Tag: Dr Pepper

Most of us know about Dr Pepper’s blend of 23 flavors. But we don’t know what those 23 flavors are, which I imagine are behind 23 doors and locks. It could be molasses. It could be moles (animal, skin blemish, or both). So when the brand comes out with a new variety, like this Limited Edition Fantastic Chocolate Dr Pepper, we don’t know if the chocolate is a 24th flavor or one of the 23, but with a lot more of it.

While you ponder that for the rest of your life, I should let you know that this isn’t the first time chocolate has been added (or enhanced?) in a Dr Pepper variety. In 2008, there was Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr Pepper, which had an unusual chocolate flavor that made it hard for me to drink in one sitting.

However, this Limited Edition Fantastic Chocolate Dr Pepper is (yes, I’m going to use it) fantastic. It somewhat tastes like someone added a little Hershey’s syrup to Dr Pepper. Besides the chocolate, there’s also a noticeable marshmallow or vanilla taste that goes along with it. I know it makes absolutely no sense that the addition of chocolate would do that, but that’s what my taste buds noticed.

I don’t know if this is a sign of how much I enjoyed this, but I drank both cans I received from Dr Pepper without remembering to take a photo of the beverage in a glass for this review. “So good that it makes you forget to take pictures of it” is probably something Dr Pepper should print on the can.

But here’s the deal with obtaining this soda, you can only get it by signing up for Pepper Perks, buying a bunch of Dr Pepper products for points, and then redeeming those points for the limited edition soda. If you’re a regular Pepper drinker, I think it’s worth the effort.

Although it’s not better than getting it from a brick-and-mortar store, I like this idea. Because, as the internet has shown us, if you put up something for sale online in limited quantities for everyone with very little friction, it’ll sell out faster than $99 50-inch HDTVs on Black Friday at Walmart.

With the football on the can, I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to drink this while watching a game. But I drank both while watching our solar system’s favorite ball, the sun, as it went down on the biggest and highest definition screen, the sky, during the biggest game, life.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product samples. Thanks, Dr Pepper! Doing so did not influence my review. Although I can see how some might think so.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 12 oz cans
Purchased at: Received from Dr Pepper
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 150 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 39 grams of sugar, 39 grams of added sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

What is Dr Pepper Zero Sugar?

Keurig Dr Pepper has released a new sugar-free formulation of its iconic soft drink. Using a combination of aspartame and acesulfame potassium, Dr Pepper Zero Sugar is being described as an addition to the aspartame-only Diet Dr Pepper, rather than a replacement.

How is it?

Dr Pepper famously has 23 unique flavors, and you can find lists on the internet that purport to reveal them all. I don’t know how accurate these are (carrot, really?), but as a frequent Diet Dr Pepper drinker, I’m very familiar with what they create.

I pour Dr Pepper Zero Sugar into a glass and take a sip. It tastes like the Diet Dr Pepper that I’m familiar with. Yet, I think a more direct comparison will be fruitful.

One result of spending way too much thinking about junk food is that I’ve realized how susceptible to marketing I am. I prefer Coca-Cola over Pepsi partially because of its comfortable, timeless-seeming aesthetic, as opposed to Pepsi’s aggressively cool Generation Next campaign from my childhood. I still think of a Subway sandwich as a healthy option.

I choose Diet Dr Pepper from the work vending machine because it tastes more like regular Dr Pepper. But does it, really? To test this, I grabbed the original, diet, and zero sugar versions to try them side-by-side. It’s a Dr Pepper Challenge, if you will.

I haven’t had a regular Dr Pepper or any full-sugar soda in years, so I taste it first to establish a baseline. It’s very similar to the Zero Sugar version, with a more syrupy consistency and more intense sweetness. I move onto the diet one and am surprised by the difference. The mouthfeel is thinner and the sweetness has a flatness with a slightly chemical flavor that I’ve never noticed before. It does not taste like regular Dr Pepper. This is very concerning to me. Are my opinions so subject to media influence? Am I captive to corporate forces larger than I can conceive? I resample Dr Pepper Zero Sugar to confirm that it tastes more like regular Dr Pepper, and am convinced that it more faithfully replicates the original.

Conclusion:

Dr Pepper Zero Sugar has opened my eyes to the truth. Diet Dr Pepper does not taste more like regular Dr Pepper, but this version does. Well played, Doctor, though you can still expect a malpractice lawsuit for all the quarters I’ve fed into the cafeteria soda machine.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 2 Liter
Purchased at: Piggly Wiggly
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (12 fl oz) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 gram of protein.

What is Dr Pepper & Cream Soda?

Peanut butter and jelly. Ham and cheese. An entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s and the ensuing, all-encompassing feeling of shame. Some things naturally go together, and now two carbonated icons, Dr Pepper and cream soda, aim to count themselves among famous pairs.

How is it?

With its dark cola color, Dr Pepper & Cream Soda looks like regular Dr Pepper, but its scent carries a strong vanilla vibe.

The cream soda taste – a creamy vanilla that conjures memories of sundaes and floats – is immediately noticeable at first sip. With subsequent sips, Dr Pepper’s 23 flavors come back to the forefront, with the cream soda lingering in the background. The flavor combination is definitely a pleasant and harmonious one. I would guess at a 2:1 ratio of Dr Pepper to cream soda.

As a result of the pairing, the “spicy bite” that the original Dr Pepper is known for becomes muted, but because of the way the flavors take turns in the foreground, it is always clear that this is a Dr Pepper product. Interestingly, more so than its other flavor combinations like Cherry Vanilla, Dr Pepper & Cream Soda manages to achieve a smooth “cream finish” feeling characteristic of cream soda.

Although I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as a purist, I tend to prefer the original Dr Pepper to any of its flavored incarnations. However, I was really impressed at how well Dr Pepper & Cream Soda recreates the subtle flavor of cream soda without letting it get lost among the bolder flavors of Dr Pepper. I would drink this one again.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Due to its varying colors and flavors (including everything from raspberry to cotton candy), cream soda can mean different things to different regions. To me, Dr Pepper & Cream Soda’s flavor profile most closely resembles A&W Cream Soda, which makes sense considering the same company owns them.

Conclusion:

Dr Pepper & Cream Soda expertly recreates and balances a sweet, creamy vanilla flavor with its original formula. It made me wonder what other delicious, unexpected soda combinations are waiting to be discovered.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: 6 pack of 20-ounce bottles
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 20 oz.) 210 calories, 0 grams of fat, 80 milligrams of sodium, 56 grams of carbohydrates, 55 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

What is Dr Pepper Dark Berry?

Dr Pepper’s 23 flavors has added another – the ominous “Dark Berry,” which is inspired by the upcoming independent arthouse film, “Spider-man: Far From Home.”

WARNING – This review contains SPOILERS!

Relax, one guy who hasn’t seen Avengers: Endgame yet, I’m just reviewing a soda.

How is it?

To me, it smells like Dr Pepper with a drop of Robitussin – a mix of everyone’s two favorite syrups, corn and cough.

I had a hard time even deciding if it tasted more than just a sweeter regular Dr Pepper, but the linger of the “fruit” additive started to take over. It was definitely “berry,” but which?

The answer, while not in the ingredients, can be easily found online, I just wanted to guess first.

I locked in on possibly blueberry…and black cherry?

SPOILER ALERT – Spider-man kills Than…Relax, that one guy, I’m just messing with you.

The titular “dark berries” are blackberry, black currant, and black cherry.

I hate to be swayed, but it made perfect sense. I realized it tasted like three-parts Dr Pepper mixed with one-part Cherry Coke, or like one of those old-timey Boylan’s style Black Cherry sodas you always see in Jewish Delis and trendy bagel joints.

So, while it’s not really that “far from” regular Dr Pepper’s normal flavor, it’s still worth a few sips.

Is there anything else you need to know?

While I’ve seen some Spidey characters (particularly Mysterio for obvious reasons) popping up on promotional cans, I managed to buy the lamest bottle ever. Although, there is a movie ticket deal on the label, so that’s kinda cool.

Conclusion:

Dark Berry is the Andrew Garfield of Dr Pepper flavor variants. It’s still pretty good, but probably too saccharine, and will ultimately be forgotten. There have been superior Spider-men and Dr Peppers.

I look forward to Mr. Pibb’s collaboration with DC.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 20 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Bottle) 260 calories, 0 grams of fat, 95 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 70 grams of sugar, and less than 0 grams of protein.