Rating: 5.5/10
A new year brings another Coca-Cola flavor, with the latest release of Coke Orange Cream on Feb. 10. This debut comes a year after its previously newest flavor, Coke Spiced.
Coke Spiced should be a permanent flavor but was phased out of the markets after about seven months.
The company said to The Associated Press that it is looking at what consumers are enjoying and adjusting their business accordingly.
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Despite being a new flavor, Coke Orange Cream offers very little in terms of a unique taste. The combination of orange and vanilla is strikingly similar to Coke Cherry Vanilla — a flavor very hard to top.
Coke Orange Cream falls short with a more artificial aftertaste than its taste-alike counterparts. It takes several sips for consumers’ taste buds to get used to the flavors before they start enjoying the beverage.
The vanilla is very strong throughout the flavor profile and almost mutes the orange. While other citrus flavors, like Coke Lime, have failed, it would have been nice to get a little more of the promised orange flavor peeking through the dense vanilla.
Eventually, if the flavor was not labeled, consumers would have a difficult time distinguishing its ambiguous flavor, leaving them disappointed with an indescribable aftertaste.
With Coke Orange Cream replacing Coke Spiced after less than a year, consumers may wonder if these releases are just an experiment in the development process to maximize company’s profit.
In an interview with AP, Coca-Cola North American Marketing Chief Shakir Moin said Coca-Cola aims to churn out flavors more quickly, hoping to stay ahead of the market’s speed and ultimately consumers.
While Coke Orange Cream does the brand more justice than Coke Spiced, it leaves a lot to be desired and will likely be taken off the shelves in a similar manner as its predecessor.
