Let’s be fair, when you see the words “Coffee” and “Cola” bunched together, you’d perhaps expect them to be on a receipt where multiple people have ordered drinks. Not Coffee-flavoured cola……
So of course when I saw this sat on the shelf down the drinks aisle at my local Tesco, I had to give it a go!
I mean, I love coffee, and well, I love a good cola.
With trepidation, I paid my 45p for the litre bottle, and then popped it in the fridge for maximum refreshment.
Low expectations
Let’s be honest, I can’t imagine that this is going to be great. But kudos to Tesco for giving it a go. I love things like this, good or bad.
A quick read of the ingredients indicates that this drink has never seen any kind of actual coffee. That’s fine though, if the essence is there and the blend of flavourings somehow works to make an enjoyable drink, then does it matter?
As a coffee drink, yes, it does matter. As a cold cola drink, I suppose not?
Either way, I’m pleased my expectations were low, because they were just about met……
A matter of taste
Upon opening the bottle, the initial aroma is more of a pungent smack in the nose, than it is a bouquet for the senses, but that’s fine. It doesn’t have to smell great to taste good.
It tastes fine.
You can see what they were going for. It’s like a cola with a sweetened dose of the classic camp coffee, albeit more focus on the sweet and less on the coffee.
You’re faced with a cold sugary drink with this almost bonfire toffee flavour. A rich darkness, that borders on smokey, but honestly, it doesn’t really hit the point of tasting like coffee.
Being fair, it isn’t a coffee flavour at all, but I can see what they were aiming for, and there are definitely some elements that sit in the back of your mouth, allowing a coffee-like experience.
It’s close, but it’s not quite. Not for me anyway.
Overall
This isn’t some wonderful combination of coffee and cola. Based on that, it would be hard to recommend it to a coffee fan.
Otherwise, it’s a bold effort and I’m really pleased to see that Tesco have tried something a little unusual in their own brands.
The drink itself is still easy enough to drink and enjoy. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but fans of bonfire toffee might be quite pleased!
Anyone that wants to try something a little unusual, should absolutely give this a go. A coffee fan looking for a new way to enjoy a cold coffee-drink, might want to look elsewhere.
Ninja Refinery recommends it, but as an unusual cola, not as a coffee-related beverage.
At 45p, it’s hard to complain, when it’s a nice enough drink. I’ve paid in excess of £5 for bags of poor coffee! So cost against refreshment and enjoyment alone make it a worthwhile one-off.
I can’t see myself being a frequent customer of this particular product, but once in a while, I’ll get a bottle of coffee cola and enjoy it for what it is.