REVIEW: Coca-Cola Orange Cream

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I have to admit, I was a big fan of the Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla (and that hilarious car chase commercial) from a few years back. So when I heard the company was dropping a new Orange Cream flavor, I was pretty excited.

I mean, like, stalking and refreshing the Walmart app, waiting for it to show up within a 50-mile radius of me excited.

At last, after a few false alarms and failed attempts, it’s mine. All mine.

If I were to arrange the words “Orange Cream Coke” by the strength of the flavors in this beverage, they’d be in the reverse order: “Coke Cream Orange.”

The Coke flavor, that familiar kind of spicy, kind of earthy taste, is first and foremost as it should be. The cream flavor comes next, but it’s a bit tangy and has an almost yogurt-like taste, although not too strong. Then comes the orange at the end, even fainter in its flavor. The aftertaste is also orange-y, but in an even more mild way. What’s missing is that sweet vanilla-y, almost cream soda flavor the previous incarnation from 2019 had.

The orange has that artificial citrus quality, kind of like orange gummies or Kool-aid do, but in a pleasantly mild, background note kind of way.

This soda isn’t bad, but it’s not great, either. As a fan of the aforementioned Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla, I have to say I’m a bit disappointed. It’s not as well-rounded or boldly flavored as its predecessor. But if you’re looking for a soft drink to fill the void that the other one left in its wake, it’s not a bad option.

Purchased Price: $2.38
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 240 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 65 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry Cereal

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It’s Valentine’s Season, and in the junk food world, that means one thing: chocolate and strawberries. Or chocolate or strawberries. Or chocolate-covered strawberries. Okay, so that’s three things, I guess. Or just one, if it’s chocolate-covered strawberries. Either way, Valentine’s Day.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch — no stranger to branching out beyond its square Cinnadust-blasted archetypal form — is ready to celebrate the season of romance with its own lusty offering, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry. It’s not a weird concept, really, I don’t guess. I mean, people put strawberries on top of French toast all the time. Well, okay, I guess that requires you to overlook that Cinnamon Toast Crunch is cinnamon toast-based and not French toast. But you get the idea. It’s like making cinnamon toast and then topping it with strawberries. Is that a thing? Well, it is now. And in cereal form!

So, does it work? I honestly can’t decide! I mean it. It’s strange, but I’ve had a few bowls and can’t decide how I feel.

The thing is, it’s exactly what it sets out to be — and that’s what I’m so on the fence about: do we actually need strawberry cinnamon toast? The base layer here is very identifiably Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but there’s a slightly tart strawberry punch instead of that sugary, cinnamony finish. But also? It’s not strawberry enough. One thing CTC isn’t shy about, as the basketball fans say, is “going hard in the paint.” Cinnamon Toast Crunch and all of its sugar cookie, gingerbread, and waffle iterations are boldly seasoned, not for the faint of heart.

And so, honestly, it feels like if they wanted to commit to this strawberry thing, they should have really gone heavy with the strawberry seasoning shaker. I’d go one step further and suggest that they would have been just as well served to limit the cinnamon component entirely. Just go Strawberry Toast Crunch. (Hy-Vee does [or did?] a “blueberry squares” cereal that was just that, but, you know, with a crazy-strong blueberry flavoring, and it is [or was?] a solid 9 out of 10. That’s what this could have been.)

I’m not mad about this cereal, but I’m also not in love with it. When Cupid finally shoots it with his arrow, and it goes to Cereal Heaven, I won’t mourn it.

Purchased Price: $4.93
Size: 18.8 oz box (Family Size)
Purchased at: Walmart (Exclusive)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (41 grams) 170 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dr Pepper Blackberry

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Call me weird, but I go to the store when it opens so I can take my time without tons of other people around me. Slowly wandering from aisle to aisle and checking items off my list with 90s muzak in the background is my zen. During a recent grocery trip, the new Dr Pepper Blackberry interrupted my state of zen. While excited about the flavor, I wasn’t quite willing to commit to a 12-pack, but luckily, I found a 20-ounce bottle near the registers.

I enjoy Dr Pepper, but think it’s best when mixed with another flavor. The 23 flavors of the original drink create a base that other flavors can build on. I love ordering a Dr Pepper and adding cranberry flavor every time I visit Sonic. So, it stood to reason that the new Blackberry variety should be a home run for me.

The initial aroma was a blend of the classic Dr Pepper spice with a medicinal blackberry chaser. As a lover of “herbal” sodas (Olipop is my jam), I was into it. Pouring it into a cup allowed it to aerate, and the smell mellowed a bit. This first impression definitely got me excited to try it.

My first sip was confusing. Despite the strong smells from opening and pouring the drink, the taste was very muted. I took a swig of water, hoping it would help reset everything. My second sip, unfortunately, yielded the same results as the first: a faint blackberry flavor that got lost in the drink quickly.

Even though the initial scent of the Dr Pepper Blackberry hinted at a promising blend of classic Dr Pepper spice and a unique blackberry twist, the actual taste fell short of expectations. With each sip, the subtle blackberry flavor faded into the background of the familiar Dr Pepper base. The soda was still decent enough to finish, but I don’t see myself purchasing it again.

Purchased Price: $2.28
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 250 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 65 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Cap’n Crunch Arctic Crunch Vanilla Frost Cereal

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With arctic air blasting through the Midwest, it felt fitting to consume the new Limited Edition Cap’n Crunch Arctic Crunch Vanilla Frost Cereal. Unlike the real feel of a -20°F wind chill, this cereal was actually quite pleasant!

The box graphics took me back to childhood—sitting at the table, reading the box with interesting facts while munching away. I ate a lot of Cap’n Crunch as a kid because, for some reason, it was the only cereal my parents allowed. I remember getting so sick of it, but since my parents never threw anything out, I had to finish the stale boxes. And yet, I still have the fondest memories of the Cap’n!

After opening the box, I realized it was all Crunch Berries—just blue and cream-colored spheres. A sweet deal, since that’s the best part, amirite?!

The texture was as I remembered: slightly rough, with some slight roof-of-the-mouth scraping. It was as satisfying as I remember, like a harder Cheetos puff—a crunch leading to a slight squish and gumminess that gets stuck to your molars.

One thing that surprised me: I remember Crunchberries Cereal getting uber soggy as a kid, but this held up well. The milk did intensify the blue color, but that was about it.

Flavor-wise, it was straightforward vanilla. Nothing fancy—no Madagascar or Tahitian vanilla, just plain ol’ vanilla. For some reason, I wanted the blue pieces to taste different. It’s like when people think each color in Froot Loops has a unique flavor, but nope—it’s all the same. No surprise blueberry twist here!

I was slightly disappointed that my milk didn’t turn blue—though I guess this isn’t called “Star Wars Blue Milk Cereal.” It did impart a mild vanilla flavor to the milk, at least.

Overall, it was tasty, but honestly very safe and boring. If Quaker really wanted to lean into the “arctic” theme, it should have taken inspiration from Kellogg’s and and added a cooling effect.

Purchased Price: $4.93
Size: 15.5 oz (Family Size)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 ¼ cup (38g) – 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 15 grams of sugar (includes 15 grams of added sugar, 1 gram of sugar alcohol), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Aqua Blast Gatorade

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As soon as I saw the bottle, I was hooked by the 80s retro yet somehow modern vibes. A bit of vaporwave never hurt anyone!

I wanted to go into this review blind, so to speak, so I avoided looking up what flavor it was supposed to be. If the aqua and purple were any indication, maybe grape? Blue raspberry? Dragonfruit?

Bzzztt! Wrong!

Upon opening the bottle, I was immediately hit with that sort of tangy, sharp-yet-sweet scent I usually associate with tropical fruit-flavored candy. Pouring some into a glass, the aqua hue mimics the exterior wrap on the bottle. Very neon, very aqua.

Having had a lot of Gatorade, I expected it to smell a lot stronger than it tasted, and it didn’t disappoint in that regard. The flavor is very much a sort of toned down pineapple gummy bear with a hint of something else, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, all wrapped in that sort of salty background note that electrolyte-enhanced beverages all have in common.

I took a few more sips and decided the flavor was probably a very pineapple-forward tropical fruit. Then I Googled and found out it was supposedly pineapple mango. I have to admit, I really don’t taste mango at all. Just a vague hint of something tropical beyond the pineapple. You could have told me it was pineapple guava or pineapple papaya, and I wouldn’t have doubted it.

In conclusion, it’s not bad. If Gatorade is your jam, you’ll probably like this one, especially if you like artificial pineapple-flavored things.

Purchased Price: $1.72
Size: 28 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Per Serving: 80 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 21 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

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