Dr Pepper

How have we not reviewed Dr Pepper in the year of our lord two thousand seventeen? Perhaps I avoided it as I would avoid cutting myself as the lifeblood that flows throughout my veins is not so dissimilar to the nectar that is Dr Pepper. Often imitated never duplicated (though Dr B from HEB comes pretty close) Dr Pepper stands atop a mountain of others like Dr Thunder, Dr Dynamite, and the now vanquished Mr. Pibb who was so embarrassed that he changed his name to Pibb Xtra even though no one calls him that.

Cracking open a Dr Pepper gives way to a cherry scent, one of the 23 flavors it claims to have. Cherry is backed by plum in my humble opinion, but with 22 other flavors to choose from it’s just as likely a combination of them.

The taste is one of familiarity. With the exception of citrus, Dr Pepper is somewhat of an everything soda. Cola, root beer, cream soda, and fruit sodas are all represented within each sip. Dr Pepper is sweet, sweeter than most colas… even Pepsi. The smooth texture makes coming back to the can easier than ever, but there’s a slight burn in the back of the throat created by the carbonation. The carbonation in a Dr Pepper is sneaky, seemingly smooth, but will immediately remind you within a few sips that you have ingested quite a few bubbles.

Dr Pepper builds on itself a little with each sip, but eventually plateaus before it becomes overwhelmingly sweet. My teeth can definitely feel the syrupy goodness, so a glass of water is usually welcomed after I’ve finished a can or bottle. That said, it’s a delightful soda all around and one I keep in stock at all times.

~A

Another Time Soda Fountain - Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper

I asked my waiter at Another Time Soda Fountain to recommend something to me for review.  “Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper” was his response.  When I asked what made their Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper different he said that they make it the old fashioned way by combining Dr Pepper, Cherry, and Vanilla syrups then carbonating them.  Judging by the color of what he delivered this truly is something different.

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Not a lot of aroma comes off the top of the glass, but I still can’t take my eyes off of the auburn coloring of the soda.  I know what’s in this.  Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper is a known quantity in my mind, but it never looked like this.  I’m sure the camera on my phone didn’t do it justice… just trust me.  Yeah, nothing could go wrong with just trusting me.

Son of a gun that’s a great blend.  All three flavors race towards my tongue and end up in an all out brawl.  From this chaos “Cherry” is the clear winner as he triumphantly stands atop his two battered foes.  Dr Pepper, a very rich version of the drink most are familiar with, is the first to stumble to his knees pushing Vanilla’s face into the dirt as he attempts to stand.

Vanilla is alive.  Vanilla is awake.  Vanilla doesn’t want to get up though.  Even though he’s still on the ground after the brawl you still can’t take your eyes off of him.  Just picture three men in front of you, two standing and one flat on his face.  Which one is going to pull your attention?

Vanilla ultimately lost the fight, but the bruises and marks he left are still apparent on his opponents bodies.  Each sip includes vanilla to the point where it almost seems as if this drink were a float instead of an ice creamless soda.  

The syrup hugs my teeth in delicious fashion, but still pushes me to go brush.  Did I bring gum?  I really hope I brought gum.

Today I was introduced to the way Dr Pepper could really taste if put in the correct hands.  Don’t get me wrong, like most any Texan I like Dr Pepper, but when it’s created in the manner listed above you end up with a bigger, stronger animal.

Another Time Soda Fountain’s Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper is a better version of whatever you imagine it to be.  

~A

This was purchased at Another Time Soda Fountain in Rosenberg, TX  

Honest Fizz Professor Fizz

I have returned from my long break and I’m sure the rumors about my departure were just starting to run rampant.  Had I gone off the deep end, sold my Soda Jerk stock and purchased a yacht?  Perhaps I gave up soda drinking and was living in a little cave with only the essentials.  Maybe I was prepping for Game of Thrones Season 4 to start.  I’m not sure we’ll ever figure out what I was up to, but I’m sure it’s a tale for the police.

Today’s review comes from the folks at Honest Tea.  They make a soda called Honest Fizz that comes in four (hopefully) fantastic flavors.  Honest Fizz is a zero calorie soda that’s naturally sweetened with stevia.  Here’s their ingredient list for those interested.  You know there won’t be a lot of ingredients because I’d be too lazy to type them.  Anywho, here they are:  Carbonated Water, Erythritol, Organic Caramel Color, Natural Flavors, Stevia Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, and Caffeine.  For those who don’t know what Erythritol is, it’s a sugar that’s sometimes found in fruit and fermented food.  I don’t know if Honest Fizz’s is from fruit or from a lab, either way it’s in there.

What I’ve chosen today is called Professor Fizz.  Honestly I don’t really know what flavor Professor Fizz is as the label has what looks to be a cherry on it, but the description on the back reads like this may have Dr Pepper similarity.  You be the judge.

“Professor Fizz has a Ph.D. in taste, and one sip will tell you why.  There’s no way to describe this unique, all-natural spiced cherry flavor, other than to say it’s a definite A+.”

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Fun Fact:  Twist was known as Professor Fizz when he taught school in the 1800's.

So I counted a total of two puns in there.  I’m ok with puns… the lip of the can says “So-da-lightful”…I’m no longer comfortable with this many puns/plays on words.  Now that I’ve written my longest intro yet, lets me get to actually reviewing.

Judging by the smell of Professor Fizz I’m going to say they’re going for the Dr Pepper experience in this soda.  To back up my theory, the color is brown with a light red hue.  Scent-wise they’re doing a pretty good job matching it though.  Should be interesting to see how the taste stacks up.

Curse you stevia.  The first third of my sip tastes like Diet Dr Pepper.  The cherry/cola/root beer taste is there.  It’s sweet, it’s light, and it’s enjoyable.  The carbonation brushes gently across my tongue in a playful way.  I want to take another sip, but then the first third of my sip ends abruptly.  The second third of my sip begins to taste like Diet Dr.  The sweetness is turning into a somewhat bitter chemical sensation.  The cherry/cola/root beer flavor is fading quickly and the overall makeup of the soda is deteriorating.  By the time I’m in the home stretch it’s a bitter liquid that doesn’t even resemble what it sought out to be like so many of us out there.

You leave home at 18 to go out into the world with so many ideas.  You have your flaws, but you still feel unstoppable.  As time marches on you gain a more realistic view.  Bills, work, and booze infiltrate your life.  You black out.  Now you sit hunched over a computer writing soda reviews for the masses.  Three meals a day are passed to you through the bars of your “office”.  You tell them you have a peanut allergy, but they keep putting them on the brownies to spite you.  Your boss comes in every hour on the hour to make sure you’re still cranking them out.  Finally one day you find a way to escape. 

A speck of sunlight is seen at the end of the long hall.  You make a break for it.  For over a month you’re out in the world again, feeling light and airy.  A few weeks later you check the site and see that some other schmuck has posted a review.  Relief passes over your body as you figure the search for you is all but over.  You go to your family’s house to spend Easter Sunday with them, but that’s where they get you.  Before you can ring the doorbell the men in blue gag you and bring you back to your computer so that you can write more reviews.

That “fictional tale” is what Professor Fizz’s journey seems like.  It started off with such hope and promise, but the speed in which it deconstructed into a bitter beverage with a stevia aftertaste is astounding.  I know they want to have a zero calorie soda and I don’t fault them for that.  If they want to have an improved flavor then they need to cut the stevia with some sugar.  Just do half and half to see what it tastes like.  It’ll still be pretty low in calorie and you might have a wider appeal.  What do I know though?  I don’t make soda; I just sit here in my office eating brownies all day.

~A

This soda supplied to us by Honest Fizz

R-Pep

Anything mainstream has a knock off version of it.  Take it from the kid who was playing with Go-Bots instead of Transformers.  As I’m sure you’re aware, this especially rings true in the soda world where a multitude of “coke like colas” are out there.  Another flavor you see multitudes of is Dr Pepper.  Today’s beverage, I’m assuming, is a Dr Pepper “inspired” soda.  I’m guessing this because it’s called R-Pep.  What would you think it was?  It’s made with chemicals and cane sugar so it’s at least trying. 

My personal favorite part of this simple labeled soda is that the slogan is “Make it Yours!”   If this truly is “inspired” by Dr Pepper then those words could not ring truer.  Make this other popular flavor yours.  Who knows though?  Perhaps I’ll open this up and it won’t taste a thing like Dr Pepper.  Perhaps I’ll look like an ass because of it.  Either way, it’s time to find out.

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Twist was once a doctor in a small Midwestern town.

It smells somewhat like the Dr, but a different scent lingers as well.  A strong caramel sensation seems to be making itself noticed.  Maybe this is what will keep R-Pep from being a knock off and make me play the fool.

So I may not be playing the fool, but I’m at least his understudy.  R-Pep is good, but I could easily tell the two apart due to a couple of things that R-Pep does differently.  This is certainly creamier than Dr Pepper and the carbonation levels are lower here.  These differences allow R-Pep to be smoother than the already self-proclaimed smooth Dr.  There is also a heavier dose of vanilla used in R-Pep which just exaggerates the previously made point.  Overall it’s a pretty dang tasty beverage and even though it’s exactly what I thought it would be, it’s not.

Anyone can make a halfhearted attempt to copy someone, causing the result to taste halfhearted.  When a company makes a soda like R-Pep you at least know they were trying.  A lover of Dr Pepper had an idea of how to make it better, so they put forth the time and energy to do so.  Ultimately this created a different enough soda that it should be allowed to stand alone, but sadly will always be compared.  Just ask Pepsi how that’s worked out for them.  Dr Pepper’s only competitor is Pibb and if you ask me that’s not much of a competitor.  R-Pep is better than Pibb and sizes up well against its “inspiration”.  Sure it’s sweeter, more vanilla-y, and smoother, but that’s what makes it special.  If you find a bottle in your neck of the woods you should give it a try.

~A

This soda was given to us by YOU!  Your donations made this review possible, so THANKS!

Virgil's Dr. Better

For those of you who are new to the site let me give you a small slice of history pie.  I’m from Texas and being from said state makes me very biased to Dr Pepper.  I’m sure you’ll find many a Texan who couldn’t care a lick about Dr Pepper, but you’ll find more that do care than any other state.  With that said I’m always skeptical when I find a Dr Pepper rip-off as I immediately think it won’t be good as the original.  Doc Zola was the only product that equaled or surpassed Dr Pepper, but today a new challenger emerges… Virgil’s Dr. Better. 

As you may know Virgil’s Root Beer is the drink that gave me the idea to start this site because of how awesome it is.  Virgil’s brand sodas are among my favorites so to see one trying to topple the great Dr gives me mixed emotions.  Another note is that in talking to other soda companies I know of at least one other that planned on making a product called Dr. Better, so while I like the name I’m aware that it’s been thought of before.  Hopefully the company that didn’t get to this product name first still tries to produce a Dr Pepper flavored beverage because I’d really like to try it.  With all that said it’s time I try this “Dr. Type soda” (as the back of the bottle says) and see how it fares.  Ok, one final gripe.  It really shouldn’t be written as “Dr. Type soda” since it’s trying to somewhat replicate Dr Pepper which has no period after the “r”.  Honestly it should be a “Dr Type soda”, but I’m just being picky at this point… moving on.

The smell to me is less of a “Dr. Type soda” and more of a “Mr. Type soda”.  All that the previous sentence means is that it doesn’t smell as strongly as Dr Pepper does when you first open the can/bottle.  Mr. Pibb is the weaker flavored beverage and its scent translates that.  I’m sure that Virgil’s will back up their scent with a more amazing taste though… I mean we’re talking about Virgil’s here, not Coke.  Onward!

There’s a lot going on in this bottle of Dr. Better.  The soda hits your tongue with quite a kick, but quickly backs off as to not upset the entire drinking process.  While the initial flavor tastes more of Mr. Pibb (weaker) as you get closer to the finish it develops the familiar richness of Dr Pepper.  The thing that’s bothering me is the finish and over all mouth-feel of Dr. Better.  While they make a Dr. Better with stevia (an ingredient I’m not sure I’ll ever endorse as the sole sweetener in a beverage) regular Dr. Better uses no such leaf.  It’s sweetened with evaporated cane juice and I’m just now noticing also includes “a touch of prune juice”.  With all that said the finish of the drink, I didn’t lose my train of thought too much there, has a bit of a diet taste to it that I’m not all that thrilled with.  Upon this complaint of mine I will add another, the mouth-feel is probably the most syrupy I’ve experienced from a Virgil’s product.  These two qualities knock Dr. Better down a couple of pegs as a glass bottle of sugar sweetened Dr Pepper would trump it easily.  I’m not completely surprised as this outcome, but I will say I expected better from the fine folks at Virgil’s.  Again, they’re battling a Texans love of Dr Pepper, but those are the breaks on this site.

~A

Twist received his doctorate in keeping it real

Dr. B

Dr Pepper is an odd duck.  It’s not a cola, it’s not a root beer, it lives in its own category.  Mr. Pibb, Dr Pepper’s neighbor, even left the street because he couldn’t hang with the good Dr.  Now Pibb Xtra walks the streets looking for its identity while Dr Pepper lives without care.  If you haven’t realized it yet I’m a Texan.  This increases my love of Dr Pepper by a great degree and while I’m not happy with what happened in Dublin I can’t say that I’d never drink a Dr Pepper again… I’d just be fooling myself.  What I’m poorly setting up here is that it’s hard for me to review products that are supposed to taste like Dr Pepper.  In my time reviewing sodas I’ve only come across one that is equal to or beats the flavor of Pepper… Doc Zola.  Today I have a bottle of Dr. B in front of me.  Dr. B is a grocery store made soda, HEB to be exact.  Before you immediately write it off HEB Cola is a very good cola in its own right.  I put HEB Cola above both Coke and Pepsi.  HEB does indeed put some love and care into their “Pure Cane Sugar” sweetened sodas and Dr. B is just that.  So here we go again, another Dr Pepper knock off about to be reviewed.  Will it go by the wayside as so many do, or will it prove worthy to stand next to Dr Pepper and Doc Zola?  Let’s find out, shall we?

The scent I just inhaled is almost exactly that of Dr Pepper.  I don’t think that’s a very telling characteristic, but I suppose it’s the first thing you need to do to keep me interested.  Onward… and hopefully upward.

Twist went back and removed all of the periods after Dr (Pepper) for me.

Ok, so Dr. B is obviously going to have some taste similarities to Dr Pepper so we’re going to talk about what’s different instead.  The first thing I notice is that Dr. B is a smoother drink than Dr Pepper, which is somewhat impressive because Dr Pepper prides itself on how smooth the taste is.  Secondly, Dr. B is a notch sweeter that what you find in that maroon and white can.  I would think that the added sweetness would be noticeable by most, but not to the point where it tastes like Dr Pepper Cotton Candy (patent pending!).   The carbonation level is also muted a bit, but I assume that’s because of the sweetener used (sugar).  I wish I had a sugar sweetened Dr Pepper to compare this too right in front of me, but I guess you gotta work with what you got.  Overall Dr. B is a great product, but it won’t be replacing Dr Pepper in my life (much like HEB Cola has replaced Coke and Pepsi).  I like the added burn of Dr Pepper even if it is slight.  I also associate so many positive things with Dr Pepper that Dr. B just couldn’t catch up to.  Dr. B is Doctor Peppers equal in every way in terms of being a good soda, but Dr Pepper has a nostalgia factor for me personally.  This won’t change the rating of the drink, but Doc Zola is still the reigning champion when it comes to Dr Pepper knock offs. 

~A

UPDATE - I'M A FORGETFUL DOOFUS

I reviewed this soda again without even checking to see if I had already... here's the three year update on Dr. B.

July 9, 2015 Update

I enjoyed HEB Original Cola quite a bit if I remember correctly… and by “remember” I mean quickly glance at the review I wrote five years ago.  That said, I’m not really sure why it took me that long to pick up a bottle of their Dr. B.  As you might have guessed Dr. B is the HEB (a grocery store in Texas) version of Dr Pepper.  It’s sweetened with “pure” cane sugar instead of all that “tainted” cane sugar the other guys use.  If only it was “Real Pure Cane Sugar”, then I’d be impressed.

The bottle Dr. B is housed in is a pleasant shape and quite simple in labeling.  The cap was not a screw top as evidenced by my foolish attempt to remove it.  Thankfully I have a bottle opener on my keychain to assist me in such situations.

Hey, guess what?  It smells like Dr Pepper.  Moving on.

Very nice.  Dr. B does a pretty good job of mimicking the Dr Pepper flavor, to the point I’m not sure if I could tell the difference if it was poured in a cup,

Ok, so I just did a blind taste test with some fountain Dr Pepper and I totally couldn’t tell the difference.  The first cup was a little richer than the first which made me think it was the original Dr Pepper… alas it was not.

Dr. B, apparently, has a bit of a boost in the flavor department but it’s just small enough to confuse me.  If I remembered the price I paid for this bottle I could tell you if it was worth buying over glass bottled Dr Pepper… my guess is yes if you only care about flavor.

Where Dr. B will always suffer is that it does not have nearly the nostalgia with people that Dr Pepper does so they’ll reach for the known quantity more times than not.  As for me though I’ll probably take another step towards being a soda snob and drink Dr. B while telling folks it tastes exactly the same if not a little better than fountain Dr Pepper.

~A

I bought this at an HEB grocery store… weren’t you listening?

Dr. Zevia

Stevia is being touted as a "next-gen sweetener."  We don't know what's so bad about cane sugar, but it doesn't seem to be good enough for the soda industry.  So here's stevia, in the form of Dr. Zevia, part of a line of stevia sweetened sodas.  Dr. Zevia is their Dr. Pepper type drink.  So how does this next-gen, or "robot doctor" as we'll call it, hold up?  

Pretty bad.  Sure, it's diet, and diet to us is slang for "horrible," which it is.  It's really bad.  It's like a watery Dr. Pepper.  But to be fair, maybe we're not the best judges on this.

When it comes to diet sodas, this is bad, but it's not horrible.  It's not Beverly, that's for sure.

It does have some redeeming factors.  For one, it is zero calories, thanks to the stevia.  The ingredient list is fairly decent too, with lots of natural oils and cherry essence.  No sodium benzoate either!  That's always a plus.

So we may not be the best judges of diet soda for taste, but we can say that this is much better in the ingredient department than grabbing another diet soda.  So for that...

-Mike

Doc Zola

   Today’s review is that of Doc Zola, what I first perceived as a Dr. Pepper knock off and nothing more.  If you’ve listened to Popcast Episode 1, also available on iTunes, you’d know that I no longer feel any ill will toward this product anymore. 

   Initially I was thinking to myself, “Oh look another soda trying to be Dr. Pepper.  This is going to be a disappointment.”  Texans are proud that Dr. Pepper hails from this state, and anyone trying to out do them at their own game is usually looked down upon.  Thankfully Doc Zola didn’t fall into the Dr. Pepper rip-off category.  The bottle art includes a Tiki god looking character, which I will assume is Doc Zola.  Maybe Doc Zola is short for Witch Doctor Zola, then again maybe not.  Either way, the bottle art and the colors used are very nice.  Then again, I’m a sucker for shades of maroon coupled with white.

   Looking over the bottle a bit more we found that it included Vitamins C, E, B6, and B12.  While a bottle of Doc Zola won’t cover you for an entire days need of Vitamin C, it will give you 25% of your daily value.  This is one of the things that impressed me most.  For every good though, there is a bad.  The use of HFCS, and Sodium Benzoate are never smiled upon by the Jerks, and Doc Zola uses both. 

   Once I opened the bottle I did notice that it smelled a lot like Dr. Pepper, but it wasn’t until I tasted it that I no longer cared about the similarities.  Doc Zola does have a Dr. Pepper base for the taste it gives you.  Soon after taking a drink though, you will realize that something more is there.  First you will taste a sweet hint of cherry, a very pleasant surprise.  Following the cherry is where the Dr. Pepper flavoring hits your tongue, but that’s not where it finishes.  As you complete the drink you just took you’ll notice the flavor of cinnamon greeting you… and that’s where Doc Zola shines.  The addition of the cherry is nice, and something Dr. Pepper failed on even in Cherry Dr. Pepper.  The cinnamon though, is fantastic, and what sets this drink apart from being a rip-off of an already popular brand.  Again with the good there is always a flip side.  Doc Zola seems to lose it’s carbonation a little faster than other drinks.  If you chug it down you won’t even notice.  If you’re like me and like to slowly enjoy it, then you’ll notice that aspect at the end.

~A

Did you know Twist has a Ph.D. in love?

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Pipeline Brands)

Dr. Pepper Cherry

   Being from Texas, I love Dr. Pepper (Especially Dublin Dr. Pepper).  Dr. Pepper is a staple soda here in the Lone  Star State, as it was invented here.  I also like cherry flavoring in soda, so normally you’d think that Dr. Pepper Cherry would be something I’d be all over.  Let me tell you in four words why I’m skeptical:  Dr. Pepper Red Fusion.  Red Fusion came out in 2002 and lasted a whole 2 years.  They never came out and said what flavored Red Fusion, but I always assumed it had a cherry base.  Sadly though, Red Fusion tasted like flat Dr. Pepper.  So excuse me if I don’t get all excited when I try this Dr. Pepper Cherry.  I will tell you one positive thing right off the bat about it though… I got this for free!  Thanks to reader D.W. (Not the caped crusader that graced The Disney Afternoon toon block) but a cool guy nonetheless. 

   Looking at this can, I can’t avoid thinking that Dr. Pepper is trying to seduce me.  It’s a black can, which isn’t something that’s very common right now (I can only think of Coke Zero off the top of my head).  At the top of the can in lowercase is the phrase “amazingly smooth”.  I seriously doubt that I’m going to be amazed at how smooth this tastes, but let’s give it a shot.  Oh before I continue, you know this is full of chemicals right?  I didn’t bother going into the ingredients list because they would just depress you.

    The aroma wafting (ok maybe wafting is a bit strong) out of the can smells just like Dr. Pepper… with a tiny, tiny amount of cherry in it.  Time for drinkin’.  The first sip I take puts one thought into my mind… normal Dr. Pepper is better than this.  I will never favor this over Dr. Pepper.  Ok, that was technically two thoughts, but let’s continue anyway.  While somewhat smooth it’s not “amazingly smooth”, but no one here is surprised by that.  Actually, when it first hits your tongue you get a nice bubbly sensation.  To put it somewhat bluntly it tastes like a slightly weaker Dr. Pepper with a little bit of a cherry taste to it.  I will say that this tastes better than Red Fusion did though.  I’ve harped on this drink more than it deserves, but I’m disappointed.  In my opinion you could make this a lot better by ramping up the cherry flavoring, and using sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.  I don’t say that because I prefer sugar, (I do prefer sugar, but I didn’t say that because I did… stay with me here.) but because sugar adds a crispness to soda that HFCS does not.  All in all, this is about what I expected… which saddens me.

As you can see by his expression, Twist was not seduced.

Iron Beer - Original 1917 Flavor!

Recently a co-worker of ours learned of our beverage review site, and brought me 3 sodas of foreign origin. The first that I will review is IRONBEER. For those who are unfamiliar with Ironbeer, it's not a beer; in fact the ingredients read as follows: Carbonated water, fructose, caramel color, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors. So it seems that the drink will taste pretty bland to me, but that's ok because the can art has already scored this beverage at least a 0.5.

Opening the can now. Wow! It's much sweeter than I thought it would be, and has a good combination of flavors. The combination seems like Dr. Pepper, Rootbeer, and a strong Red Cream Soda. It also goes down very clean, with very little aftertaste. The can boasts that what you are drinking is the 'Original 1917 Flavor!' and if this is so, I can see why it's been around so long. I'm going to conduct a cold pizza test, and see how it compliments a cold pizza (toppings: Cheddar Cheese, Pepperoni, and Green Olives). Very impressive, the Ironbeer flavor washes away 98% of the pizza flavoring from your mouth, and still leaves it very clean feeling. Overall I'm very happy with this drink. It's not the best drink in the world, but it's one I wouldn't mind owning a few 12 packs of.

Btw, I spoke of the can art earlier which is displayed below. The origins of Ironbeer are also on the can, and are as follows.

On a summers afternoon, in 1917 a mule-drawn, wooden wagon arrived at a popular cafeteria in Havana, Cuba. It delivered the first four cases of a new soft drink that would soon be called "The National Beverage". Now more than 80 years later, IRONBEER is still enjoyed for its refreshing flavor with just a hint of island spices. A lot can change over the years - but not the original flavor of IRONBEER!

~A

Blue Sky's Dr. Becker

This will be the shortest entry I make to date. I picked up an all natural Blue Sky beverage titled Dr. Becker. As plain as the nose on your face, you should be able to tell that this is a Dr. Pepper rip off... and that's fine. Soft drinks try too emulate one another all the time. What's not fine is the flavor of this drink. The initial taste is like a flat Dr. Pepper... the taste that follows is horrid. I'm going to type a flavor, and you aren't going to believe me. I've had two people agree with me on this so it's not just my screwy taste buds. The after taste of Dr. Becker is... boiled baby carrots. Before you say "no it's not", YES, YES IT IS! It is definitely in the top 5 worst soft drinks I've ever had. I can't even finish a can of this stuff... it's only 12oz, but even when I share a can with someone I can't get half way through. The can itself it pleasant, but not great. This product has scared me away from Blue Sky beverages for a while.

Here's what a can looks like

~A