By Gillian Crist
Page Editor
Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper have both expanded their flavor offerings, with Coca-Cola introducing a new orange cream soda and Dr Pepper launching a raspberry-flavored variety.
I work in receiving at a grocery store, so oftentimes, I am one of the first to see the new products we get shipped in. I usually don’t like the new soda flavors, like the Oreo Coke monstrosity, but I decided to give these flavors a try. I heard mixed reactions about the Dr Pepper Blackberry flavor, with some loving it, and others comparing it to cough syrup. Nonetheless, I went ahead and bought a cold bottle and split it among some of my coworkers.
We were all slightly apprehensive. Out of the five coworkers who tried the drink, three disliked it, while a coworker and myself found it tolerable. I didn’t think it was bad, but I would not choose this drink over a regular Dr Pepper. The blackberry was very strong and sweet and tasted like Pez candy. I don’t think it was bad, but it was definitely too sweet for me to finish.
My other coworkers, however, described it as carbonated Robitussin and cardboard. Another coworker added ice to the soda and said it made it taste much better, which I can understand. It’s definitely a sweet enough flavor to need the extra cold temperature.
Overall, I think this drink was disappointing after the coconut cream flavor that was temporarily released in the summer. I think it is better than the strawberries and cream flavor, though. In terms of the orange cream Coca-Cola, I do have to say, I’m not a big fan of oranges, but I like artificial orange flavors. I honestly really liked the orange, even though I’m not a huge fan of regular Coke. I do think you need to drink it right after purchasing, though, as it didn’t take long to start tasting flat, even when it was obviously carbonated.
The orange flavor is definitely very strong and noticeable. It felt very “separate” from its original drink; as if I were drinking orange cream syrup and Coke syrup separately and I thought the flavor combo was a bit off-putting. Ultimately, the combination, to my surprise, worked really well for me. It has a similar flavor profile to the orange vanilla Coca-Cola that was discontinued a few years ago. I think both of these drinks would benefit from having a bit more of a muted base.
As of now, the Dr Pepper Blackberry soda is not set to be discontinued anytime soon. However, the Coca-Cola orange cream soda is only available until early 2026.
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