I realize that some of you who live in test markets may have already tried it, but Coke's new "C2" product just hit nationwide this week. I'm curious to see what people think of it, if you've tried it.
The pitch behind it is, "All the taste of Coca-cola with 1/2 the calories and 1/2 the carbs." Now, carbs I could give a crap about... but if I'm going to be drinking this accursed stuff, half the calories would be nice, wouldn't it? I know we already have Diet, but that stuff is putrid, has a horrible aftertaste, and the stuff that makes diet soda diet makes me feel ill. So, if I can have what is basically a regular Coke, but not as horrible for me, great!
(Of course, at this point, I was thinking that they had come up with some magical new means of making their product to get the reductions... I should have been smart enough to know what I was going to end up with.)
I pick up a bottle today, open it up... and WTF, this stuff smells 100% like Diet! I've already committed to trying it out, though, so I'm going to do it. Take a drink... and it tastes like a really weird variety of Coke. It kind of reminded me of the first time I tried Japanese Coke - something is just off, but you can't tell what it is. And then the dark evils of Diet return - there's that Diet aftertaste. (And, joy, that wonderful queazy feeling from that Telyiphoenign whatchamacallit that they put in Diet soda.)
This stuff, basically, is Coke and Diet Coke mixed together, that's it. It's sort of like a version of Diet that I can actually halfway tolerate drinking... but if I'm going to be ruining my body, f**k it, I'm drinking the real thing and actually enjoying it. I'm not sure exactly of the reason for this product. I guess the people who want to drink Diet but can't quite stand Diet might enjoy it, but other than that, I'm not sure of the market. It's got too many calories and whatnot for people who usually drink Diet, and it doesn't have the taste or lack of crap Diet aftertaste that regular has.
