Like a wide-eyed kid away at college, far from home for the first time in their life, Coca-Cola is going through a bit of an experimental phase. Over the past year or so, it mixed its classic carbonation with DJs and conceptual artists, with abstract ideas and intangible tastes like “space.” But like that same aforementioned college kid, things have mostly returned to normal. Well, except first they wanna try one last thing, okay?
Partnering with Oreo for a collaboration that—ahem—swings both ways, the bold and daring can now get Oreo cookies that taste like Coke and Coke that tastes like Oreo cookies. I love flavored Coca-Cola—even when they’re bad, they’re at least fun—so I was eager to drink the cookie.
Cracking open a mini can, I was assaulted by the aroma of, well, Oreo. I took a tiny sip, and yep, there it was: I was totally drinking the famous creme-filled chocolate wafer cookie. As the artificial chocolate flavor coated the inside of my mouth like some greasy sugar juice, I got the tiniest hint of good old-fashioned Coca-Cola, then a crashing wave of aspartame and acesulfame potassium.
The artificial sweetener in this hits HARD. I’m a regular Coke Zero drinker, so it’s not that I’m not used to it; something about the balance in the Oreo Coke, though, is different. I’ve had the same thing happen in some of the other limited edition Coke Zero Sugar flavors, and honestly, it makes it too much. It reminds me of being a kid and accidentally being given a Diet Coke at a fast food place. When I was young and unaccustomed to the artificial tang, that first sip was like getting slapped in the mouth.
And unfortunately, I felt it really hindered my enjoyment of this otherwise fun flavor.
Oreo Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is a fun idea and nothing more. If you’re a Coke completist or someone who likes trying new and unusual things, and you see a bottle, grab it. It’s worth a couple of bucks, and who knows, it may be your new favorite thing. (A lot of chatter I’ve read online so far seems to really put me in the minority, so, as the adage goes, your mileage may be different than mine.)
Purchased Price: $5.98
Size: 10-pack mini cans
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and less than 0 gram of protein.
I bought a bottle of this. My impression was that it mostly tasted like vanilla Coke, but if I thought hard about it I could get a hint of chocolate. For sure it’s a one and done experience.
I’m still looking forward more to the cookies, but I grabbed this yesterday and was more than pleasantly surprised. It tasted like liquid Oreo, which I wasn’t expecting to enjoy. It’s much better than any of those weird concoctions come has had over the last few years. Won’t replace an ice cold Cold Zero, but I give it a 7/10.
I completely agree. It smells great. That first sip tastes all surgery goodness and cookieness. And then the aftertaste. It’s SO heavy! I know others won’t have the same issue, but it’s a NO for me dawg.
Are they going to make a regular Coke version of this?
Very much this; the Oreo flavor is immediate, followed with a hint of Coke, and then *BAM* the artificial sweetener taste just comes and ruins everything. I always notice the aspartame aftertaste in zero sugar sodas (I prefer sugar), but here it hits harder than usual.
If there were a full-sugar version I would stock up by the 12-pack, but the artificial sweetener is a deal-breaker.
I picked up a bottle as soon as it was available… yeah, I get the pedestrian reviews. And yet… I liked it. Smooth with some chocolate in the backround. Really surprised there isn’t a sugar version.
This would have been better if they used a proper artificial sweetener.. something like Xylitol which has no aftertaste whatsoever.