As soon as you put something out into the universe, like "I'm quitting soda," forces immediately start to work against you. So, here we are. Barely a week later and I have not one, not two, but THREE new sodas to try AND even more soda coming in the mail because I am a sucker for Stranger Things and their New Coke promo.
The re-released Stranger Things themed cans of New Coke use the formula previously released in 1985, which is before I was born, so I jumped at the opportunity. As for the other sodas, my fiancee bought me the Spider-man themed Dr. Pepper as a gift, because he knew I was interested in it, as well as the orange-vanilla coke. The California Raspberry coke? That was all me.
Time to jump in and see how these taste! (Sweet sugary caffeine, how I've missed you.)
California Raspberry Coca Cola - The raspberry flavored Coke from their Freestyle machines is our absolute favorite version of Coke and we wished it came in cans and bottles so we could enjoy it at home, so when this flavor (along with Georgia Peach) was announced, we were stoked.
It comes in a glass bottle with raised white print, and it's sealed with a real bottle cap. (Not a twist-off.) In this day and age, that kind of packaging has become a novelty praying on nostalgia, and I am 100% here for it. There's just something about drinking soda from an ice cold glass bottle that makes it automatically better than any other packaging.
That being said, I really enjoyed this soda. The flavoring is classic Coke with a noticeable raspberry twist, which is light, refreshing, and pairs nicely with a burger and fries. But, this does not taste like my beloved Freestyle version. It's less punchy, with more of a mellowed out raspberry flavoring. Maybe the syrup used for this formula is different, or maybe the ratio in the Freestyle machines is slightly off, but I prefer the fountain version to this bottled one. Still, it's really yummy, and probably one of the best bottles Coke products I've had in ages, so I am going to buy more of it and store it away like the hoarder I am. (Worth noting, my fiancee and fellow raspberry-Coke-fan isn't as enamored with this version as I am.)
Dark Berry Dr. Pepper - I am so disappointed that the actual soda inside the bottle isn't blue. As artificial as that would be, I was really hoping that I'd get to relive the blue-colored soda craze of the late 90's, but this is just a slightly more raspberry-tinted cola color.
It tastes like Dr. Pepper from a soda fountain where the syrup to seltzer ratio is just a bit off mixed with a melted bomb-pop. This is sweet, slightly flatter than normal, and other than a faint indistinct fruit flavoring, this tastes like a slightly sad, but normal, Dr. Pepper, or a knock off of the California Raspberry Coke. It's drinkable, but not all that enjoyable.
Orange-Vanilla Coke - Who asked for this? This tastes like Coca Cola mixed with orange baby aspirin. If you are the kind of person who likes Orange Julius, which also tastes like medicinal orange, you'd be into this one. Personally, I thought this was disgusting.
Normally I like orange flavored things, but orange Creamsicle-cola? Not my idea of a good time. Unlike the other two flavors, this is a new permanent addition to the Coke line-up, but, like "New Coke," sometimes companies make a mistake.
Of these three, only Raspberry is making me miss soda. The other two? Not so much.
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