Dr. Pepper TEN

same 23 authentic flavors... whatever they are

On the way home from my friend's house Thursday night, I stopped off to get gas so I wouldn't have to worry about it in the morning.  I also thought it'd be a good idea to stop inside the mini-mart and grab a granola bar and possibly a Rockstar or something for the morning (just in case).  Checking out the coolers, I saw they stocked the new Dr. Pepper TEN.

Being a "Pepper", I bought one to enjoy at work the next day.

I had seen a clip of a commercial for Dr. Pepper's new soda that boasts 10 BOLD TASTING CALORIES which through the magical misdirection of advertising, you don't notice the fine print right away.

Sitting at my desk after retrieving the bottle from the fridge, the first thing I noticed was the big number "10"... with a smaller (yet bolded) number "20" off to the right.  The "20" was in reference to the "20 calories per bottle"  Then I looked back at the "10 BOLD TASTING CALORIES" and saw (in less emphasized text below) "per 8 fl oz".

I was drinking a 20 fl oz bottle... and thus the math is done.

Before I get into what I think of this beverage, I am going to take a moment to give you a mini-rant.

Shit like this annoys me.  Some days more than others due to levels of stress and other drama but overall this is a small level of irritated humming in the back of my mind when reminded that advertising mostly lies.  I mean, when's the last time you got a bottle or container or anything without hidden truths or information?  But no, they gotta make the label all nice and eye-catching so Joe-Shmoe Consumer can look at it and fall into its false promises.

Now I will be the first to admit that things like this catch my eye, but I know to look for the things they don't blatantly place in your obvious mind's eye.  But still, I like trying new stuff and am also a Dr. Pepper fan.  So...

• Am I going to try it?  Yes.
• Am I going to read the label?  Usually do.
• Am I going to truly believe this shit is "good" for me?  No.
• Will I care?  Probably not.

Moving on from my random babble "probably makes no sense" rant...

Being somewhat of a soda afficionado since I was little, I can tell when my sodie pop has been altered somehow.  I don't think you need to be an expert since the sweet flavor is, in my opinion, apparent, but it always boggles my mind when diet soda drinkers always swear that diet tastes just like the original.

It doesn't.  (At least not to me.)

Yes, it's still sweet, but it's a different kind of sweet.  It reminds me of the aftertaste you get from an energy drink.  When I drink regular soda, I pour it down my gullet, swallow, sigh with contentment on occasion... and repeat until my tasty beverage reserves have been depleted.  When I drink a diet soda, I pour it down my gullet, swallow, possibly sigh with contentment until I register the sweet (with a tinge of bitter, maybe?) taste at the back of my throat and tongue.

I used to hate diet soda.  (Diet Shasta was the WORST!!!)  But over the years I have embraced diet beverages into the fold of drinks I will consume.  They're supposed to be better for you since they have less calories and sugar, right?  But then you hear about all this unhealthy crap from too much fake sugar as well as reading the label and wondering what the hell all those words are that you can't pronounce without the aid of a translator and some ibuprofen followed by a tequila chaser.

When I was little, I would drink only a couple different sodas.  I grew up with RC Cola and later became a Coke child.  (Remember the Coke/Pepsi wars?)  Pepsi is WAY sweeter than Coke, but hell... they both go well with rum.  *grin*

Now, save a few sodas (I'm looking at you Pibb), my soda tastes have are indiscriminate for the most part though if given a choice, I'll pick Dr. Pepper over Coke or Pepsi.

Do they even make RC Cola anymore?

But back to the soda at hand.

It definitely has that Dr. Pepper taste, but it's an in-between taste.  To me, it's like the middle child between Dr. Pepper and Diet Dr. Pepper.  It's more than diet soda but less than a regular one.

I like it.
It's not bad.
Would taste snazzy with some rum.  *grin*

Would I ever try this again? Sure.  Why not?  It would have had to to thoroughly offended my taste buds for me to put this beverage in the "Awww, HELL NO!" category, and it didn't so it stays in the "yeah, I'd drink that" column.  Still not sure why they bothered making this "20" calorie beverage when most diet sodas are (supposedly) zero calories these days.  (Right?)  Meh.  I don't claim to understand these people or why they do what they do.  I do know that even though I don't take much stock in diet anything really, sodas enveloping you in the gentle hugging promise of 20 calories as opposed to some larger number makes me feel better on those random "moo-cow" days when I feel like I should be left out in a pasture to graze with my other udder sisters.  (Hey, it's always the little things, right?)

Dr, Pepper Company
5301 Legacy Drive

Plano, TX 75024

http://www.drpepper.com/products/#drpepperten
http://www.drpepper.com/

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