Taste testing: Fentiman's soda - Dandelion and Burdock

Fentiman's is a UK brand of sodas licensed to be made in the US. This Dandelion & Burdock version includes extracts from two weeds: dandelion root and burdock root.  It also includes ginger, anise, and pear. I wrote about this weedy product earlier, but here is a more scientific investigation.

I had a little taste test of this carbonated drink that I found (surprisingly!) in a local supermarket.  I asked over 20 students and family members to write down their thoughts on the smell and the taste and if they liked it or not.  The result?  Overwhelming positive!  Funny enough, many people said it smelled like bubblegum, and in particular Bazooka Bubblegum.  I better look that up, maybe there is some burdock in the Bazooka brand.



Comments from tasters:

Tastes like bubble gum. Tastes exactly how it smells

Strong smell – mellow taste – almost like cream soda/root beer – I liked it

Harsh nose – alcoholic almost – light on palate – doesn’t hold carbonization – flat – does not linger on palate

Delicious! Smells a little strange, but tastes great!

It’s good. A cross between root beer and bubble gum. And perfectly carbonated.

Love it! I bet it would be good with vanilla ice cream, or by itself as an after-dinner treat.  It has a nice fragrance.

Smell – sweet, like cream soda. Taste – light, not overpowering sweet, bazooka bubblegum aftertaste, but scant.  Overall quite delicious.

It tastes like black licorice, smells like a bad cough medicine.

A grassy licorice taste at first, a sweet aftertaste.

Tastes like Dr. Pepper, mixed with Jaegermeister (I assume it is the herbal qualities I am picking up). There is a slightly cherry or plum sort of undertone that probably gives me the Dr. Pepper. Also reminds me a bit of Ricola throat drops. These are all positive, however. It’s more refreshing than super sweet fruit sodas and colas.

I think it tasted good, light and fresh. Just like cola with some herbs.

Taste like one of the traditional Chinese medicines, a little bitter for the first 5 seconds and then coming with really good sweet taste. I like it!

I found this to be nice and light, less sugar than other sodas.

Overall, not bad, but needs more sugar. Nice texture and taste; aftertaste like bubblegum.

I liked it, but didn’t love it… It’s a bit too sweet for my taste. And very ‘fruity’. I would drink it with no effort, but it is not my favorite drink in the world.

Not enough flavor for a soda.  Maybe more sugar, it lacks a flavor kick.

It is really sweet. I don’t really like it, it is too sweet.

It kind of reminds me of cough syrup.

Weird aftertaste. Reminds me of Peptobismol, but I like that, this is all right. Smell like old-fashioned Amish candy.

It is the best tasting soda I have ever tasted in my life.

It smells good. It tastes good, just too sweet.

There is clove in this smell.

Smell – I really don’t like it, some old weird candy.

Smells like Bazzooka bubble gum.

Species: Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, Asteraceae
Species: Burdock, Arctium, Asteraceae