Granslam of Coke part 3: Dieting the Coke way (Diet Coke)

Member Name: iamasadlittleboy

Product:	Diet Coke
Date:	30/07/09 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No sugar or fats...

Disadvantages: ...or flavour or taste or enjoyability

The third of my Coke Grandslam reviews was picked at random from the bag I took to work with a bottle of Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke, Diet Coke it was. So for those who are rather overweight, chubby, "cuddley" (like myself obviously) this should be the Coke aimed for you. I know we should be eating salads and drinking water rather than drinking Coke, but if you want something a little more flavoured than water then maybe this was Coca Cola's brilliant idea.

As with all the Coca-Cola\Coke range of drinks it comes in a transparent bottle which has the Coca-Cola "deformed" rocket bottle with the logo's on it. This one has a white cap and a silver label, making it unique in the range for not having a matching cap-label combination. The transparent bottle does little to hide the trademark caramel colour of the group of drinks. The silver label has a rather nice and welcoming message to drinkers "Hello you" it says, as if it's a close personal friend that has long since been there for you. The label also contains a tag line "Your light Coke taste, Your low calorie lift". So the promise of a Coke taste, a diet saving lack of calories and, with some luck, the regular coke greatness, this is an alluring product. However the bench mark still remains with Cherry Coke which wasn't quite matched by the traditional Coca-Cola, sadly this has a lot to live up to.

Upon undoing the lid for the first time time the hiss and fizz were what I'd started to get used to, the aroma that left the bottle was also that familiar smell that so many people around the world love. Things seemed promising so far, sadly this promise was short lived.

The taste is the key thing in all drinks, Diet versions are notorious for taking the original flavour...and destroying it leaving the product tasting so different to the original product that it's almost false to claim one is a diet version of another. So how does Diet Coke feature in the taste test, does it still taste like Coke?

No! Simply put this is no longer a Coca-Cola drink, it's more like a watered down version of one of the stores own brand ones. Sadly I'd feel Morrison's would do a better job than this with their own coke, infact even Pepsi is better (nothing against Pepsi I just felt a little jibe would be fun). The sweet and familiar Coke taste can't even be said to have been watered down, it's just no there in the first place, and sadly whatever flavour it is there dissipates with in seconds of it being in your mouth, as it turns to bubbles on your tongue. The advantage I guess could be that you can keep it in your mouth to savour, but why savour something so bland and tasteless?
The texture is ok, and it's easy and light to swallow despite it bubbling up in your mouth, it's fair to even say that it's enjoyable to swallow. However this may be more the fact that it's enjoyable just to empty your mouth of it as it's effectively spitting on the Coca-Cola brand that it's there to try and enhance.

This has made me think, that it's really funny seeing single people in McDonald's ordering things like "Large Fries, 2 Big macs and A Mcflurry with a Diet Coke please". Now when people are questioned about this they come out with 1 of two things:
"It's healthy" or "I like the taste"
Lets take the first sort of people: "Yes indeed the diet Coke is healthy, but what's the point in having a healthy drink if your so willing to eat enough fatty foods that a healthy drink won't make a difference? Be healthy and have a salad"
To the second sort of people "You can kid yourself, but not I, Diet Coke has a taste you like? Only if your a liar, tasteless or your tongue is confused".

Some Facts:
The drink is the only drink in "the Grandslam" (I've dubbed it that) to still be called "Coke" the others are all "Coca Cola" and it's also the only one with it's "sub-name" (or variety) first. With Coca-Cola Cherry and Coca-Cola Zero being the other two.
The drink is the only one in the range where the cap doesn't match the label colour.
Despite being "Diet Coke" the bottle only mentioned that name once, it however mentions "Diet Coca Cola" twice.

Nutritional information (per 250ml serving)
Calories 1Kcal (<1% GDA)
0 g of Sugars, fats and saturates (0% GDA)
0.01 g of salt (<1%)

Oddly only this and Zero have any salt in them. The bottle also mentions the drink contains a source of Phenylalanine.

Summary:
Did you hear how Diet Coke is good for you?
Well you buy it and don't drink it hahaha

Summary: This could explain why I'm fat