Have you heard of this new beverage from Coca-Cola? They’re calling it “Coca-Cola BlaK“. I saw it at the store today so I had to buy one to try.
According to the company’s press release:
Coca-Cola BlaK is a sophisticated, premium blend of Coca-Cola, natural flavors and coffee essence. The effervescence and rich flavor of Coca-Cola BlaK provide the perfect pick-me-up for people looking for new ways to stay refreshed any time of the day or night. “Coca-Cola BlaK is a uniquely invigorating beverage that is full-bodied in flavor and as refreshing as you expect Coca-Cola to be,” said Katie Bayne, senior vice president, Coca-Cola Brands, Coca-Cola North America. “There is no other beverage available today quite like Coca-Cola BlaK. Imagine the refreshing taste of an ice-cold Coca-Cola that finishes with a rich essence of coffee. Only Coca-Cola can deliver that distinct combination of flavors.”
Since I’m not a coffee drinker, the “coffee essence” isn’t anything too special to me, but they’re taking the “premium” part of the product description pretty seriously. It’s sold in a single 8-ounce glass bottle (that’s 2/3 the size of a normal can of Coke) at a definitely-premium price. On the plus side, the drink only has 45 calories, which is a notable change from the 150 that a can of Coca-Cola Classic has.
It definitely doesn’t taste as sweet as Coke does, but I’ll have to wait a while to see if it’s the “perfect pick-me-up” which is, I assume, their way of saying there’s lots of caffeine in here. The taste doesn’t suck. It’s strangely different. I guess it tastes like Coke mixed with coffee and not as sweet. I poured it over ice. Not sure how it would taste straight out of the bottle.
Speaking of Coke, when we were in the Bahamas the week before last, I had a Pepsi or two. Boy were they good. As you might imagine, soft drinks there are made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, and I can tell the difference. I should’ve brought some back with me, I guess.
Oh, and since I’m writing this blog entry under the category of “Food” I should probably mention that I made some really good barbecued beef ribs for supper last night. Tonight, we’re having a friend over, and so I’m smoking a beef brisket. We’ll also have fresh baked bread and grilled corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake. Should be yummy! And then to celebrate National Ice Cream Day we may go over to our neighbors’ house to share some ice cream.