Pepsi Next

Pepsi's new soda for 2012 -- Pepsi Next -- actually makes me feel like I'm time traveling back to roughly 2004; way back in the earlyish days of the turn of the century. (And now I am making us all feel old...sorry.) Back then both Pepsi and Coke debuted products that were not quite "diet" colas, yet not quite full calorie colas either. Remember those? Their lack of specific gender, if you will, made them strangely androgynous and hermaphroditic in a way -- kind of like what Justin Bieber would be if he were a beverage.

Well, the Pepsi Edge of yesteryear has evolved to become this decade's Pepsi Next. Pepsi Edge had 70 calories per can (or 12 ounces). and was sweetened with a blend of high fructose corn syrup and Sucralose. Its "benefit" was that it was supposed to taste more like regular Pepsi while not having all of the calories and carbs of the regular version. Pepsi Edge was discontinued in 2005 (as was Coke's competing soda, C2 -- and later that year both Pepsi Max and Coke Zero were launched, and are still going strong today). Apparently, sales were sluggish, and the most common comment I remember hearing at the time was "If I wanted a diet soda I would just drink one."

Anyway, here we are in 2012 with Pepsi Next. It has 60 calories per can (or 12 ounces) and has what could be a boy band worth of sweeteners -- four total. HFCS, Sucralose, Aspartame & acesulfame potassium are all combined in the hopes of making it taste more like a full calorie soda, but with less calories and carbs.

At least as far as the numbers go, it succeeds. A 12 ounce serving of regular Pepsi has 150 calories and 41 grams of carbs. The issue is -- how many people will this really appeal to? I am admittedly a diet soda drinker (and when I drink regular Pepsi, it is the Pepsi Throwback...sooo worth the calories!), so I don't mind the flavor of diet sodas. But I have noticed that my friends who only drink "regular" tend to dislike the artificial flavor that sweeteners give. If it gets past the "why?" factor, it will of course be the taste that makes or breaks it.

So how does Pepsi Next taste?



It does seem to have a cola taste that is closer to regular Pepsi than Diet Pepsi. (I haven't had Pepsi Max in so long I can't remember it sizes up). There is also a distinct lemony note, even though no such thing is listed on the label. It's more noticeable than that of Pepsi/Diet Pepsi as a rule, but not as strong a lemon as Pepsi Twist had. (And where can I sign a petition to bring that back?!) On one hand, I like the idea of a lemony cola. What I don't like here is that the lemon note is pleasant at first, and then dissolves into a nasty chemical aftertaste.



The carbonation is also dialed down. (It does make an impressive head when poured into a glass, but that head collapses in literally three seconds.) I know a lot of people will like that, because it makes it easier to guzzle without thunderous elephantine belching like I imagine Kim Kardashian does when the cameras are turned off. (Cease and Desist letter in 3...2...1...) For me this is neither a breaking nor a selling point. It's not a bad soda; it just doesn't rock my world. I could be wrong, but I'll give this a year, tops, on the shelf. I just don't see there being enough of a market for a half-cal option. Personally, I would rather just have a smaller portion of Pepsi Throwback.

Be sure to check out these reviews from The Impulsive Buy and Grub Grade.



PURCHASED FROM: CVS

PRICE: $1.25

CALORIES: 100 calories per 20 ounce bottle.

ADDITIONAL INFO: Contains phenylalanine.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: pepsiusa.com

Kosher for Passover Coke & Diet Coke

OK guys, this is the last post in our Kosher for Passover week. I told you I was saving my favorite for last. No, I was not in fact able to get my hands on a bottle of The Zohan's favorite soda, "Fizzy Bubblech." I got a hold of my favorite soda: Kosher for Passover Coke!

Those of you who pay attention for such things are probably already well aware that Coke is always kosher. But the normal everyday bottle of Coke -- while still being deliciously tasty, is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup -- and if we've learned nothing else this week, we have still learned that certain grains are considered kitniyot, and yes, corn is one of them. So corn is OK most of the time, but not for Passover.

Kosher for Passover Coke:




Passover brings with it the one time a year that Coke itself keeps things real and sweetens the soda with actual real cane sugar. If you're old enough to remember what Coke tasted like in the days before the sugar was taken out and replaced by HFCS (circa 1985), this is what you remember.

Sadly, the production runs of this type of Coke are very, very small, and seem to be targeted only at the larger metropolitan areas -- and even there, it can be hard to find. For example, I live in a far eastern 'burb of Los Angeles and I couldn't get it locally. I even put a cash bounty out to my friends if anyone could find it and bring it to me. In fact, I got so desperate that I called my local bottler. (Never got a response from them, either. And in a rare lapse of customer service on the part of Coca-Cola's corporate end, I didn't even get an answer from them on where to find some locally to me.) Finally I ended just biting the bullet and driving to the San Fernando valley, which has a significantly higher Jewish population than my area. And there I found what I wanted. The ever fantastic Gelson's Market had more Kosher for Passover Coke than I could shake a stick at.

I know you are probably wondering how to tell the difference between the KFP Coke and the regular the Coke that is always on the shelf, since the label itself (minus the ingredients list) is exactly the same. The answer, my friends, is the cap. The cap for KFP Coke is always different. All of the KFP Coke bottle caps I have ever seen are bright yellow in color and contain Hebrew lettering along with the "U-P" symbol. To make life super easy, I have provided a picture to use for reference:



So I drank some. What more can I say? It was as good as it always is. It has that sugar "bite" that HFCS lacks entirely. This is really old school Coca-Cola, the kind that has otherwise been extinct in the U.S. for more than twenty years.



Do whatever you have to do to find the remaining supplies in your area this year, because it is that good! And now you know for next year. You can thank me by sending bottles to me.



PURCHASED FROM:
Gelson's Market

PRICE:
$1.50

CALORIES:
100 calories per 8 ounces.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Kosher, kosher for Passover.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
cocacola.com



Kosher for Passover Diet Coke:



I have to admit that I can't begin to tell you what's different between this version and the "normal" version. As far as I can tell, the ingredients are the same. And to be brutally honest, it even tastes the same.

Once again, I am going to point the short, stubby finger of shame at Coca-Cola. This was one of the questions I wanted to ask them, and neither my local bottler nor the corporate offices could be bothered to return my phone call or email inquiry. So if anyone out there knows what makes Diet Coke for Passover special, please leave a comment.

Given that I honestly can't tell the difference between this version and the normal version, I am not entirely sure how to review it, let alone rate it. If you have ever had one sip of Diet Coke, you have had this -- so I am just going to leave things at that.

PURCHASED FROM:
Gelson's Market

PRICE
$1.50

CALORIES:
0 calories.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Kosher, kosher for Passover, sugar free, contains phenylalanine.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
cocacola.com

Pepsi Max Cease Fire

This new Pepsi Max flavor completely flew under my radar until I saw it today while on a review hunt at Target. (I told you guys I look for stuff everywhere and always!) It might also be because I tend to be more on the lookout for new Coke products. I have to give Pepsi their due, however: as much as I may prefer Coke Zero over all else, when it comes to flavored colas (vanilla, lime, lemon etc) I have to hand it to Pepsi. In those cases I think they do the job far better job than the other guys. (I still love you, Coke Zero.)

Pepsi Max Cease Fire is a calorie free, lime flavored cola. (Pepsi in fact already makes a lime flavored version of the regular Diet Pepsi that is quite good.) The hook to this product is that not only is it the first of the flavored entry in the Max line, but if the Pepsi website and the package blurb are to be believed, it is supposed to be able to extinguish even the hottest of spices that can be eaten along with it.

Uh-huh! I will be the judge of that one.



First, the soda on its own:

It smells pretty much like regular Pepsi Max, but with the tiniest bit of lime. It tastes pretty much like standard issue Pepsi Max, too. The lime is subdued and comes mostly as an aftertaste -- an effect that, in some cases, can work quite well. (For example, DRY Sodas -- see my reviews here, here, and here.) What wasn't working for me was that instead of having a sharp citrus zing or bite, the lime aftertaste reminded me of cheap lime flavored lollipops. It's not bad, but if I want a really good lime cola I'll stay with the regular Diet Pepsi with lime. I am not sure why they went with such a sweet, artificial-tasting version of lime over something a little more authentic. I can see where people who like a sweeter taste would prefer this version, though.

The carbonation is on the low side, even for a Pepsi product. It's not a deal breaker for me, but I do like my soda to either be completely flat or at least as bubbly as a normal Pepsi.

So let's talk about the claim that the soda can ease the burn of hot (spicy) foods...

I may just be -- depending on your point of view -- either the best person or the worst person on the planet to tackle this. As is well documented on this blog, I looooo-o-o-ove spicy hot food. I love hot sauce. I have yet to find anything that has been hot enough to make me cry for water. (And yes, I can even eat Dave's Insanity sauce by itself by the spoonful.)

Looking around my house, I tried to find something up to the challenge. To keep it in the Pepsi family, I decided on testing this on a packet of Taco Bell FIRE sauce (which, for the record, I personally do not find to be very hot, but I know a lot of people do). This may be why I am also the worst person to try this test -- I have a really high tolerance for what I consider spicy, so maybe read my results with that kept in mind.



I just squeezed the contents of the packet directly onto my tongue and held it there for about 20 seconds prior to swallowing the sauce. We did attempt photos of this event, but there was just no way to do it with out it looking like something from the world's most messed up porno, so you will just have to use your imaginations. (Y'know, that thing we played with before we had cool stuff to play with...?)

So did it cool my mouth? Honestly...since on my personal scale of hotness I consider Taco Bell FIRE sauce to be mild, no, I didn't notice a cooling effect. What I did notice is that the lime flavor seems to become more pronounced, and it did seem less sweet than it had before the hot sauce.

It's a neat idea and it's not a bad soda. I just don't think it was nearly as good as it could have been. The lime is just too sweet -- which I don't understand, because the lime in the Diet Pepsi is so good. It also just seems under-carbonated. If anyone with less of a tolerance for heat/spice tries this experiment, I would love to hear your comments.



PURCHASED FROM:
Target

PRICE:
$1.69

CALORIES:
0

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine. Sugar free.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
pepsi.com

Pepsi Throwback- Limited Edition

I think I may be the last blogger on the planet to score cans of this limited edition Pepsi.
(Read Marvo's review HERE).

Pepsi Throwback is made with REAL SUGAR! While I am old enough to have had Pepsi before sugar was taken out and replaced by the dreaded HFCS, I honestly can't say I remember what it tasted like.

I know that Pepsi does a version around Passover that is made with sugar and is Kosher for Passover. (HFCS, while kosher, is not kosher enough for passover -- read THIS for an excellent explanation on what the differences are.) However, unlike Coke's version, I can't say I have ever seen it carried anywhere, nor at any Seder I have ever attended.

So what does Pepsi Throwback taste like?

Really, really, really good! -- and keep in mind I am a die-hard Coke drinker. The cola flavor stands out. It's just a little spicy. The citrus notes (mostly lemon) seem brighter. It seems like there is a hint of cinnamon at the end. Above all, it happily lacks that funky corn syrup aftertaste. I think because the vast majority of the soda that I drink is diet, that when I do drink "regular" soda, the HFCS sticks out like a sore thumb to me. It bothers me to the point I have pretty much stopped drinking anything that isn't diet. Anyway...

The carbonation level on this version also seems to be toned way down as well. This also works for me, because as I have said many times before I actually prefer my sodas a bit flat.

Ok Coke, time to step it up! Pepsi has punked you twice (I also liked Pepsi Natural). I seriously hope that the success of this product will show both Coke and Pepsi that there is a high demand for soft drinks made with real sugar.

Excuse me, I have some hoarding to do...



PURCHASED FROM:
Target

Pepsi Natural

One of my favorite things in life is Coke made with REAL sugar...
I have been known to stock up on KP (Kosher for Passover) Coke and the Mexican variety but in my quasi-Yoda like lifetime (I am not as old as I make it sound but I feel it because the age of my average co-worker seems to be 12) I have never once seen Pepsi with cane sugar. I know it exists, I have heard that Pepsi does a Kosher version as well but I have never seen it. When I was candy hunting at Target... OK actually I was buying laundry soap but candy hunting sounds way more interesting, anyway... there on an end cap was a big display of Pepsi Natural.

Pepsi Natural (which also seems to have been test marketed as Pepsi Raw) is an all natural version of Pepsi. It features sparkling water (because merely calling it carbonated is soo 2005) sugar and kola nut extract. It is also colored naturally and of course has that sweet, sweet caffeine.

Blah, blah, blah PR aside what does it taste like?
I was worried it would be a little too much like Red Bull Cola in terms of the after taste- luckily for me that was not the case.

The smell is exactly like that of gummy cola flavored candies. Just a little sugary but kind of spicy at the same time hmmmm gummy... In terms of carbonation it is barely there. There's about the same amount of fizz as there would be if you left a normal Pepsi sitting for about six hours- I like flat soda so that worked for me. Of course it's all about the flavor.

Again, I am going back to flat Pepsi, be honest in a moment of desperate thirst (or laziness) we have all taken a sip from that bottle or can that has been sitting around for who knows how long and if you have (don't lie) then you know it seems like the syrup in the drink thickens and the cola flavor both intensifies and goes stale- that's what this taste like. I know that description probably sounds bad but it does taste pretty good. There's almost a cinnimon thing going on and there is a clean sense to the overall flavor.

While as a rule I prefer Pepsi's flavored options to they're regular cola I found myself really liking this one. What I am really hoping is that this opens the doors to more soda being made with sugar again rather then HFCS (and yeah, I am REALLY hoping Coke does a version like this)


PURCHASED FROM:
Target

Red Bull Cola

I have been waiting for this to hit stores in SoCal since I saw billboards for it in Las Vegas in June (WHY did I not pick some up then?!)
What has me so intrigued by Red Bull Cola is that it is free of preservatives, mystery chemicals and features all natural ingredients and flavors. In fact, all of the ingredients are on the can and are easily pronounced! AND it contains REAL sugar and not HFCS (much like Jones Soda products)

AND the cola flavoring comes from both the Kola nut and the Coca leaf.
So how did this 12 ounce can of wonderful actually fare?

First the smell. It's spicy- woodsy even (which sounds weird if you compare it to the big 2 colas)

The carbonation is very light but it could still be called bubbly.
I have to say the first word that came to mind with the flavor was "complex". You can pick up the heat from the ginger, the licorice is one of the first flavors you taste and that blends into the lemon. It starts bitter and ends sweet, well that doesn't really explain it either, not so much sweet but less bitter.

What I did not like about it is the after taste. If you are into herbal, bitterness then you probably would love it. I am kind of a sissy for that stuff so it was not a selling point for me.

If this is how "real" cola is supposed to taste then it truly shows Coke and Pepsi's versions to be the red headed stepchild that they may be.

However, as an actual real life red headed stepchild myself, I have to admit that my heart still belongs to Kosher for Passover Coke (AKA Coke with pure cane sugar) and for my daily drinking Coke Zero.

True Cola fans and those who try to keep their diet as natural as possible should not miss this.


PURCHASED FROM:
Jay's Shell Station Monrovia, Ca

Coke Blak

I am a big Coke fan and when I heard that Coke Blak was coming out I was fairly excited. Coffee and coke together?, yeah it sounds weird but I was willing to give it a try. After about a month of waiting I finally scored some today.

I tried it when it was ice cold- once your done looking at the cool label and cute bottle the first thing that hits you is the smell. The aroma is vaguely coffee, vaguely chocolaty and vaguely burnt sugar. You would think that would be a good thing but all together the effect is like a tiramisu/creme brulee from hell.

The mouth feel is that of almost flat Coke- I like almost flat Coke so I considered that to be a fairly good thing. Flavor wise it starts out with a sharp coffee/tootsie pop flavor, mellows into a taste best described as chocolate tootsie pop and finishes like a Coke left overnight besides the bed that spent hours getting direct sunlight before you drank from it again (uh, not that I have ever done that or anything...) The aftertaste is what I can only imagine the breath of Satan himself is like.

I feel safe to say this is probably going to go the way of New Coke (only I would hope less embarrassing) .