It took well over a century, but the good Doctor Pepper has finally released his iconic twenty-three flavored elixir in pill form.

That’s right, the long-awaited third flavor in the Soda Tic Tac trilogy is Dr Pepper. I was a fan of the Coke one, but hated the Sprite. If we’re just going off the drinks themselves, I like Dr Pepper better than both of ’em, so needless to say, I had high hopes for this collab.

Said hopes were… mostly met.

There’s no debating that these are Dr Pepper just from the smell and sight of them. They have the familiar cherry-ish waft of the fizzy drink, and to quote the late great Bugs Bunny, “What a maroon.”

We miss you every day, Bugs. Hope you made it to the great Albuquerque in the sky. If only you said, “What’s up, Doc?” to an actual doctor more often.

But enough about real doctors, do these “mints” taste like actual Dr Pepper? Yes! And no!?

They do, but it’s not as uncanny (or unbottley if you prefer) as Dr Pepper collabs usually are. The candy shell has a vague cherry/cola sweetness, but once that’s gone and the mint turns white and gritty, it just tastes like a really watered-down Dr Pepper knockoff. Dare I say Mr. Pibbian – a far less educated soda.

I was ready to say these tasted just like cherry Bottle Caps, but I ultimately landed on a particular black cherry soda. They remind me of a drink made by an old med school colleague of Dr Pepper’s — Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry. He’s not as celebrated, but still makes a solid pop.

So, I really like the flavor for about eight seconds, and then I only kinda like it. It reminds me of the delicious sweetness you get from Tic Tacs’ pill cousin, Advil, before you suck on them for too long and they just end up tasting like bitter medicine. That’s how you’re supposed to eat those, right?

With all that said, there’s a kicker here. A saving grace. These Tic Tacs have a fizzing sensation. Have you ever had Zotz, or similar fizzing candy? It’s like those on a much smaller scale, but still noticeable. I honestly don’t think every mint fizzes, only a couple per “sip,” but it adds a fun and creative element to the eating experience.

The fizzing actually made me incredibly thirsty, which might be a stroke of genius brand synergy now that I think about it.

I imagine most Dr Pepper fans will enjoy these just fine, but I’m still not sure they serve much of a purpose. They’re “mints” that don’t freshen your mouth, and not a top-tier “sucking candy.” They’re also not a candy that sucks, and the fizzing is undeniably fun, so I guess that still makes them worth a try. Nothing wrong with a twist on two old classics.

I’m still here for any and all Dr Pepper collabs moving forward. In fact, I have an open pack of Dr Pepper Peeps slowly maturing in the cabinet, and I can’t wait til they get to their maximum staleness to indulge. If only they came in bunny form to honor our old friend, Bugs.

Purchased Price: $4.52
Size: 3.4 Fl. Oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Mint) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium,0 grams of total carbohydrates, for some reason they don’t even bother mentioning sugar, 0 grams of protein.