REVIEW: Dr Pepper Blackberry

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Call me weird, but I go to the store when it opens so I can take my time without tons of other people around me. Slowly wandering from aisle to aisle and checking items off my list with 90s muzak in the background is my zen. During a recent grocery trip, the new Dr Pepper Blackberry interrupted my state of zen. While excited about the flavor, I wasn’t quite willing to commit to a 12-pack, but luckily, I found a 20-ounce bottle near the registers.

I enjoy Dr Pepper, but think it’s best when mixed with another flavor. The 23 flavors of the original drink create a base that other flavors can build on. I love ordering a Dr Pepper and adding cranberry flavor every time I visit Sonic. So, it stood to reason that the new Blackberry variety should be a home run for me.

The initial aroma was a blend of the classic Dr Pepper spice with a medicinal blackberry chaser. As a lover of “herbal” sodas (Olipop is my jam), I was into it. Pouring it into a cup allowed it to aerate, and the smell mellowed a bit. This first impression definitely got me excited to try it.

My first sip was confusing. Despite the strong smells from opening and pouring the drink, the taste was very muted. I took a swig of water, hoping it would help reset everything. My second sip, unfortunately, yielded the same results as the first: a faint blackberry flavor that got lost in the drink quickly.

Even though the initial scent of the Dr Pepper Blackberry hinted at a promising blend of classic Dr Pepper spice and a unique blackberry twist, the actual taste fell short of expectations. With each sip, the subtle blackberry flavor faded into the background of the familiar Dr Pepper base. The soda was still decent enough to finish, but I don’t see myself purchasing it again.

Purchased Price: $2.28
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 250 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 65 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut

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I find it very strange that the new Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut comes on the heels of the release of Nestle Coffee mate’s Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer, a product designed to be mixed with Dr Pepper. Why would Nestle Coffee mate agree to develop a product that transforms a regular Dr Pepper into a coconut-flavored one when an actual coconut-flavored Dr Pepper would be hitting shelves soon after?

Like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop and why Oreo puts out a cookies & cream variety, the world may never know.

As someone who has tried the creamer with a Dr Pepper, my taste buds had a good idea of what to expect when tasting the limited edition soda. Not surprisingly, they’re similar. Both have a bold coconut flavor with a mild taste of Dr Pepper. I imagine, for some, the coconut flavoring might be a bit too strong, bringing perhaps sunscreen to the forefront, but I didn’t mind the intensity. And that tropical flavor did have a creamy taste to it. I didn’t love it as much as I did last year’s Strawberries & Cream variety, but I still found it to be enjoyable.

While it had a creamy flavor, I didn’t notice a creamy texture. The only way this soda could have that is if something is added to it, like, I dunno, sweet cream or…Oh, Nestle Coffee mate’s Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer. Well, that answers my question at the beginning of this review, and the world will know. I believe this is what they call “synergy” in business. But would adding the creamer make the soda better? Fortunately, I still had a bottle of the creamer in my fridge, so I could find out.

Combining the two turned a pretty good soda into a great one, and if you plan on buying a 12-pack of this, I’d highly recommend picking up a bottle of the creamer if you can get your hands on one. Adding it made Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut earn the “creamy” in its name. While adding more coconut flavoring made everything more coconutty, I could still taste the underlying Dr Pepper. What I didn’t notice was the lime in the creamer, but I didn’t care because everything else was delicious.

Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut is a tasty summer soda that shouldn’t be missed if coconut calls to you.

NOTE: There’s also zero sugar version.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 150 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 39 grams of sugar (including 39 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 41 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Nestle Coffee mate Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer

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Dr Pepper is a perfect blend of 23 flavors. So why would we want to muddy those with another two by pouring some of the new Nestle Coffee mate Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer into it? Unless two of those 23 are coconut and lime, and the additive just enhances the two already existing flavors. And maybe if this sells well, then there will be another Dirty Soda variety that could be two more Dr Pepper flavors, and before you know it, we’ll have Dr Pepper’s secret recipe, and we can all make our own Dr (Insert Your Name Here).

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to combine regular refrigerated coffee creamers with soda, but if you haven’t, it can get very science fair volcano-y once the creamer comes into contact with the soda. Fortunately, messy eruptions didn’t happen with this. The Dirty Soda liquid just mixed itself with the soda without stirring up the carbonation. I understand why it’s called Dirty Soda, but if you think about it, the enhancer kind of “cleans” the soda, turning the dark Dr Pepper into something lighter. Maybe I feel this way because I’ve watched too many OxiClean infomercials.

The bottle suggests adding a tablespoon to get the perfect pop, but a tablespoon to what? There’s an image of a can on the bottle, but is that the 7.5 or 12 fl oz? I ended up combining a tablespoon with eight ounces of Dr Pepper, and it tasted very coconutty, a smidge limey, and not very Dr Peppery. It was also that way when I added a tablespoon to the 12 ounces left in the 20-ounce bottle I purchased. It’s enjoyable, but all it does is make the Dr Pepper taste like 20 of the 23 flavors in the recipe were muted. So, I wouldn’t say it tastes better or as good as the original. However, it’s a product that makes me want to buy more soda varieties to find out how they taste with it. Good job, Nestle Coffee mate, for encouraging me to buy more soda! I hope you get royalties or something.

While it doesn’t need to be refrigerated when unopened, it does after you open it. Also, like regular coffee creamers, it’s best to use it all within 14 days for optimal flavor.

If the Nestle Coffee mate Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer interests you, you will not find it with all the refrigerated coffee creamers. You may find it with the dry and individual liquid Nestle Coffee mate products in the coffee and tea aisle. Or, you may find it at a random aisle end cap. Or, you may have to summon the courage to ask a store employee where in the haystack of this store is that needle known as the Nestle Coffee mate Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer. That’s what I had to do at Target because it turns out that, while it says it’s “In Stock” on the app, there were none on the shelves. All of them were “in the back.” Oh, Target, you’re doing me dirty.

Purchased Price: $3.29
Size: 16 fl oz
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tbsp) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar (including 5 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Blue Bell Dr Pepper Float Ice Cream

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I do not mean to cause any consternation for or to affect the mental well-being of the new Blue Bell Dr Pepper Float ice cream (assuming, of course, that a dairy product can have feelings), but does this product really need to exist? I mean, I am completely inept in the kitchen—making Kraft Mac & Cheese is expert-level stuff for me—but even I can pour a glass of Dr Pepper and drop two scoops of vanilla ice cream in it. I can report, though, that this does indeed need to exist because it is rather glorious.

Part of the wonderfulness is the simplicity. It’s just vanilla ice cream with Dr Pepper-flavored sherbet. An ice cream float is a classic combination because it needs not to be messed with or improved. So this is delicious because it delivers exactly what it advertises—creamy ice cream and soda flavor.

The sherbet portion tastes exactly like the famous soda. I don’t believe there’s any actual Dr Pepper soda in here, as it appears the only non-ice cream ingredients listed are “natural and artificial flavors,” so I have no idea how Blue Bell replicated the taste.

When the vanilla ice cream starts to soften, the creaminess is a bit more noticeable, creating the perfect complement to the distinctive Dr Pepper taste. So take your time enjoying this, at least as much as you can, considering there is a fine line between soft ice cream and liquid ice cream.

If you are concerned that the mixture of ice cream and sherbet will be strange, it’s not. If the label did not tell me this contains sherbet, I wouldn’t have guessed it. The texture of the sherbet is perhaps a little firmer with a touch more grittiness, but it’s only a minor difference.

The only thing missing from this, compared to a “real” float, is the carbonation of the soda. Luckily for you, I’m here to answer the question you are probably asking right now. How would a Dr Pepper Float float taste?

It’s quite good, which is not surprising, but I preferred it sans the Dr Pepper liquid. When mixed with Dr Pepper, I found that the creaminess of the ice cream got overpowered a bit, so what I ended up with was a slight Dr Pepper overload. It was still tasty, and I’d probably make it again, but it did not deliver the amazing taste sensation I had imagined.

Neither Dr Pepper nor Blue Bell are my go-to choices in their respective categories, but together they form a powerful team, and this is now one of my favorites. Plus, it saves me at least a minute or two on the laborious task of combining two ingredients to make a Dr Pepper float.

Purchased Price: $7.98
Size: Half Gallon
Purchased at: H-E-B
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup) 170 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream

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When the folks at Dr Pepper aren’t busy at the soda fountain mixing together as many random flavors as they can while still having their beverage be palatable (somehow 23 is the magic number), they apparently dabble in berry farming. In 2006 Dr Pepper released Berries & Cream and 2019 saw Dr Pepper Dark Berry. The latest trip to the patch brings us Strawberries & Cream. This variety, with its pink label and strawberry flavor, seems like it would make a good limited edition for Valentine’s Day, but it’s actually set to be a permanent addition to the lineup.

The first whiff upon opening the bottle is definitely strawberry forward. It reminds me more of strawberry candy than a real strawberry, but as someone who eats more strawberry candies than the fruit, I don’t necessarily consider that a bad thing. The semi-spicy, peppery kick that makes Dr Pepper unique isn’t totally lost to the strawberry and cream flavors, although it is more muted here. I found the flavors smooth and very drinkable, but I wish something stood out more. Despite being tasty, it was sort of underwhelming.

I think the cream could be more pronounced, and maybe also the Dr Pepper. Something about this falls flat for me, which leads me to my next issue – it’s literally a bit flat. I tried this straight out of the bottle and poured it over ice, and it seemed less carbonated than usual. There was a slight initial fizz, but it disappeared right away. I don’t know if this is something to do with the formula or if I just got an odd batch, but I missed the bubbles.

I appreciate Dr Pepper leaning into old-timey soda fountain themes and I think this new concoction would be an excellent base for an ice cream float. As a stand-alone drink, it lacks something, and I’m not sure I’d have chosen it for a full-time product. Considering there are few mainstream strawberry sodas on the market, I can see fans of that flavor really enjoying this. But it’s worth noting that the other person who tried it with me found the strawberry aspect to be medicinal tasting. I’ll look back on this as a pleasant novelty drink, but to me, it’s just not the cream of the crop.

It’s worth noting this also comes in a zero sugar version. Dr Pepper has a history of excelling with these alternatives, but unfortunately, it wasn’t available at my store yet.

Purchased Price: $2.29
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Jewel-Osco
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 250 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 95 milligrams of sodium, 66 grams of total carbs, 65 grams of total sugars (incl. 65 grams of added sugars), and 0 grams of protein.

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