Legacy soda brands have been upping the ante with fruit-forward renditions of their classic recipes. Just last month, Coca-Cola announced the launch of Orange Cream and Pepsi rolled out a Wild Cherry & Cream flavored cola. Now, Dr Pepper is throwing its hat in the ring with their own fruity flavor: blackberry.
Dr Pepper Blackberry, described as a “one-of-a-kind delicious treat,” will be a permanent addition to the brand’s lineup. It’ll be joining the ranks of other flavors like Cherry and Strawberries & Cream.
When Dr Pepper announced the news earlier today, users online rejoiced. “I need 1 million of these,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “My body has never been more ready.”
It’s safe to say that Dr Pepper fans are excited to try the new flavor. But if anybody is still on the fence, we’re here to break down our unfiltered thoughts on Dr Pepper Blackberry. If you want to know what you’re getting into before cracking open a can, read on.
Full disclosure: our team loves Dr Pepper, both the original and the brand's flavored offerings. Cherry is one of my particular favorites, so I walked into this taste test with the assumption that Blackberry would be similarly satisfying. How different can two dark fruits be?
Apparently, pretty different. When our team tasted the new flavor, we could barely identify a discernible blackberry flavor. Test Kitchen Assistant Anya Ptacek says that it tastes "blue"—as in artificial blue raspberry. Dr Pepper Blackberry is evocative of blue cotton candy or, as Director of Community Julia Smith describes, raspberry vodka. It's also notably sweeter than the original Dr Pepper.
For some people, like myself, the flavor is enjoyable; for others, less so. Designer Alison Dominguez says that she enjoyed the few sips she had, but wouldn't choose to drink an entire can. Several people said Dr Pepper Blackberry tastes akin to cough syrup—an experienced that's amplified by how subtle the carbonation is.
Do we hate this flavor? No. But is it making it to the Mount Rushmore of Dr Pepper flavors? Certainly not.
Dr Pepper Blackberry—both classic and Zero Sugar—will roll out at retailers nationwide starting this week. It’ll permanently be available in 12 oz. 12-packs. But if you want to enjoy even more of the new flavor, you can also buy limited-time 20 oz. bottles in each formula for the next two months.
