As if we needed a new beverage (Coca-Cola Blak)

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Allow me to introduce you to ::drum roll:: Coca-Cola Blak!

While traveling through our local grocery store last night, we came across a large display of this new beverage. It is sold in packages of 4-8 oz. glass bottles and proclaims itself a "Carbonated Fusion Beverage". Well, at a price of $5.99, it seemed pretty pricey for a mere 32 ounces of beverage. We were looking at it with distrust and amusement when a lady pulled up her cart and announced that it was "absolutely delicious, with a really nice chocolate flavor(???)"! Looking back, I wonder if she was on the Coca-Cola payroll. Still, my wonderful boyfriend gave me the sad, puppy dog-eyed "Can we try it?" look and I couldn't be an ogre, so we tried it.

Coca-Cola Blak is actually a coffee-flavored cola beverage, which, by using a combination of sugar and nutrasweet (like C2) provides a drink that only has 45 calories per serving (one bottle). We threw a couple into the freezer to get them ice cold, then popped them open. Here are my thoughts.

First of all, it is a strange taste. It doesn't really taste like either coffee or coke. The label says that it contains "coffee extract" but as coffee flavor goes, it tasted pretty artificial, almost Kahlua-like. Maybe I've just been drinking too much Peet's lately but it wasn't what I was expecting.

What I did find interesting is that when you pour it into a glass, it develops a head that is very similar to a Guinness Stout and offers the same creamy sort of consistency. Still, there is something about the overall taste that I found yucky. It almost tasted like someone mixed cheap cola, kahlua, and club soda together. The carbonation was more perrier-like, rather than coke-like and it didn't really appeal to me.

Bottom line, I don't think we will be purchasing any more of this designer beverage. While it was nice to have a drink that actually comes in a glass bottle, I still couldn't get over the artificial coffee taste that lingered much longer than I would have preferred. I would suggest that if you have a chance to try this product for free, go for it and see what you think. Don't spend the money until you see if you like it though. All in all, I have to say that I didn't. Today, I will attempt to hunt the shopping cart lady down and give her a piece of my mind.