Man, that tastes like Malta Goya...

The company I work for recently had a diversity awareness week. The hispanic culture was featured one day as they are a quickly growing demographic and understanding their culture is important for business - I guess. (I think there is more of a business impact that I can not speak spanish to spanish speaking clients, but I digress). Best way for me to understand any given culture is through their food, the higher-ups felt the same! At a luncheon, we were served some traditional hispanic food and this soda called Malta Goya. I didn't try mine as I had my Coke, so I tucked it away until later. The woman who was semi-in-charge of the event said that it tastes best ice-cold. When I got home I put the bottle in the coldest part of the refridgerator and waited. Finishing the bottle was a chore. Believe it! Do people really drink this stuff? Is this why you hate America - because capitalists keep Coke too expensive and you're forced to drink this?! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! My problems were with the smell and the flavor. I'm not used to soda having an aroma. I can't really describe it. Try smelling a chocolate frosted, chocolate cake. It kinda smells like that or .. maybe it doesn't and I'm just craving a cake right now. The flavor was not unlike molasses, maybe a little bit like caramel. The label states it's brewed from pale malt and hops. Had this been an alcoholic drink it might have been ok. After the third I might have actually enjoyed it but alas there were no benefits to the misery. Also, there is nothing noted in the ingredients that the beverage in question contains caffeine! Next time, if there is ever a next time, I'll slip a little rum in - what the hell, right? * The American Eagle Sweatshirt holds no other meaning in the picture other than I was cold.