A cola for those of you who don't believe in gravity? (Pepsi Raw)

Member Name: edinburgher

Product:	Pepsi Raw
Date:	28/08/09 (146 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not *as bad* as similar colas on the market

Disadvantages: Bizarre aftertaste, somewhat freaky ingredients, silly marketing

*Ladies and gentlemen, I am a soft drink addict*

Much to the chagrin of my dentist (and my front teeth), I love soft drinks. I'm a borderline caffeine addict (although I have managed to rein it in to no more than two caffeinated drinks a day). As well as this, I'm always willing to give the wackier inventions from the soft drink manufacturers a go. Hey - what's the worst that can happen?

Trying to strike a balance between pleasing my dentist and pleasing myself, I picked up one of the tiny 150ml 'mixer' cans of this when I popped into Sainsbury's this afternoon. I'd fancied trying it for a while, but the reviews to date encouraged me to start off with a small portion.

*Availability and cost*

This product is widely available from supermarkets, high street stores such as WH Smith and a selection of local corner shops unlucky enough to buy it in bulk when Pepsi first tried to float the idea of their 'natural cola' and it was cheap.

Prices vary depending on the size of the container (the range includes small cans like the one I opted for, as well as 250ml cans). I've seen it priced at £0.45 to £0.99, although it's often included as part of multibuy offers.

*Stillborn apples do not make a good cola*

First impressions of Pepsi Raw aren't terrible. It's sweet, has a strong flavour and it's generally ok. That is - until the aftertaste kicks in! This is cloying, with notes of soggy caramel and more than one apple flavour struggling for attention from your palate. As others have mentioned, it's fairly flat and only has a gently effervescence going for it (not a crime in itself). It doesn't taste horrendous, but suffice to say I'm glad that I've never seen this in 2 litre bottles...

*Would I recommend it?*

I'd recommend it for a one off experiment, to try for yourself. It's not as bad as some of the 'natural/herbal' colas on the market and it's an interesting taste (even if it wasn't to my liking). I strongly doubt, however, that it will make it into your regular soft drink rotation.

*Ingredients and nutrition*

This drink has been dreamed up by marketing wizards who think that we're morons.

It panders to the health conscious consumer to the extent that it detracts greatly from the quality of the product and will alienate most of the people who try it. It features apples in various forms, kola nut extract, gum arabic and xanthan gum.

Apples are high in sugar and are acidic, causing enamel damage. Kola nuts are a stimulant and does a good glass of pop *ever* need a thickener? This question is rhetorical and now that I think about it, the use of gums is making me gag just a little.

True, artificial sweeteners have their problems, but there are adverse affects to be found in natural products as well (see above). There's no point in having a 'natural' version just for the sake of it - that's about as sensible as saying you don't believe in gravity. I strongly doubt that anyone has ever conducted a detailed study into the effects of beverages containing kola nuts as part of a Western diet. Science can be a good thing and natural ingredients do not necessarily mean healthier ones.

A silly, faddy product - it's not even significantly lower in calories than regular colas.

*What would it go with?*

Good question - I'll get back to you when I find the answer!

Summary: Just because some artificial additives are bad for us doesn't mean that we should resort to this!