REVIEW: Pepsi Max Cherry Blast

Pepsi Max Cherry Blast

To be honest, I thought Pepsi Max would’ve been discontinued by now. Because it seems every beverage and snack that I love ends up being removed from shelves. I’d list all of the discontinued products, but I’m not in the mood to cry right now.

For those of you not familiar with with Pepsi Max, it’s a sugar-free, zero calorie cola with ginseng extract and nearly twice the caffeine of regular and Diet Pepsi. It’s been around since 2007 and it competes in the same market as Coke Zero, which is the diet colas with black labels market.

Although it’s a diet soda, it tastes different than Diet Pepsi. Pepsi Max is sweetened with aspartame and ace-K, while Diet Pepsi has just aspartame. This difference gives Pepsi Max a less harsh artificial sweetener aftertaste.

It’s a favorite of mine mostly because of the higher caffeine content. A 20-ounce bottle has 115 milligrams of sweet, sweet caffeine.

Although it’s been around for a while, Pepsi Max has had only one new variety in the U.S. market — Pepsi Max Cease Fire. But that changed recently with the introduction of Pepsi Max Cherry Blast. Hey, I just realized the name kind of rhymes. I guess that’s why Pepsi didn’t call it Wild Cherry Pepsi Max. The soda only comes in 16-ounce tall boy cans, is a 7-Eleven exclusive, and I love this soda…aspartame and all.

I’m a fan of Pepsi Wild Cherry and Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry, and their syrupy artificial cherry aroma and flavor. If you’ve never experienced either soda, their cherry flavor is a hypersweet candy version of cherries, but for some it makes them wonder if they’re drinking cough syrup. Even though some folks think it tastes like something from the cold medicine aisle at your local Walgreens or CVS, I love that cherry flavor and it goes extremely well with Pepsi Max.

I. LOVE. PEPSI. MAX. CHERRY. BLAST.

Pepsi Max Cherry Blast Closeup

I’ve purchased five cans of Pepsi Max Cherry Blast over the course of a week. If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is.

Although, to be honest, I think a major reason of why I love this soda so much is because, after drinking enough regular Pepsi Max to fill a few bathtubs over the years, my taste buds have gotten extremely tired of it and they yearned for something different.

As much as I love the flavor and the 92 milligrams of sweet, sweet caffeine in each can of Pepsi Max Cherry Blast, I do wish it was available in other sizes and stores. Also, I wish I knew if it’s a regular flavor or if I should prepare myself emotionally for when it gets discontinued.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 can – 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 50 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.)

Item: Pepsi Max Cherry Blast
Purchased Price: 99 cents
Size: 16 oz. can
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: I love this soda. If you enjoy Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry and want more caffeine, this soda will definitely do. Finally, another Pepsi Max flavor! Has 92 milligrams of sweet, sweet caffeine.
Cons: Non-diet soda drinkers will not like it. Those who think the cherry flavoring tastes like cough syrup will not like it. 7-Eleven exclusive and only available in 16-ounce cans. The possibility that it’ll get discontinued.

16 thoughts to “REVIEW: Pepsi Max Cherry Blast”

  1. I cannot wait to try this!! I, too, am a HUGE Pepsi Max fan!! I LOVE IT!! And, like you, I keep waiting for it to get discontinued. That happens a lot to things I love. (I’m still not over Chef Boyardee taking away Roller Coasters when I was young.) Thanks for the awesome review!! I’m stopping by 7-11 on my way home!!

  2. I have purchased these tall boy cans from my local Wal-Mart so I don’t believe they are a 7-11 exclusive.

  3. These are awesome! Shame that it’s only available at 7/11, Shame that it’s only 16 ounces, Shame that it’s only a can version, Shame I just ran out.

  4. The 7/11 in my area does not have this, seriously bummed right now. I ended up getting the original Pepsi Max instead.

    1. if cherry pepsi max was available in 12 packs i would by 4 per week ! please make it available at walmart!!!!!

      1. I actually found this – FINALLY!!! It was at my local Walmart for $1 a can. (You could only buy them individually.) I’m sure I’ll be back for more!

  5. These are seriously the best cherry cola diet drink on the market. They are entirely too hard to find. For example, the first sets of these I bought at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. Now I always check to see if I can find them at various gas stations or convenience markets. I travel a lot for work and am bummed when I can’t find them. It’s hard enough to find the tall cans, usually priced .99 which is awesome for when on the road and a 12 pack is not necessarily the best option. Like other’s have stated, if these were available in 12 or 24 packs, I’d also buy an assload by the week.

  6. The flavor was excellent but I was disappointed to notice that there was no ginseng in this version of Pepsi Max. Ginseng is one of the reasons I drank Pepsi Max.

  7. It is not available in Rivesville, WV.
    And there is no 7-11 in Fairmont, WV in a 20 mile radius…
    Think about putting at other stores not exclusively at 7-11s.
    Keep Pepsi Max, diabetics have little to choose from.
    Popular grocery stores would be great too.

  8. I am absolutely RIDICULOUS with my Pepsi Max Addiction, usually consuming two to three two liters of it a day since its been out, was a previous diet coke addict..I would just die if they ever discontinued Pepsi Max…. Now I will be on the look out to try this new tantalizing variety… I fear a new addiction may be born that will not ever be able to be fulfilled in only tall cans …. Pepsi please NEVER DISCONTINUE PEPSI MAX!

  9. I just found this at a Pennzoil station in Upper Sandusky, two days ago. I was looking for regular Pepsi Max in a bottle, but the Cherry Blast was the only Pepsi Max available. I loved the one I have had, so far.
    Still upset about Pepsi discontinuing the 6-packs of Pepsi Max in 24 ounce bottles, though; I was purchasing at least 8 six-packs per week. Buying the 20 ounce singles is just too expensive with my Pepsi Max addiction!

  10. I can’t seem to find Pepsi Max Cherry Blast any where in Stockton can you please tell me where I can buy it I love it!

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