Quoted By:
Coke Zero
The “original” Coke Zero is very much “old timey cola” on the nose, with notes of cola nut, cinnamon and sweet spices. On the palate, it’s honestly a little bit nondescript: Semisweet standard cola, with a slight medicinal note on the back end. It would be a mistake to describe it as “not sweet,” because it is, but in comparison to the Coke Zero Sugar it’s drier and slightly sharper and more “tinny,” in a way that isn’t necessarily unpleasant—just different. It certainly finishes more crisply than Coke Zero Sugar does, and is just a drier cola in general, which one might argue boosts its drinkability or the likelihood of finishing a whole can.
Coke Zero Sugar
From the moment of first sip, it’s difficult to deny that Coke Zero Sugar doesn’t taste more like Coca Cola Classic than its predecessor—it just does. If you immediately react in a negative way toward Coke Zero Sugar, then you’re probably not a big fan of the classic Coca Cola taste profile, because that’s what they’re trying to replicate here. The nose is similar, but more layered with vanilla and brown sugar. On the palate it’s noticeably sweeter, with a slightly more syrupy texture and rounded mouthfeel. It’s a more overtly “sugary” type of sweetness that Jason Rhode described as a “sugar lift,” noting “It does a better job of fooling my taste buds into believing that they’re drinking a can of Coca Cola Classic.” The sweetness affects the entire flavor profile, giving a note that I have written down as “maraschino cherry.”
