This entry comes with packaging reflective of Jones Soda's current look, with redish-pink being the accent color. The photo on the front (#1139076) from Tobi Marcinek of Bend, OR, features a multitude of Santas attempting to board some sort of light rail public transportation.

The drink is light pink in color and frankly smells like medicine, i.e. cough syrup. In fact, "syrup" seems to be the theme with this drink, because that pretty much summarizes the experience. It's minty, but pretty much tastes like a very sweet mouthwash that you swallow. I'm still not sure why this drink flavor continues to return, as it's the least authentic of the batch. Maybe this stuff would taste better as part of a mixer, or even to flavor your hot chocolate. But as a stand-along flavor, I can't imagine voluntarily wanting to ingest more than a few sips. It's not gross. It's just not good.

Jones Soda Candy Cane Soda
Carbonated water, inverted can sugar, phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), gum acacia, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), Red #40

A 12 oz. bottle contains 180 calories, 35 mg sodium, and 44 g carbs (44 g sugars). Caffeine free.

Official Website: JonesSoda.com

Like the rest of the 2011 Holiday Flavors, Sugar Plum is a returning flavor, having first appeared in 2006 (with HFCS) and then again in 2007 (with sugar). Purple & black are the primary colors used on the 2011 label, with a submitted photo (#1229619) by Bekah Kurtaneck of Warsaw, IN, on the front. It's a kid dressed up like a reindeer, and the nose color matches the purple on the bottle packaging. Nice touch!

Once you pop the cap you are greeted with something fruit-smelling, probably from the grape family. Sweetness is obvious just from the scent. The purple-tinted liquid supports the smell, also sweet, but not overtly so.

The flavor is light and quite hard to place, to be honest. I'd say to most closely parallels a very weak grape soda, but with a cleaner aftertaste. This is a beverage that would probably fall into the lemon-lime category of uses by not being overpowering, thus more appropriate to compliment food.

Jones Soda Sugar Plum Soda
Carbonated water, inverted can sugar, natural and artificial flavors, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), Red #40, Blue #1

A 12 oz. bottle contains 180 calories, 35 mg sodium, and 44 g carbs (44 g sugars). Caffeine free.

Official Website: JonesSoda.com

Pear Tree is a returning flavor from 2008, with a yellowish hue and standard Jones Soda packaging. Our bottle featured a submitted photo (#1199154) by Valerie Collins of Victoria, BC, which showed a festive "Peace" sign in neon.

Unscrew the cap and I'm reminded somewhat of a sparkling apple cider or pear juice. It's light, sweet, fruity. The flavor itself is quite sweet, a tad on the syrupy side (despite being sugar-sweetened). It's quite subdued with a hint of pear flavor. The carbonation keeps it light, which is an experience that continues through the finish. Aftertaste is very clean. I'd classify this flavor along the likes of a lemon-lime drink in that it's just enough flavor to make things interesting, but nothing overwhelming or memorable.

Just like the Ginger Bread Soda, Pear Tree Soda isn't bad, nor is it gross, breaking from the Jones holiday flavor tradition. It may be worth picking up to share at your Christmas parties and family gatherings!

Jones Soda Pear Tree Soda
Carbonated water, inverted can sugar, citric acid, natural and artificial flavor, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservative), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), Yellow #5, Blue #1

A 12 oz. bottle contains 160 calories, 35 mg sodium, and 39 g carbs (39 g sugars). Caffeine free.

Official Website: JonesSoda.com

Here at BevReview, we pride ourselves in having covered over 40 Jones Soda holiday soft drink releases since they first appeared; just take a look at our yearly archives: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, & 2010.

When I attended the NACS Show in October, I not only learned about Jones' return to canned beverages, but also got a chance to chat with CEO Bill Meissner about the company's holiday flavor plans. It would appear the company is playing the game a bit more conservatively this year, with the featured flavors all haven't been previously released. More importantly, none of these drinks are actually gross. I'm going to guess that they'll probably sell more when folks aren't actually vomiting from ham-flavored soft drinks.

Which leads us to Jones Soda Ginger Bread Soda, notably a return of the original Gingerbread Man Soda from 2007. You'll note the slight namechange, dropping the "Man". Also, "Ginger Bread" is now two words, vs. "Gingerbread". Which spelling do you prefer?

This brownish-colored drink comes in a standard Jones bottle, complete with black label design and holiday-themed photos. My bottle photo (#1240721) featured a dog wearing a Santa hat, shot by Paula Herrlich of Seneca, PA. Pop the cap and you are greeted by a welcomed cinnamon-like scent that yes, does hint of gingerbread goodness. As for the taste, it's excellent. One of our testers remarked that the unique flavor would go well with vanilla ice cream, ala root beer float style. There's a pleasant infusion of spices, which is a nice departure in a soft drink, producing something that does seem like a great seasonal fit. On a whim, we mixed this beverage with some Pepsi and it brought back the flavor experience we loved so much with the long-gone Pepsi Holiday Spice (2004). Aftertaste is clean thanks to use of cane sugar, and the hearty flavor and scent really compliment each other quite well. Highly recommended!

Jones Soda Ginger Bread Soda Soda
Carbonated water, inverted can sugar, citric acid, natural flavors, caramel color, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate (as preservative), gum acadia, potassium sorbate (as preservative), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)

A 12 oz. bottle contains 180 calories, 35 mg sodium, and 44 g carbs (44 g sugars). Caffeine free.

(Oh, and Pepsi, if you want to bring back Holiday Spice anytime soon, we're all for it. Pepsi Holiday Spice Throwback has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?)

Official Website: JonesSoda.com

This flavor was most likely a holiday rollout for 2009, featuring the following seasonal text on the label:

The first snowfall of the year is always exciting, no matter your age. Snowball fights and sledding bring out the kid in all of us. To celebrate our favorite season, Jones captured winter in a bottle and created this limited edition flavor. So whether you're a ski bunny in Boise or a snowbird in Boca Raton, crack open a color one and remember that summer will be here before you know it.

In the case of Pomegranate Cream, that winter flavor arrives in a pinkish hue. Interestingly, the flavor isn't very pomegranate at all. Rather, it's more like a cream soda with a hint of cherry… and very sweet. The aroma off the bottle also subscribes to the genre of cream soda. Not a bad flavor, but nothing really special. Granted, who knows how long this bottle has been around; that might just affect the tasting experience!

The photo on the label, #10956 by Jenn Mahoney of Southworth, WA, apparently depicts someone sledding/sliding on their knees in the snow. It's really rather hard to figure out what's going on. Any guesses?

Jones Soda Pomegranate Cream
Carbonated water, inverted cane sugar, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, fruit and vegetable juice for color, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)

A 12 oz bottle contains 170 calories, 35 mg sodium, and 43 g carbs (42 g sugars). This drink is caffeine free.

The introduction of the cans took place at the NACS show as they are targeted at the convenience store market. It's a bit easier to get into the C-store world with cans vs. the traditional Jones Soda bottles, so this is a logical move. Initially, only 3 flavors will be offered, Green Apple, Berry Lemonade, and Strawberry Lime. Why these? Per the official press release, "these three flavors boast the highest sell-through rate among single glass bottles according to AC Nielsen syndicated data, which for the 13 weeks ending Sept. 3, showed these three SKUs were up 26% versus one year ago."

It's also important to note that 16 oz. cans aren't a strange size for Jones these days, given that their WhoopAss Energy Drink, WhoopAss Grapple, and Sugar Free WhoopAss are all packaged the same way.

Some may remember Jones' first foray into cans back in 2007, signing a deal with National Beverage to make 12 oz. canned versions of many of their flavors. However, this was a doomed initiative, as Jones struggled with distribution, marketing, and high costs associated with putting the canned items on mainstream store shelves.

Previous 12 oz. Jones Soda Cans
(Source: CanMuseum.com. Used by Permission)

While other problems were in play for the company, the move to 12 oz. cans was widely viewed as a "bad thing" that put Jones on dangerous financial ground. The company assumed that their premium beverage/pricing would translate into the can market, however, if you actually looked at the product they delivered, it pretty much resembled a store brand in appearance. It just didn't feel like something from Jones. Sales reflected that impression.

New 16 oz. cans on display

That seems to have changed with this latest can initiative. Just one look at the design and yes, this looks like a Jones Soda product! The fan-submitted photos are back… and I'm told they will be rotated out from time to time. The label design mimics that of the glass bottles. They just look fun overall.

New Jones Soda 12 oz. can flavors

The sales sheet I was given, targeted at retailers, also showed 6 flavors in 12 oz. cans: Zilch Black Cherry, Cream Soda, Cola, Berry Lemonade, Starwberry Lime, and Root Beer. These are probably targeted at C-stores and other markets as well, but the 16 oz. cans are really the story here.

New Jones Soda 16 oz. can flavors

As for the taste, I felt that they were pretty much in line with what you get with the bottled versions (though I was unable to do a side-by-side comparison). For example, Jones Strawberry Lime Soda still has that light red color and is very sweet with the use of cane sugar. The start of the drink is bitter, prompted by the lime, but it rounds out eventually when the strawberry kicks in. It's somewhat harsh, but in a good way.

Jones Soda at NACS Show 2011

Just the same, Jones Berry Lemonade Soda is light blue and also pretty sweet. "Puckery" is the name I'd throw at this drink, given the lemonade roots, but more soundly grounded in a berry flavor. It really does grab the back of your throat with a sour experience. In both cases, I didn't really taste that "aluminum" feeling you often get, but I'm sure mentally there are those who will still prefer the glass bottle.

The 16 oz. cans should be appearing now and are slated to be priced at $1.29 MSRP.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about the nutritional contents in the 16 oz. cans…

Jones Strawberry Lime Soda
Carbonated water, inverted cane sugar, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, modified food starch, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), ester gum, Red 40, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)

The new 16 oz. can contains 220 calories, 40 mg sodium, and 54 g carbs (52 g sugars). Caffeine free.

Jones Berry Lemonade Soda
Carbonated water, inverted cane sugar, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, modified food starch, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), ester gum, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), Blue 1

16 oz. can contains 220 calories, 40 mg sodium, and 54 g carbs (52 g sugars). Caffeine free.

Official Website: JonesSoda.com

To be honest, we weren't really in love with WhoopAss. We cover a lot of drinks here at BevReview, and with energy drinks possessing their own idiosyncrasies and supplement-oriented flavors, it often depends on the flavor palette. That said, we really do like WhoopAss Grapple quite a bit, even more so than the original!

Continuing the design of the flagship WhoopAss, Grapple comes to you with a green can, cleverly overlaying a 4-leaf clover on top of the iconic iron cross logo. A clover pattern continues around the top edge of the can as well, highlighting the inclusion of yerba mate, catechins, polyphenols, and b-complex vitamins. Like many energy drinks, the pull tab matches the primary color of the beverage, in this case a yellow/green hue.

Of particular interest is the flavor name, Grapple. I'm not sure folks automatically associate "Green Apple" with the name. On the back, the can notes that "Grapple is defined as '… a contest for superiority or mastery…'" I think the phrase probably has more historical associations with grape and apple combinations. (I have relatives who own an apple orchard in Michigan that I know don't like the idea of that sort of hybrid!) I guess it's probably a good thing that Jones explains the "green apple" flavor on the front of the can to clear all this up.

The drink itself is very greenish/yellow, far more green than the original WhoopAss. A sip starts with a very sour apple taste, which I guess is a good thing, given that's sort of the professed flavor. It tastes very candy-like and quite carbonated. There's a certain pucker-ness as well. As the drink flows over your tongue, however, it shifts from sour to sweet with a defined apple flavor. Then the aftertaste kicks in, and you can pretty much cut-and-paste the description normally associated with an energy drink aftertaste here. A bit medicinal, packed with the flavors of things you probably can't pronounce, but are listed under the "Supplement Facts" on the back label. Nothing too horrible if you are used to the flavor, but for energy drink newbies, it may be a bit shocking.

Probably the funniest element that hinted at the humor of the Jones Soda folks was the disclaimer on the back: "Not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women, those sensitive to caffeine, or leprechauns." Nice!

Jones Soda WhoopAss Grapple Energy Drink starts with a great sour apple flavor that transitions to a sweet taste profile. We like it considerably more than the flagship WhoopAss and highly recommend it for those liking energy drinks with distinctive flavor.

Official Website: JonesSoda.com

As we detailed extensively last year, 2009's release of Jones Soda Tofurky & Gravy Soda put the company back on track in the "gross holiday soda" genre after a disappointing 2008 that saw them greatly backtrack on innovation. And while both 2009 and this year's releases are a single flavor, they are creative and quality outings… well, as far as vomit-inducing novelty soft drinks are concerned! We've covered over 40 Jones Soda holiday soft drink releases since they first appeared; just take a look at our yearly archives: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, & 2009.

This time around, Jones partnered with the folks at J&D's Foods, a company with the slogan "Everything should taste like bacon." J&D's is previously responsible for bringing products like Baconnaise, Bacon Salt, BaconPOP, and Bacon Gravy to market. This partnership concept is not new, as in 2009 Jones did the same thing by hooking up with Turtle Island Food, owners of the Tofurky brand. Given that both Jones and J&D's are based in Seattle, it was a match that seemed meant to be!

As part of a packaged bundle, $9.99 plus shipping got you two bottles of Jones Bacon Flavored Soda, as well as a bunch of products from J&D's, including Cheddar BaconPop popcorn, Bacon Gravy mix, and a tube of Bacon Lip Balm. I'm not so sure the value was a great as last year's Tofurky bundle, where you got 3 bottles of Tofurky & Gravy Soda, as well as 3 bottles of Jones Zilch, plus a metal lunchbox and some stickers, all for 2 bucks more than what you are paying for the bacon bundle this year (where you only get 2 bottles of soda).

This is the first holiday release to sport the new Jones label design, with a bolder font and streamlined presentation of photo and product flavor. In the case of Bacon Soda, two photo options are available: Bacon Man (Photo #2131514, Seattle, WA) and Rosaura (Photo #21315142, Arizona City, AZ). In our case, we received two bottles with the Bacon Man label, but one of them was almost completely ripped off the bottle by the time we opened the shipping box. Jones was kind enough to send a replacement bottle. In any case, the label is mostly black, with light yellow/orange highlights to bring out the "baconness" of the drink, I would assume.

A short explanation paragraph on the back tries to excuse what Jones calls "Bacon in a Bottle":

Bacon flavored soda? Okay, pigs may not be able to fly, but that's not stopping us from bottling a batch of this stuff for you anyway. Drawing inspiration from everyone's favorite cured meat, we partnered with J&D's Foods, the makers of Bacon Salt, and produced this refreshingly meaty creation. So crack open a bottle and "ink-dray up-way"… because everything tastes better with bacon.

Before drinking Jones Bacon Soda, a look at the ingredients should indicate how this is going to taste. It lists 516 mg of sodium. I think that's a record for Jones holiday beverages, including the original Turkey & Gravy (310 mg), and some close runners-up like Dinner Roll (290 mg) and Christmas Ham (250 mg). The drink also steps away from the "pure cane sugar" stance of Jones and is instead sweetened by sucralose (i.e. Splenda).

The drink is brown, a bit lighter than a traditional cola. Probably closer in color to something like Pepsi Natural. Pop open the screw-off cap and you smell… well, bacon. They definitely nailed that. The scent comes off as a bit artificial, but that's to be expected, because, well… it is!

And how about the taste? The first sip brings carbonated saltiness to your lips. As we've found with most obscure Jones Holiday flavors, it's at this point where you are just sort of afraid to move the drink to the back of your mouth. There's a baconness there, but it's bubbly. As it flows over your tongue, there isn't a whole lot of flavor, but the smell and the saltiness stick with you. Then it hits the back of your throat, where it's probably the most effective. And you know what… it does taste like bacon!

This in itself is rather surprising because as we've found over the years, when Jones gives you a flavor like Corn on the Cob or Brussels Sprout, usually the scent is there, but the flavor is nothing like the label on the bottle. That's definitely not the case here with Bacon Soda. Sure, it's still gross and ridiculous, but I think by teaming up with J&D's, the flavorologists at Jones were finally able to nail the taste of something that really doesn't belong in a bottle.

There is a somewhat salty and somewhat bitter aftertaste, which aside from the fact that this is flavored like bacon, can probably be attributed to the artificial sweetener. There's also something else very unique about the flavor of this drink. It sticks with you… long after you've digested it. The bacon lingers in your throat, your lungs, your nasal passages.

So, to recap. This is a disgusting idea and not a very good beverage to drink. As a novelty item, it's ideal to share at your holiday parties. However, I must tip my cap to Jones Soda for actually making the drink taste like it's described. That's no easy task… and they've been at this since 2005. Bacon Soda is well-executed!

Last year it was Jones Tofurky & Gravy Soda. This year, bacon is on the menu from the folks at Jones Soda.

Jones Bacon Soda Holiday Pack
(Source: Jones Soda Co)

The company has announced Jones Bacon Soda as part of a larger holiday pack you can order for the season. This continues a grand tradition of disgusting drinks such as Turkey & Gravy, Brussels Sprout, and Latke Sodas.

Here's the press release from Jones outlining the limited edition flavor:

Jones Soda Co. and J&D's Foods Bottle Up Bacon
Bubbly Bacon-Flavored Soda Set to Sizzle

SEATTLE, WA – (Marketwire – November 4, 2010) – Jones Soda Co., a leader in the premium soda category known for its unique branding and innovative marketing, today revealed they are in fact selling a long-rumored bacon-flavored soda made in partnership with J&D's Foods, the maker of such bacon flavored products as Bacon Salt, Baconnaise, BaconPOP and Bacon Gravy.

(Source: Jones Soda Co)

"Bacon is like the eighth wonder of the world," said Jones Soda Marketing Director, Mike Spear. "We spend a lot of time listening to our customers on social media sites, and we couldn't help but take notice of the hundreds of thousands of people taking part in bacon discussion boards and fan groups right now. We felt it was our duty as leaders in the premium soda category to carbonate bacon's salty goodness."

Available today at http://www.myjones.com/store and http://www.store.baconsalt.com, bacon fans can purchase two bottles of the salty new soda; a bag of J&D's Cheddar BaconPOP™ bacon and cheddar flavored popcorn; J&D's Bacon Lip Balm and a package of J&D's Bacon Gravy for $9.99 plus shipping and handling.

Jones Soda, together with the team at J&D's Foods, dedicated a team of flavor experts to the development of the soda for months with the goal of capturing bacon's unmistakable flavor in a carbonated form. Both companies say the successful launch of the new soda may only be the tip of the iceberg in their collaboration.

"Our job is to give our customers the flavors they love, and they undoubtedly love bacon. This was the perfect alignment for us," commented Spear. "Until now, it was impossible to guzzle your favorite breakfast meat, so this is a huge step for bacon lovers everywhere and may be the start of a very long relationship."

Source

We're looking forward to reviewing this beverage, though we probably already know how it's going to taste. However, it wouldn't be the holidays without something crazy from Jones!

Jones Soda recently sent some 16 oz. samples of the new drink to review so we did just that. We're a general beverage site, covering a broad array of soft drinks, waters, teas, juices, etc. Thus we know that our opinion on energy drinks is probably not the same as those who patronize the genre and its ever-growing desire for a "buzz", thus your mileage may vary.

Original WhoopAss packaging
(Source: Jones Soda)

That said, we were impressed with the packaging on the new WhoopAss, especially when compared to what it used to look like. The new style is black, clean, and very clearly branded. It's also hard to miss the name of the product (which got lost a bit in the old design) as well as who makes it, Jones. The tagline "Open a Can" at the bottom is a friendly hint at the catchphrase associated with the product name. Jones calls the primary icon a "gritty red and grey Iron Cross graphic" and then rattles on about how it symbolizes strength, courage, and whatnot. The old anime "Little Guy" character from the original can design shows up next to the ingredients on the back of the can as a nice hat tip to the past. Oddly the can called out "Est. 96", which you would assume is when WhoopAss was originally created, but Jones keeps insisting that date is actually 1999. What gives?

So why is Jones all of the sudden getting back into the energy drink game? Well, it's no secret that they've been going through some financial challenges as of late. Looking through their recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, they talk about having to drop certain product lines (Jones Naturals and Jones Organics) because of distribution loss at such retail outlets like Panera Bread and Barnes & Noble. They got a new CEO, Bill Meissner, who has experience working for other brands such as Fuze, Talking Rain, and SoBe. It's noted that Mr. Meissner "knows the energy drink space," so it would appear that a reboot of the brand was a logical extension with the current Jones Soda leadership. Personally, we think it's a bit risky given the climate, but probably a safer bet than launching something completely new.

Back to the drink itself, when you open the can you are greeted by a very berry-infused scent, nothing like citrus or berry. It's a deeper, darker berry smell. The color of the drink is a red/purple with the translucency associated with energy drinks. While I never tried the previous WhoopAss personally, Jones' marketing materials note that the old version was bright yellow with a tart/sweet flavor.

Let's get to the taste, shall we? In my opinion, it's not very good. It actually reminded me quite a bit of Fanta Wildberry, which we also did not care for. The flavor is bitter overall (Jones describes it as "exotic, subtle fruit flavor"). Your initial sip starts with a bubbly, pucker-inducing dynamic that translates into something like stale SweetTarts candy, hinting at a grape/berry combination flavor. The aftertaste sticks with you with the residue you typically will find with energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster (and unlike more soft drink-like products such as the Amp lineup). In the end, the flavor feels "empty" and a tad bit watered down, yet effective in making you go "what was that?" Other energy drink fans may disagree, but in our opinion, when it says "WhoopAss" on the can, should you really be surprised at a taste like this?

Here's the ingredient list of the new WhoopAss:

Jones WhoopAss
Carbonated water, pure cane sugar, citric acid, taurine, natural flavors, sodium citrate, L-carnitine base (levocarnitine), yerba mate extract, L-arginine, L-lysine HCL, caffeine, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), green tea extract, grape concentrate, niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Red 40, pyridoxine HCL (Vitamin B6), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), cyanocobalamin HCL (Vitamin B12)

If you compare, it's quite different from the original WhoopAss:

Jones WhoopAss 1.0
Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, taurine, citric acid, natural flavors, inositol, potassium benzoate (to preserve freshness), caffeine, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), niacin, panax ginseng extract, guarana seed extract, pyridoxine HCL (Vitamin B6), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), and thiamin HCL (Vitamin B1)

A 16 oz. can of WhoopAss contains 220 calories, 52 g of carbs (all of them sugars), 3.4 mg riboflavin, 40 mg niacin, 4 mg Vitamin B6, 12 mcg Vitamin B12, and 320 mg sodium. Amongst the other supplements you'll find 200 mg of caffeine, which breaks down to 12.5 mg/oz. (For comparison, regular Mountain Dew has 4.5 mg/oz.)

The drink definitely provides a buzz and a pick-me-up. We tasted it at 9 a.m. and still could feel the effects later in the day (granted, we're probably more sensitive to caffeine than most readers).

Overall, we were disappointed in the flavor of Jones WhoopAss. Energy drink fans will want to check it out to see if it fits into their style of beverage, but from a generalist perspective, there are probably better drinks you could be exploring.

Official Website: JonesSoda.com