Sodastream Sampler Pack product reviews

We received one of these packs with the sodastream machine we won and it was a great way to start us off and help us learn what flavours we liked and didn't like before going out and buying the bigger bottles of syrup. The pack provides a good range of flavours so you get to try a lot of different flavours for a really great price. If you were buying this pack you would get 12 litres of fizzy drink for just $15 so it really is a great price for a great pack.

From this I fond my favourites were the Summer Lemon and the Sugar free Cranberry and Raspberry but I did also quite like the Xstream Energy. The summer lemon is such a refreshing drink which is just perfect for a hot summers day, and my kids also found out that it makes great tasting lemonade iceblocks! I liken the taste to a home made lemonade with real lemons it has a real refreshing fresh lemon taste. I was surprised I liked the Cranberry and Raspberry so much as I am not usually a fan of sugar free drinks but this was really sweet tasting and definitely had the sweetness of the raspberry.

The Xstream energy really appealed to me as I love energy drinks so was quite fond of this one! I have to admit the other sugar free varities such as the Lemonade and Cola I didn't like at all but like I said I am not a fan of sugar free drinks so it wasn't a surprise. The others were nice although I am not a fan of creaming soda my daughter loved it because it is so sweet and the green colour she really liked too!

As far as sample packs go this is a good one as it has something that appeals to everyone, but we did have one syrup left that we haven't used and probably wont as we don't like Tonic. That is pretty good odds out of 12 though so you wouldn't begrudge buying the pack to be left with one that you can't use. I found this fantastic to give me a taste of the different syrups and helped me to decide what to buy when we went to buy our first syrups.

I have always been a great fan of "sampler packs" - usually because they give me the chance to trial a product without having to fork out the full price and risk not being able to get a refund - in part of in full - if the product fails to meet it's promises. This, however, was just inspirational! 12 flavours (plus 3 more that arrived later) and I couldn't WAIT to start!

First things first - knowing how heavily the Sodastream machine had been getting hammered by the kids recently, I had to pop out and get a new gas cylinder - and this is something I can not push too strongly: ALWAYS have a spare cylinder handy. As soon as you fit a new one, go swap out the empty one for a fresh charge!

So, the flavours I tried:
- Orange: Not as fresh'n'fruity as I was hoping, it carried with it a little of the bitterness of orange pith. While that makes it quite unique, and avoids the horrible sickly-sweetness of some orange fizzies, it wasn't what I would call and adorable flavour. However, when used as a mixer with some vodka I won online, it did a very admirable job, as was ready when I was, full-fizz!

- Summer Lemon: Quite tart, but with a nice twist to it that kept it interesting. When mixed with something else very sweet - such as half-&-half with L&P, then used as a mixer with Southern Comfort, it became a great extra! Sure, adding the L&P stopped it from being quite so healthy and 'immediate', but SC & L&P is a very sweet mix, and this helped add a little 'edge' back in.

- Lemonade: Sorry, but this was just not for me. Nothing I tried could make this tolerable, and over half of it went down the drain.

- Cranberry & Raspberry: This was actually really nice, and went well with vodka. I really enjoyed the interplay for the two fruits, and how they managed to keep their own flavours while still blending well. This was a very clever piece of flavour-sculpting, IMHO.

- Red Berry Mix: Not a part of this sampler yet, it apparently is available in the little sampler bottles as a promotional item when you swap out your gas bottles. It did not look a thing like I expected - being a very watery pink instead of the expected deep red/purple - but it sure tasted nice! Quite a light flavour, but still very definite.

- Lime: Always up for a lime drink, this was one I was quick to try out, and I am glad I did. Well worth looking at a full-sized bottle of if you enjoy lime. It didn't have the sharpness of a Key Lime, more of a sweet sugary lime the likes of which you would find in thickshakes, but it still was well worth making up. I even tried mixing the last few dribbles of the syrup with some ice-cream, and the results were so impressive I will be looking to get a bottle JUST for dessert experiments!

Overall, this is a great way to explore a wide range of flavours, without risking having half a dozen bottles of flavours you really don't want to use, filling the cupboards. Though the price is quite high when compared to a single makes-12-litres syrup, you need to keep in mind that the greatest portion of this cost is the extra packaging and handling required to make a sampler of 12 different flavours. If you balance that off against the cost of even half as many bottles of wasted syrup... and suddenly it's not so expensive after all.

Having a sample box is a great idea, 12 different flavours which gives you a great sense of what you like and don't like within the range....and having the option of a small sample rather than wasting money on a bottle of something you may not even like. The individual bottles are so cute and I like how they are perfectly measured to flavour a 1 litre bottle, easy all you have to do is cut the top off and squeeze the syrup into the bottle...couldn't get any easier!

My favourite sample was the Lime flavour...I loved the colour, the smell and the taste was out of this world..I was disappointed I was only able to make one bottle of lime soda stream, I shall have to purchase another bottle of this flavour for sure.

The Orange flavour wasn't all all what I hoped for..I am a fanta fan and hoped that the orange flavour would be like that but sadly no...however it did have a great orange colour and the taste was okay and yes I would purchase more.

I was super surprised at the Xstream Energy flavour and this has been a hit with me, usually not a fan of energy drinks but this flavour has converted me, I love the flavour..not sure of the energy boost but the taste was so refreshing I added it to my shopping list and purchased another bottle.

Another favourite is the Summer Lemon, I have always enjoyed lemon drinks and I am super glad that soda stream has this flavour, I also have purchased a large bottle of this flavour and enjoy it's refreshing taste and lemon hit. Same goes with the Sugar Free option of this drink...yes not as sweet but just as refreshing and tasty... definitely a hit in my book!

I wasn't a fan of the sugar free cola or the diet cola...not sure if it was the cola instead of coke taste but these flavours aren't for me.

Cranberry Raspberry was so delicious I wish there was more of that flavour and and with it being sugar free is an added bonus, and usually I don't like fruity drinks but this flavour was a hit....great taste, great colour and the smell was so inviting.

The lemonade flavour tasted just like the sprite flavour ( I couldn't tell the difference) so that is a good thing. I also used the sample flavour to make some scones so lemonade was added to the shopping list also so I have the syrup on hand when needed to make more scones...perfect!

Then there was the Red Berry mix... unfortunately when I went to make up this flavour I had a blonde moment (and I am not even a blonde!) I added the syrup without carbonating the water so my review of this flavour is flawed but.....I was disappointed with the colour...it was almost clear? I was expecting more of a red colour to it.....the berry smell was very pleasant through and the taste without the fizz was okay as well, I think I would purchase this flavour as the experience I had with it wasn't at all bad.

I agree with the other reviewers that the price seems to be a lot for the amount of syrup you are receiving in the pack but in the long run really the consumer is saving money because if they purchased a large bottle of several flavours that they didn't like they would be worse off...so I like the sample box and if I had the option to buy single serves of new flavours I would be keen as!

The Soda Stream sampler box is pricey but a fabulous idea for trying out 12 easy to open samples (Make up 1 litre) of some of the flavours Soda Stream have on offer before buying a big bottle and finding you don't like it so wasting the unused syrup and your money.

Being a Soda Stream fan I loved getting a chance to try, and review, one of these sampler boxes, and a couple of other samples.

Red Berry Mix - Sounds like something I'd enjoy and it was, I found the flavour very tasty and refreshing even if the colour was a little on the dull side.

Summer Lemon - Another favourite as it tasted just like the lemon drink my nana used to make but the added bonus of bubbles, a very drinkable summer drink that I'm sure would go well with a splash of vodka.

Creaming Soda - Usually a big fan, I was sadly disappointed by the lack of creaming soda taste more of a vanilla taste and the bright green is so not the colour it should be.

Lemonade and Sugar Free Lemonade - Were both not to my liking as the were more sweet and syrupy than actual lemonade tasting.

Sugar Free Cranberry and Raspberry - Probably my favourite as I enjoyed, the sweetness without the overkill and the added bonus of another one I would drink with vodka.

Orange - Was very drinkable it didn't have the usual fizzy orange syrupy overkill taste but was more 'natural' tasting and easy to drink.

Xstream Energy - Sorry but this didn't tick any boxes for me at all, not what I was expecting at all, very syrupy and no energy kick.

These samplers can be picked up cheaper than the usual $14.99 at some stores when they have sales, Briscoes does this often.

Ooooo I was so excited to receive the sodastream sampler box in the mail. I had never seen a sampler box before until mine arrived from KIWIreviews. I love it! What a fantastic idea. I do have to agree with other reviewers though, unsure why the sampler box costs so much more than a normal bottle when you are getting the same amount of finished drink - 12 litres. Yet the cost is over twice what you pay for one single flavour bottle.

I understand you are getting 12 different flavours, so obviously the variety is the reason behind the extra cost but still seems a bit extravagant to me. If the sampler box was priced more along the lines of $8.99 - $9.99 then I would be more inclined to purchase regularly. I also think the box is really cool, and the wee bottles are cute and funky and the sampler box would actually be a really neat gift idea.

The little bottles are easy to open and easy to add to the fizzy water, minimal fuss and minimal mess which is a bonus. Miss 6 found these little samples much easier to use herself in comparison to the big bottles and caps, so these are definitely more child friendly too.

With so many different flavours to choose from, its hard to know where to start lol as like anything new, ya just want to try them all. We loved the lime, really loved the diet cola, the orange was okay, the cream soda was weird and the Xstream energy was less than xstream haha

Cola - I have to say I was really impressed with the diet cola. Normally I personally do not bother with cola-drinks, but as we have had the actual cola regularly the diet cola was voted as first to try. What a wonderful flavored cola, it smells great, and is the perfect cola colour, but the flavour, ummm I am not even sure how to describe it - it has a fruity hint to it, I do not know why and I do not know what fruit but it just does lol It is such a really yummy cola, definitely my most favorite cola, in fact I would almost say I prefer it over the all to famous coca cola.

Lime - my daughter loves lime everything, so as soon as she was given the opportunity to pick the next flavour to try she straight away picked the lime, and she even made it herself. This is definitely lime; in colour, smell and taste. It is not to strong or over bearing, and was definitely her favorite of all the ones she tried. I am not a huge lime fan, but even I have to agree, it was neither to strong or sweet, it was well just right for a lime drink.

Cream soda - sorry to say it, but this was our least favorite of the entire lot. We do like creaming soda, but this one was just um odd. It was an unusual yellowy green colour, which was off putting, it smelled funny and it did not taste like any creaming soda we have ever had. We all tried it, but I'm sorry to say this one actually got tipped down the drain

Xstream energy - I was really intrigued by this one, having only ever tried shelf bought known energy drinks before. This was nice, I don't know if it increased anybody's energy but it quenched the thirst. The one thing I did find most amusing with this one, when ready the info on the pack of the bottles, the Xstream energy had a lower energy % than 99% of the other flavours...I found that really bizarre

Red Berry - this one came as quite a surprise. I was expecting quite a strong berry flavour and a deep red colour (because of the name I think) but it was neither of these. Very light in colour and flavour. A bit of a let down really as I am a fan of berry drinks. Not a total loss though as it is nice and it could be adjusted for that stronger flavour if really wanted but when adjusted I didn't really like it.

Summer lemon - A fave with the kids and a perfect summer drink. The name fits perfectly. Light, refreshing and a great flavour. Would be a great addition to the picnic basket

All in all, I think the sampler box is a great idea, especially for families where everyone has different tastes and different flavours, it is just a shame the price is what it is.

I shall just point out first my one downside to this pack is the price. When you compare the cost of the pack, which gives you a total of 12 litres worth of drink, compared to one bottle which provides the same amount of drink for half the price, I wouldn't be too eager to buy it. I can understand in a way, as it would be a more costly to provide the small bottles, I would be more likely to buy if it was a little cheaper.

Cola, Diet Cola and Sugar-free Cola - Nothing is going to taste like Coca Cola, but the flavour for the sodastream is nice, and all three versions provided taste equally the same to me, do I would happily drink and of the three versions. However I did feel that three types of Cola was overkill, and a different flavour could have easily filled the place of one or two of them.

Orange - For the first time in ten years I have found an orange flavoured fizzy that isn't sickly sweet, and due to this I have bought the Orange and Mango happily knowing, thanks to the orange, that it wouldn't be sickly sweet.

Summer Lemon - Delish, tastes to me like old fashioned lemonade, just fizzy.

Lemonade and Sugar-free Lemonade - Did not like these flavours at all, and would not buy them again, so it was good that I got to try them first before buying a whole bottle.

Raspberry - Another drink I am glad to find and that doesn't taste sickly sweet.

Sugar-free Cranberry and Raspberry - Great flavour, really enjoyed it, added a bit of vodka to it, even better.

Cream Soda and Tonic - Not a fan of either, so very glad to try it in a small sample size first.

Xstream Energy - Thought that this would be perfect, and was really excited to try it as if it was any good, it's a lot cheaper than buying cans of energy drink. Sadly, whilst it is a nice flavour, it has an aftertaste that lingers for far too long.

I also got sent another three extra flavours, Lime, Sugar-free Summer Lemon and Red Berry Mix.

Sugar-free Summer Lemon - Was delicious and I think that I actually enjoyed it more than the non-sugar-free version. I would definitely get this one again.

Red Berry Mix - I didn't like this one that much. I was expecting something very berry flavoured but this to me was just a weak version on the Cranberry and Raspberry flavour and therefore not one that I would buy in the future.

Lime - This was a nice flavour, not too sweet with a great taste to it. Whilst I don't think I would buy it to drink it on its own, I would buy it to mix with Vodka.

This taste sampler pack has got the thumbs up from our household. Initially I was a little dubious about the extra packaging to have 12 small samplers but I have recycled the cardboard packet and the little pouches squash down pretty small. Each pouch is 42 ml of flavouring which makes 1 litre of drink.

The pouches are really easy to snap open and pour into the soda stream bottle. What we love is having different flavours to try without having to commit to purchasing a whole bottle of a flavour that we might not like. Also with the big bottles they have to be kept in the fridge so we have already a stash of bottles taking up room in the fridge. The sampler packs mean that everybody in the family can have their taste needs met. Hubby actually would prefer that we just buy the sampler packs rather than bottles and certainly these would be great for when we go away at summer and want to take the Soda Stream machine with us but not bottles of flavour (which take up valuable chilly bin or our tiny fridge space).

Flavour wise there hasn't been a flavour in the pack that someone hasn't liked. my top six however would have to be;

Lime - We all loved this. It actually really reminded me of a lime popsicle. I wouldn't have bought this as a bottle so was glad to have been able to try it. It is a brilliant refreshing summer drink and I would also use it as a mixer. Yummy!

Red Berry - This was a 10/10 for all of us and we were fighting over the bottle. I think we will have to get this in a bottle as it was berry berry delicious!

Cranberry raspberry sugar free - I really liked this and it was good to drink it guilt free without the calories. This was really refreshing and I love the tartness of the cranberry. I have purchased a bottle of this already.

Tonic - this was good. Not as nice as my usual tonic water but was nice on its own and with a shot of gin on ice so I would buy this in a bottle.

Orange - Yummy according to the little misses. We all liked this and it is definitely a very orange flavour.

Lemonade - This was a good lemonade flavour. Everyone loved this taste and it just took me back to lemonade drinks a as a child. Spot on for summer!

So overall I think these packs are worth buying if you want to try different flavours but also if you don't go through a lot of Soda Stream flavour these are great just to have on hand in the cupboard for when you get the desire to have a little Soda Stream tipple. They are a little expensive so this is a convenience over cost product.

I purchased my SodaStream a couple of years ago and since the first gas cylinder finished it has sat redundant at the back of the cupboard. When the opportunity came up to review these, I whipped out and got a refill on my gas cylinder and was right into these, testing up a storm!

I love the idea behind this, you get a chance to try HEAPS of flavours without having to commit $ into one big bottle you may not like. Smaller packed samplers might be a good idea for the company to look into (maybe 6 sugar free ones, or 6 more traditional flavours etc) as I do find $14.99 a lot of money to spend on drinks at once when you won't use it all in one week.

I really liked the fact the you can rip the top off the wee sample packs and there is no need to use scissors (which in my house go missing all the time!) and the overall packet is great and still intact with the last few samples in it in the pantry, its small and compact and doesn't take up much room, but is easy to open and close. Fantastic!

Below are my separate reviews of the flavours I have tested out so far.

Cola: I really enjoyed this, it was very much the same as the leading brands, just not so fizzy which I actually preferred. I would definitely buy this again - I would enjoy it teamed up with Malibu! I was surprised I really enjoyed this as I normally hate normal *coke* and opt for diet but this didn't have intense fizziness shop bought coke does and possibly why I enjoyed it.

Orange: We made this up one night and had it with takeaways for dinner. It was a big hit with everyone. I was dubious as I don't really enjoy fake orange flavour but it was very much like Fanta just not so strong. It wouldn't be on the top of my list to buy again, not because I didn't like it, but because I like other flavours more than this. This is definitely worth a try if you enjoy orange.

Sugar-free Lemonade: I was really looking forward to this as out of any 'fizz' I drink diet lemonade the most. I was really disappointed in this flavour as it was very sweet and syrupy tasting. I wouldn't buy this one again.

Raspberry. This was nice and vibrant, just how raspberry should be in my opinion. It was flavourful and nice to drink. This would be nice mixed with cola and cloves as well. I would buy this again but would limit the kids intake due to the colour in it.

Sugar-free Cranberry and Raspberry... This was lovely! Would be the perfect flavour to add vodka to and remember the pre children days of vodka and cranberry drinks at the local. I practically like this as it is sugar free.

Cream Soda, I was highly disappointed that this is green!! Oh it is so wrong, creaming soda is meant to be yellow! I hated drinking the bright green artificial looking drink. The taste however wasn't too bad. This was a favourite of my partner though. He said it was like vanilla.

Xstream Energy: This was the first one of the sample pack I chose to open and was really looking forward to it. I *try* to limit my intake of energy drinks but I love having a V or Red Bull to pick me up. I tasted this and it was very syrupy and I went and read the instructions again to ensure that I had put the right amount it as I was sure I had gotten it wrong. I managed to drink my glass and left the rest of the bottle in the fridge which my partner finished off and said it tasted like Mother Energy. This maybe a good alternative to drinking red bull and vodka if you're wanting something a little cheaper, but it wasn't one for me.

Red Berry mix - When I made this up it was very light in colour compared to others I had made, I guess I expected a vibrant colour similar to the packaging. I thought it would be quite weak but boy was I wrong! It's possibly my favourite! Its light and refreshing and would be perfect on a hot summers day with ice and frozen strawberry's at a BBQ. This is something I would drink if I was the sober driver, or pregnant. The only downside for me personally is I prefer sugar free varieties. But taste wise this is my fav!

Overall I am so glad to have been able to try out a large variety of flavours and there are a few in here that will be brought as big bottles in my house in the near future. This is such a nifty idea and would make a great pressy for someone who already owns a SodaStream machine.

We have a soda stream machine and it is always in use over summer. We have friends who come over, re-fill our gas bottle and even bring syrup for our use. So it was a nice change to have this sample pack to share with them. It also allowed us to try out and see if we could find new favourites. We are an adventurous lot after all. Here I will cover the flavours we have tried so far and what we thought of them.

Red Berry Mix - This was a really interesting syrup. I was expecting something almost raspberry flavoured with lots of red colouring. But it was actually as close to colour-free as you could get. It also had a really nice berry flavour. I didn't share any, but I would definitely buy it again.

Lime - this was not what I was expecting either. I was expecting a really bright green colour with that artificial lime flavour too. This lime was more like a lime cordial flavour with a more natural colour as well. I prefer a less natural flavour though when it comes to lime.

Cream Soda - this was a bit too sweet for me. I loved the vibrant green, but in my day Cream Soda was not quite as sweet and was clear in colour. I do love creaming soda though, and have already bought a bottle of it.

Cola - if it isn't Coca Cola I'm usually not going to be sold on it. But I have to say that the flavour of this Cola was really good. I would drink that one again happily. It would also make an ideal mixer for spirits.

Diet Cola - this tasted like a diet cola drink. I wasn't sold on it. The taste was fairly close to the cola, so that was good. The artificial sweetener taste was too present for me though.

Sugar-Free Cola - this tasted a lot like the sugar free and caffeine free cola you can get. Basically flavourless soda water with the colour of a cola. I wasn't too impressed, but I like a lot of flavour in my soft drinks.

Summer Lemon - Delicious and a bit like Lift if you like that. We use this a lot at home and go through at least a bottle every summer. It makes a great mixer with vodka.

Raspberry - I was expecting the classic raspberry fizzy drink, with lots of fakery. This tastes again, more like a fruit cordial, natural berry flavours. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be.

Orange - this I was expecting to be a bit like Fanta. It was not at all like that, way more natural flavoured. This time that was a huge selling point for me, because I like fresh orange but I hate fake orange flavouring. This was delicious.

Lemonade - this was really nice. I enjoyed the flavour and found it a good mixer too. I would definitely get this one again as well.

So overall, a lot more hits than misses with these syrups. I would recommend the sample pack to anyone buying their first soda stream. That way you will have a good idea of the flavours that suit you and your family.

Getting this sample pack was one of the best things i have asked for in the reviews, it contains 12 flavours and then I got another 3 flavours later on, one of which i already had. I already had 4 flavours in the house, so getting this pack of 15 different ones was great got me thinking about what else i might like and what the kids like... Of course cant forget hubby who had ones he liked too.

I have tried most of them now and going to review 7 of them right now. Lemonade, Raspberry, Cranberry and raspberry sugar free, energy, cola, red berry mix and creaming soda. Im lucky that i have only just got my machine in Jan so this pack is prefect timing

Lemonade - This was the first we tried as the kids love sprite, the kids and hubby enjoyed this one, me not so much but then again I dont like sprite either

Raspberry - Loved the bright colour and its taste was very nice, the only problem i had was a taste afterwards that i didnt like too much, was more like a metallic taste for me. The others in the household seemed to enjoy it.

cranberry and raspberry sugar free - hubby made this one up without me knowing, i took a drink and hand to handle i automatically said gross that's sugar free, diet or something along those lines, i dont like diet or sugarfree drinks and i cant tell the different. Hubby and the kids on the other hand enjoy it.

Energy - Hubby likes those energy drinks so thought he would give this one a go. Its got a sweet smell like it kinda like lift plus i drink i use to live on..i had a taste of it and cant say it tickles my fancy but hubby seems to like this one, so might be a good one for him, kids are staying away from this one.

Cola - Not too bad, tasted more like the budget cola you can get in the shops but the bonus is, there is more water to it than the stuff in the bottles. I was happier to give this to my kids than stuff of the shelves as you only make a litre at a time. Im not a fan of coke or cola but i was able to drink it without feeling ill, tasted like it has less of the sugar content in it and of course i can make it as fizzy or less fizzy as i like.

Red berry mix - this is another kids fav and im happy with it too, its not too strong and it doesnt stain so its good for the kids.

Creaming soda - never been a fan of this drink but still gave it a go. Yup and it goes for this not a fan of it either, but again kids enjoyed it.

Im glad the sugar free and zero ones were in the sample pack as these ones seem to go well with the kids and hubby and yup friends that come over too, but for me I cant say i like them, i can taste the different in them and even with hubby making a drink without me knowing and giving it to me, i knew it was sugar free right away with first taste so thats one lot of drinks i wont be buying for myself, maybe for the kids .

I would recommend this sampler pack for anyone with a soda stream, as each little sample makes 1 litre if you dont like it, its not a full waste of money, if you do like it bonus that's another you can put on the shopping list.

I think that this is a clever little pack, it has given me a chance to try Sodastream flavours that I have never tried before, and the box only takes up a small amount of space. Out of the 12 flavours in the pack (plus 3 others that we got later: Lime, Red Berry Mix, and Sugar-free Summer Lemon), there were only 2 that we have at home, Xstream Energy and Cola, but the rest are totally alien to me. I will be reviewing 5 flavours: Orange, Lemonade, Raspberry, Cream Soda and Lime.

Orange: This was a great flavour, if I hadn't stuffed up by putting in a bottle of water straight from the tap and therefore ruining the carbonation, it probably would have tasted pretty much like Fanta. My Dad said that the colder the water, the more CO2 it holds, so fresh water from the tap just made the whole drink go flat.The flavour I did get was okay, it wasn't too far from the taste of the Sugarfree Orange we have at home, but it was a lot sweeter and tastier!

Lemonade: This was a pretty good one, it definitely had it's relations to lemon-flavoured drinks like Sprite and L&P, but it was still unique in a true Sodastream fashion. It had quite a sweet taste, and the lemon taste wasn't drowned out by any other components like sweeteners etc. Lemonade is quite a simple, basic and classic flavour, so there isn't much "WOW" factor to it, but overall it is pretty good!

Raspberry: This was the first flavour I tried, and pretty much the best! It was quite sweet, and was perfect for a sugar rush when it is needed. It was a lot like the Schweppes raspberry drink you get in the refills at places like McDonalds, so it was rather appetizing, I gulped down the whole bottle in just a couple of days! I think that this was a great flavour for me to have chosen first!

Cream Soda: This one was quite a shocker, apparently regular Cream Soda is supposed to be translucent like water, so it was a surprise to see this drink's dark, lime-green colour. Cream Soda is a drink I have never tried before, and after having this, I thought it was a very weird taste. Just the name of the drink sounds a little bit like it originated in France to me, and there was the French Vanilla taste in the drink to add to that theory. I never knew that someone could make a vanilla-flavoured fizzy drink really was a strange taste, I actually thought to myself: "Woah, vanilla soft drink, the stuff they can make these days!" It was enjoyable though, so now I have my dad's sample of this for me to have later!

Lime: From the first cup of this I tried, the drink tasted rather watery, it was mostly the fizzy water I was tasting, but I was soon to find out as I worked my way down to the bottom of the bottle that I had forgotten to invert the bottle to mix the syrup with the water, ! If I try and dull down the over-sweet taste of the drink with the flavouring accumulated at the bottom, than I am left with a rather nice drink, it's actually quite a shame that I don't have a second sample to give this one a go, this fact drives me SHAZBOT! Overall, pretty good, I am seriously impressed with all the flavours I have tried. Well Done Sodastream!

I have always been a fan of Soda Stream, but have always stuck to all my favourite flavours. This pack is brilliant as it makes it easy to try before you buy. I really wish this had been around years ago.

The instructions are really simple to follow, gas and burp your bottle. They tell you to bend the top, I personally found this hard to do, so I just cut it. My first challenge was to decide what flavour to have, I wanted to leave my favourites to last so i could enjoy them.

Ive never been a fan of Tonic so that was my first one, I was pleasantly surprised as it didn't have any bitter after taste I have had from Tonic in the past.

My next choice was Xstream. I couldn't work out what it was meant to taste like, I just knew it wasnt something i would go for. if you like Caffeine drinks them it is for you.

I have tried both the Sugar free Cola and Lemonade before so to me it was nothing new, but in saying that it was good. i just don't like the after-taste you get from the sweeteners. I also couldn't tell much difference between the Sugar Free and Diet Colas, which i found a bit disappointing.

As always the Lemonade, Raspberry, Orange and Cola all hit the spot and I was very please to see they have not messed with the taste after all these years.

What i was dying to try was the Summer Lemon, Sugar-free Cranberry and Raspberry & Cream Soda as they were all new to me. I adored the tang of the Summer Lemon, it wasnt to sharp and was so refreshing on a hot summers day. Seeing the wonderful, bright green of the Cream Soda made me think of the yummy South African ones I love to guzzle. It takes me back to my childhood and i loved it. Sugar-free Cranberry and Raspberry was so yummy, it had kids colours bit and adult taste it reminded me of an RTD with no alcohol in it and was divine.

I will be getting a few new flavours to add to my stash because of this tasting set, these will be the Summer Lemon, Sugar-free Cranberry and Raspberry & of course the Cream Soda. this is a great way to try before you buy.

Then I first discovered the Sodastream Sampler Pack I wished it had been around when I bought my machine several years ago. Over time we have bought lots of different bottles of syrup and most we have loved but a few we found were not right for us and a waste of money.

With the sampler pack you get enough to make one litre each of twelve syrups. As with any mixed pack there are some you wouldn't choose but most were worthwhile. The instructions say you bend the top until it breaks open. I was too impatient especially as my water was getting flat so I cut it open with the scissors.

My Fear Factor challenge was the tonic. I haven't drunk it since I was a teenager walking into a bar ordering a gin and tonic. As a non-drinker I chose to drink this straight. It had a strong but not unpleasant taste and was as I remembered. Before I knew it the whole bottle was gone.

The raspberry was a hit with both the kids and my husband. Full of colour but thankfully my carpet was spared.

My husband always has a cola syrup in the house and just grabs the first one he sees at the supermarket so he enjoys the regular, sugar-free and diet varieties. To be honest he wouldn't know which one he was drinking if someone else made it for him.

I expected the orange to be very bright and strong like Fanta but was pleasantly surprised to find to was more yellow than orange and had a sweet but not over powering taste. This too was a hit with the kids.

Summer lemon has long been a favourite syrup in our house. A very refreshing sweet but also tangy lemon flavour. Having now tried the diet variety I honestly couldn't taste the difference beween the two. I was so surprised I can usually taste the artificial sweetners. For the sake of my wasteline will be buying the diet variety from now on.

We always have either the lemonade or sugar free variety in the house. To be honest I prefer the more natural taste of the regular one but feel less guilty drinking the sugar free.

The sugar-free cranberry and raspberry is an adult's drink coloured like a child's one. My husband and I agreed it reminded us of a Vodka Cruizer.

I was surprised to see the florescent green of the creaming soda. I have never liked creaming soda but again the kids and my husband loved it.

The lime Soda Stream was much paler than I expected had a more natural lime flavour than most lime fizzy drinks. I was surprised to find myself enjoying it. It wasn't too sweet and had a nice citris tang. The kids loved it too.

red berry mix was not at all what I was expecting. It had very little colour and flavour. This was another variety that is aimed more for the adults and would compliment your favourite spirit.

Xtream was one my husband was keen to try. He didn't enjoy it. He said that there was something not quite right with the flavour.

As a result of having the sampler pack we will be getting the orange and lime syrups regularly along with some of our regular favourites. It would be great if these sampler pouches were available individually so those of us that had been using for years could try the new varieties as they come out.