Fitz's Premium Cream Soda

Where and when: purchased 3/4/09 at BevMo, Oceanside, CA
Color: a rich, deep orangey-brown, still transparent. Pretty.
Scent: Not a very strong scent. Vanilla, more complex than Faygo's, but still pretty sweet (rather than bitter) vanilla.
Taste: Oddly, it tastes like grape soda with vanilla added. This is not what I expected at all. There's a big berry/grape undertone, with sweet vanilla on top. Quite smooth, easy to drink. Very sweet. I'm liking this. The berry undertone persists in the aftertaste, which has the vanilla fading away, leaving the tartness of the berry as the last thing to disappear.
The Kibbitzer-In-Chief says (after grimacing) "It tastes like bubble gum." After I expressed disagreement, she went and got a piece of gum and made me eat some. She was right--but it was a berry-flavored gum, so I think we're both right. Celebrations later.
Lead Assistant Tester Kieran expresses satisfaction, and concurs with the berry analysis.

Quaff rating: 4. Very drinkable, even with the odd taste combination. I'd still prefer a stronger and more bitter vanilla, but this is quite nice.
Cough rating: 1 and a half. It's very sweet, but unlike some others (like the Filbert's Banana, for example), the sweetness is well-deserved, and balanced by some interest.