Cherry Float Coke Zero

I enjoyed this in Alexandria MN on a family vacation:

On the crowded counter before supper one night in our rental cabin.

Brand: Cherry Float Coke Zero.

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Casey's General Store, Alexandria, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: "Regular" Cherry Coke Zero is one of normal "go to" sodas, so I didn't know what I'd think of this CHERRY FLOAT Coke Zero. I had weak expectations (especially after last week's POOR showing of A&W's Root Beer Float soda). But it was quite good! There was a little extra creaminess to it, but not as far as a "cream soda." It's like a Coke Zero with a little extra vanilla cream to it. Not bad! I poured out a few sips for my boys, and they enjoyed it as well.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Coca Cola Zero Sugar Holiday Creamy Vanilla

I grabbed this while walking through Kowalski's the other day:

 
Brand: Coca Cola Zero Sugar Holiday Creamy Vanilla.

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Kowalski's Market, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: I was a little excited for this. I had heard that it was tasty. BUT... it was just too much for me. It was VERY strong on the vanilla. It was almost like it was overly creamy and overly vanilla-y. I suppose that's what it is: a "creamy vanilla" like it says in its name. But it was just too much. Try it if you want something strong on the creamy vanilla, but otherwise stay away.

Score: 4 out of 10.

NEW Orange Cream Coca-Cola Zero

My wife grabbed some of these to try from someone who was given most of a 12-pack away on our local "buy nothing" page because they didn't care for it:

Why is "orange cream" centered in this shot,
but then not "zero sugar" or the text at the bottom?

Brand: Orange Cream Coca-Cola Zero.

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: gifted from our local "buy nothing" Facebook group.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: Cracking this open, I was assaulted with the scent of orange cream. That smell (and flavor) was pretty spot on! The problem is that I like cola, and there's no cola flavor left because it's just orange cream.

I like Coke Zero - it's in my top 5 of normal "daily" afternoon caffeine pick-me-ups. And I also like Cherry Coke Zero - the cherry flavor works itself in nicely with the cola. But this soda is just ALL orange cream. There's no cola flavor left - this is just an orange cream SODA, and not an orange cream COLA. I wish the orange cream was a little toned down so the cola flavor could come through a bit more. I'll put this right in the middle of "average."

Score: 5 out of 10.

Oreo Coca Cola

My wife saw this in the store earlier this week, and she had to grab it for me:

 

Brand: Oreo Coca Cola

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Wal-Mart, Roseville, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: The bottle says "Fizzy Cookie Flavored." And my wife had the big question: "Is this just the CREAM of the Oreo?... Is it like a creamy Coke?" I thought otherwise: "I bet it's chocolate too! I think it will be BOTH flavors of the Oreo: chocolatey and creamy."

And unfortunately, I was right.

It smelled totally normal. Just like regular Coke. But the taste was oddly chocolate. AND creamy. It was like a liquified Oreo, with carbonation. It really didn't taste anything like Coke, but the flavor of an Oreo was spot on. But that didn't make it "good." My wife thought it was disgusting, I thought it was sub-par, and my boys thought it was pretty good. I wouldn't want another one of these, so I'll rank it below average. But it you LOVE Oreos, then this flavor might be for you.

Score: 4 out of 10.

Diet Faygo Cola

I grabbed this on a car ride back from a camping trip, and didn't get a photo of it until I was back home cleaning out my car:

Messy car... unloading from a wet weekend of camping!

Brand: Diet Faygo Cola.

Origin: Detroit, MI.

Purchase Place: Kwik Trip, Rochester, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: This was a decent cola, but there was nothing fancy, special, or unique about it. It had decent flavor for being diet as well - not that strong, but also not TOO weak. Very decent and what I expected (and wanted). I'll rank this just above average.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Limited Edition Coca Cola Creations Y3000

Just after my last post about the Coca Cola that was "co-created with Artificial Intelligence," I happened to be walking through Target and found one by the checkout:

 

Brand: Limited Edition Coca Cola Creations Y3000.  

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Target, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: I wasn't that excited to try this. As noted in my last post, people were saying it tasted like perfume or banana, and neither of those excited me. Also, I don't know what "Futuristic Flavored" means on the left side of the bottle... tastes like the apocalypse?

After my first sip, BOTH of those people were right: it started with a sharp/chemically perfume-like taste that was a bit overpowering, but then it ended with a sweeter banana-like flavor. That combo was quite odd. I didn't love it.

But then after I kept drinking, I started to like it more and more. And my boys were sipping on it with me, and they had the same reaction: it got better as we drank it. Maybe the negative thoughts clouded my first sips, but it wasn't as bad as we went on. I wouldn't say I LIKE it, but I DIDN'T DISLIKE it. I don't think I'll buy another bottle, but it was decent. 

Score: 5 out of 10.

Zero Sugar Lemon Lime Starry

I've been seeing this around lately (a "rebrand" of Sierra Mist), and I grabbed one on a walk around the neighborhood with my son recently:

On the back wall of Marshall Stop.

 
Brand: Zero Sugar Lemon Lime Starry.

Origin: Purchase, NY.

Purchase Place: Marshall Stop, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: I didn't need to try this. It was a pretty generic lemon lime soda. Sure, it *WAS* good, but it wasn't doing anything different from 7Up, Sprite, Sierra Mist (what it replaced), etc. It's just another decent lemon lime soda. It's a lot like a 7Up, but just slightly sweeter (which I guess is pretty impressive for it being a 10 calorie drink). I like lemon lime sodas, and I liked this... I just wish it was trying something new.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Coca Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition "Ultimate" League of Legends

What?!?

 

League of Legends? And +XP Flavored?

A QR code on the other side of the bottle took me to an endlessly scrolling "limited edition" Coke page.

Brand: Coca Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition "Ultimate" League of Legends.

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Target, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.

Review: I've had enough of Coke's new "limited edition" flavors. (Seen here and here.) And yet I keep trying them. But some good news: this one was the best of the limited edition flavors that I've tried. I don't know what an "experience point" should taste like (this is "+XP Flavored"), but it wasn't bad. It was mainly a regular Coke Zero, but there was an extra fruitiness to it. It was almost nostalgic. I couldn't pin-point the flavor, but it wasn't bad. I found a review that said it was a bit bubblegum flavored, and then thought it had a hint of banana Laffy Taffy. A Food Network review said "it’s a super mellow, citrus-peachy flavor." I didn't get much of a peach flavor, but I enjoyed the fruity kick. It's not bad!

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Coca Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition "Dreamworld" Dream Flavored Soda

Coke has been trying some new funky "limited edition" flavors. For some reason. I really did not like the "Starlight" Space Flavored Coke Zero that I tried this past spring, but my wife found a different flavor for me to try:

On the dash of my car as I was eating lunch the other day.

Brand: Coca Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition "Dreamworld" Dream Flavored Soda.  

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Casey's, Wells, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame and Sucralose.  

Review: This wasn't nearly as bad as "Starlight" Space Flavored Coke Zero! Whew! It smelled a bit fruity when I opened it. My very first thought when I took a sip was "Hmmm... mango?!?" It was basically a mango-flavored Coke Zero. The "mango" flavor overpowered the Coke flavor which I didn't care for (but I'm a fan of cola, so I would say that).

After (and only AFTER) drinking it and forming my opinion, I looked up what the internet had to say. This writer described it like this:

I puzzled and puzzled over how to describe the flavor. Here’s what I came up with: maybe if you had a party, and you made a huge bowl of fruit punch, and then accidentally dropped a splash of Coke into it, that’s what Dreamworld tastes like.

So where I said "mango," she said "fruit punch." I don't feel like we're that far off. And she also agrees that it's not very coke flavored. Another writer said "It had a fruity candy smell -- like Skittles mixed with Coca-Cola -- but it definitely didn't taste the same way. I immediately got a citrus flavor from this soda..."

It's not my favorite combination of flavors, but it's not horrible... especially if the thought of a fruity Coke Zero is intriguing to you.

Score: 5 out of 10.

NEW! Coca Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition "Starlight" Space Flavored

So, what is the flavor of "space?" 

Brand: Coca Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition "Starlight" Space Flavored.

Origin: Atlanta, GA.

Purchase Place: Target, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: My wife grabbed a small pack of these tiny 7.5 oz cans for my this morning at Target. She had to Google the flavor to make sure I wouldn't hate it, and what she found out was that people were calling it very sweet with a raspberry or minty flavor (which seem VERY different to me).

First of all, it's quite red which was surprising. There's really no "normal" Coke taste to it. It has a strong "vanilla" flavor, but more like "plug in air-freshener woodsy vanilla" and not a preferable "vanilla bean." There's a hint of "abandoned humid cardboard warehouse" in there as well. So what I'm saying is that I'm not a fan.

To be honest, if I wasn't expecting Coca Cola, I'd maybe rank this a bit higher. It's a unique flavor, and I can give them that. But when I'm expecting just a "twist" on Coke Zero and get hit with air freshener in a damp cardboard factory, I'm not happy about it. I didn't even finish my 7.5 oz can, and I don't know what to do with the rest of the cans she got me.

Score: 2.5 out of 10.

Dang! That's Good Diet Root Beer

Five years ago, I had "Dang! That's Good" root beer, and it was pretty good. Would the diet version hold up?

Oops... popped the top before getting my photo.

Brand: Dang! That's Good Diet Root Beer.

Origin: Milwaukee, WI.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: The first sip tasted really weak - I think I "expect" full flavor from a bottle, so diet sodas are a kick in the teeth right off the bat. But the flavor was good. It was a pretty classic root beer with just a little bite. Yes, it was weaker ("waterier") that I'd like, but it was a decent diet root beer. I'll call this just a point above average.

Score: 6 out of 10.
 

Hosmer Mountain Beverages Diet Root Beer

I opened this just before class this afternoon:

Brand: Hosmer Mountain Beverages Diet Root Beer.

Origin: Willimantic, CT.

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Fructose and Aspartame.

Review: This wasn't that great. First of all, it had that "thin" flavor that many diet sodas have. Secondly, it had a burnt caramel flavor to it that was not appealing at all. Luckily, that flavor wasn't too bad because it didn't have much flavor. This was not very drinkable and well below average.

Score: 2.5 out of 10.

Foxon Park Diet White Birch Soda

I cracked into this last night after a big week of class:

Brand: Foxon Park Diet White Birch Soda.

Origin: East Haven, Connecticut.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: This smelled a lot like root beer. It tasted like a creamy, weak root beer with lots of carbonation. It had the typical diet soda issue: the flavor was weak. It wasn't bad, but it was nothing special. I'll give this an average score.

Score: 5 out of 10.

Faygo Diet Root Beer

I forgot to take a photo of this one as my wife and I grabbed it on a quick trip to Mankato recently, so here's a photo from the web:

Brand: Faygo Diet Root Beer.

Origin: Detroit, MI.

Purchase Place: Kwik Trip, Mankato, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: This had a pretty sharp bite - it reminded me of Dad's Root Beer. It wasn't my favorite, and I didn't find it that great. My wife, however, liked it a bit. It was OK, but I don't know that I'll get it again.

Score: 4 out of 10.

Lost Trail Diet Root Beer

Another soda on vacation:

On the counter in the cabin at the lake.

Brand: Lost Trail Diet Root Beer.

Origin: Louisburg, KS.

Purchase Place: Frattallone's Ace Hardware, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame (Nutrasweet brand).

Review: This has the typical weak flavor of a root beer. It's sort of right in the middle of the "smooth vs bite" scale, and I kind of wish it would pick one side or the other. It's relatively creamy, but just a bit weak because it's diet. Overall, this was just OK.

Score: 5 out of 10.
 

Dr. Brown's Diet Black Cherry Soda

My wife had a hankering for a ruben tonight, so I swung by Cecil's Deli:

Some of Cecil's sodas.

My soda for the evening, next to my wife's ruben (and fries).

Brand: Dr. Brown's Diet Black Cherry Soda.

Origin: College Point, NY.

Purchase Place: Cecil's Deli, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: I forgot that I tried the non-diet version last year, and it wasn't the best. Well, this one was about the same. It was oddly creamy, which was strange in a black cherry soda. It had a decent amount of flavor for a diet soda, but the flavor was strange. It needed to be less creamy and more smooth (even though it tasted of "cream," it still had a decent "bite," and that was an odd combination). I'm giving it a slightly lower score than it's non-diet version.

Score: 3 out of 10.

Yacht Club Diet Root Beer

After my first triathlon of the year this past weekend, I enjoyed this diet root beer:

Brand: Yacht Club Diet Root Beer.

Origin: Centredale, RI.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: Ehh. It was OK. It was a little weak and watery like most diet root beers are. Flavor was OK. It was fine, just nothing exciting or different. I'll give it an average 5 out of 10.

Score: 5 out of 10.

Hank's Gourmet Diet Root Beer

After helping some students in class this past week, I cracked into a treat I brought from home in my classroom:

Brand: Hank's Gourmet Diet Root Beer.

Origin: Trevose, PA.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: This was OK from the start. Nothing fancy, but not horrible. Just OK. As with most diet root beers, it was a little watery and weak. But the flavor was decent - it was a bit earthy and herby, without being to heavy handed. That's the review I guess: a little thin, but decent flavor.

Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Diet Stewart's Root Beer

I haven't reviewed a diet soda for a while…

Brand: Diet Stewart's Root Beer.

Origin: Rye Brook, NY.

Purchase Place: Kowalski's Market, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: This was OK. And for a diet soda, it was pretty good. It was "thin" and weak like many diets, but it had a good vanilla flavor and was very smooth and tasty. It had a slightly chemically aftertaste. Not a super fantastic soda, but not too shabby either.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Empire Diet Root Beer

I cracked into this the other afternoon:

Brand: Empire Diet Root Beer.

Origin: Bristol, Rhode Island.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: Aspartame.

Review: Empire seems to do everything right. Except root beer or diet root beer. I really didn't care for their root beer (it was one of the first sodas that I reviewed on this blog), and I really don't care for this either. I don't mind diet sodas, but this tasted horribly fake. There is a strong anise flavor (which I know many root beers have, and that's fine), and there's a "sharpness" to this with no smoothness or drinkability at all. No thanks.

Score: 3 out of 10.