I love Mr Pibb. Okay, or to be more precise, I loved Mr. Pibb. You know. 25 years ago, when it was Mr. Pibb. And then it became Pibb Xtra, and I loved that, too. I never noticed a flavor change when the rebranding occurred, but there are hardcore Pibb Purists who will tell you there absolutely was a distinct formula reconfiguration, and the original was either 1) way better than the newer version or 2) a horrific tragedy.

Again, I didn’t notice.

But now Mr Pibb is back from witness protection, or wherever he was, and Pibb Xtra has been relegated to that Great Soda Graveyard in the Sky. The new Mr Pibb is less “spicy” and has more caffeine. It also — much to my sadness — tastes almost indistinguishable from its primary competition, regular Dr Pepper. That’s right — I’m now firmly in the “Mr Pibb tastes noticeably different than Pibb Xtra, and Pibb Xtra is much better” camp.

The other thing Mr Pibb is bringing with him? New flavor profiles. For the first time ever, the “Kickin’” cherry cola (the bottle now touts its kickiness as opposed to its spiciness) is now available in “Punchin’ Peach” and “Thrillin’ Vanilla.” So if you get the peach flavor, you’re getting a punching, kicking cherry soda. Violently delicious! Anyway, I got the Vanilla kind because that’s the only one they had at QuikTrip.

The vanilla flavor is much milder than the vanilla I taste in Dr Pepper & Cream Soda. It wasn’t bad, by any means, just understated. The Mr Pibb taste was front and center, so your enjoyment of this product will probably depend on how much you like the flavor of the reintroduction. Because — as previously stated — I don’t like the new/old version compared to Pibb Xtra, I didn’t really find myself liking Thrillin’ Vanilla, either. Instead, I’m just saddened by what could have been. A vanilla (or peach) infused Pibb Xtra would have been absolutely divine. But as it stands, I won’t be sad to see this one go.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: QuikTrip
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (20 oz) 240 calories, 0 grams of fat, 60 milligrams of sodium, 66 grams of carbohydrates, 66 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.