a high profile soda blogger. They have a lot of interesting flavors, and I hope to find more of them soon. I believe I picked up this bottle at Cost Plus World Market.
So, Candied Bacon and Cream Soda work. Who knew? For me this is an 8 out of 10 on my rating scale. I might be awarding extra credit for being such a surprise, but it’s a solid drink. However, at 58 grams of sugar per 12 ounce bottle that’s about 20% sweeter than most other sodas I’ve reviewed. Go easy on that bacon juice, people!
Catalog:
Purchased at Cost Plus World Market for about $2. Sampled on July 4, 2017
The Sodafry 