I recently tried this Yuzu Calpis Soda from the Japan series at XFT and was pleasantly surprised. I mean, not that surprised because I know what Calpis tastes like and I love it, but mixed with soda and in the form of “bubble tea”? Actually, it was great. I haven’t tasted something like this before and for it to come from a bubble tea shop was interesting.

I like the touch of creaminess that the Calpis brings to this drink and the fun side from the fizzyness of the soda. I went for the yuzu flavour as I thought that would be quite a Japanese combination. I found the drink much lighter than the usual milk teas because the Calpis does the trick of giving you that milky colour and creamy taste but without being as filling as milk. There also wasn’t an excessive amount of Calpis, so despite being lactose intolerant this was alright for my stomach. The yuzu purée at the bottom was yummy and provided the drink with enough flavour without overpowering - I could still taste all the individual components of this drink: yuzu, Calpis, and soda. As for the pink grape flavoured jelly inside, I couldn’t really taste any grape flavour in it but it was quite a light jelly to begin with.

I’d be keen to try the other flavours in this Calpis series but could do without the pink grape flavoured jelly, as it didn’t add much to the drink overall.