Coca-Cola Energy Drink Review

A new release by Coca-Cola is always an exciting prospect, even if it is an energy drink. This new Coca-Cola Energy is available in both regular Coca-Cola and Coke Zero Sugar varieties. The cans are small at 250ml but manage to contain 80mg of caffeine, plus added guarana and vitamins.

I tried the full-fat classic Coca Cola version first. The front of the can states that this is 'The only Energy Drink with a great Coca-Cola Taste' which sets the bar pretty high. The drink itself is much paler in colour than Coca-Cola and the flavour could only, at best, be described as having a hint of cola. 

The main flavour is a generic, fizzy fruity one with vague undertones of melted cola cubes or watered down cola. That said, I didn't find it to be an unpleasant flavour but it's certainly a disappointing one and nothing like Coca-Cola. As someone who has rarely had an energy drink before (perfect for this review I know), I can't compare the chemical aftertaste here to other energy drinks, but I didn't find this one overpowering. I also tried the Coke Zero Energy and that one had an even stronger chemical taste and not enough of a cola taste for me to be able to drink more than a few sips.

It will be interesting to see how popular this new Coca-Cola Energy is with the energy drinking crowd. I can see myself grabbing one of these cans if I really needed a pick-me-up - although I'd probably still go for a regular coffee or even a can of regular Coke first. 

Grocery Gems Review: Coca-Cola Energy Drink

RATING: 6.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Maybe.
Nutrition:  105 calories per 250ml (for the regular Coca Cola variety).
Purchased: Sainsbury's Local.
Price: £1.25p per can.

Review: Green Cola (Ocado)

A quick review of the new Green Cola which is available at Ocado and Amazon. It's a product that many have been waiting for - a zero calorie cola sweetened with the natural Stevia plant rather than Aspartame. 

Green Cola is not just free from aspartame but also from phosphoric acid, sodium cyclamate and preservatives. It does list Sucralose as a sweetener in the ingredients alongside the Stevia, however, unlike the soon to be departing Coke Life (see my Coke Life Review), it's also free from regular sugar.  The name 'Green Cola' comes from the green coffee beans that are used to add a natural pop of caffeine.

The flavour is satisfying and refreshing with a strong aftertaste. It's a different flavour compared to other 'diet' colas, not in bad way, but it definitely has it's own unique flavour. I found it to have quite a strong fizzy element too so I preferred to drink it over ice which tones down the fizz and the aftertaste quite a bit. I have to add that my husband really enjoyed this drink and actually polished off most of the cans himself!

I bought a six can multipack online via Ocado. It's worth a try if you're interested in a Stevia sweetened cola but I would highly recommend having it with ice rather then on it's own. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Green Cola

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy it again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 0 calories. 
Purchased: Ocado. 
Price: £2.87p multipack (on special offer - usual price £3.59p).

New Coca Cola Zero Vanilla Review UK

Another day, another new soda. Although vanilla might not be the most exciting new flavour, I was pleased to finally see it in a sugar free variety in the UK. The original Coca-Cola Vanilla has been around for awhile and, even though I enjoy the flavour, I really don't like to drink the full-sugar version.

I bought a multipack of cans rather than a full bottle  - it was annoying that the Coke Zero Vanilla bottles were the only ones not included in a 2 for £2.50 offer. This often seems to happen with new flavours. 

Overall, the Coke Zero Vanilla is a tasty enough drink but I did find that the vanilla flavour was not as strong as I was hoping it would be. It's definitely there, adding an extra sweetness, but it's not the creamy vanilla flavour I was expecting. The whole thing tastes a little bit weak for my tastes (of course that might be because I'm used to adding a little vanilla Monin syrup to a Coke Zero for my vanilla fix!). I'm sure I will still buy the Coke Zero Vanilla again in the future but unfortunately the flavour is not as satisfying as the original Coca Cola Vanilla.

If you've tried the new Coca Cola Zero Vanilla then let me know what you thought of it in the comments below - thanks!

Grocery Gems Review: Coca Cola Zero Vanilla

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy it again?: Yes.
Purchased: Morrisons.

Tesco Cola 30% Less Sugar with Stevia (Coke Life)

I bought this Tesco 30% Less Sugar Cola a few weeks ago. I spotted it just a few days after first trying, and enjoying, the new Coke Life (see my review here) which is a 30% less sugar drink madee with Stevia. Imagine my surprise when I saw this similar sounding offering from Tesco. It also contains 30% less sugar and is made with a third Stevia. Of course, it's also much (MUCH!) cheaper than the branded version but is free from any arificial colours or flavourings.

I've never actually tried any of the Tesco Cola drinks before but I interested to give this new one a try to see how it would measure up. The actual flavour of the Tesco Cola is very different to regular Coke or Coke Life, but I have to admit I still liked it. It has a more natural taste to it, and by that I mean I can almost taste the malt extracts and the fruit concentrates which are listed in the ingredients. I can imagine that a lot of Coke fans would hate this difference in taste, but for me it was still an enjoyable flavour in it's own right. I also couldn't tell that this Tesco Cola was a 30% less sugar drink at all, in fact it tasted very sweet to me. It's definitely sweeter than Coke Life itself and it doesn't have the same refreshing, and lighter tasting, quality that Coke Life has.

They Tesco Cola drinks were on a multibuy offer so I also picked up a few other interesting varieties; Tesco Xero Cola Vanilla and Tesco Xero Cola Cherry. I haven't had a chance to try these ones yet but I'll update on here when I have. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Tesco Cola 30% Less Sugar

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy It again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 80 calories (per 250ml).
Purchased: Tesco.
Price: £0.89p (currently on a buy one get one free offer).

New Review: Coca-Cola Life

Coca-Cola Life is the first new core brand to be released by Coca-Cola since the launch of Coca-Cola Zero back in 2006. Obviously flavoured varieties, such as Coke Zero Cherry, are not counted in this statement as they are simply additions to existing brands of Coke rather than a whole new brand. Which leads to the question - what makes Coca-Cola Life any different to the core brands, original Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and Coca-Cola Zero, that are already on offer?

Well it all comes down to the types of sugar and sweetener involved. Although it still contains regular sugar, Coca-Cola Life is partly made using Stevia - a super sweet plant leaf extract that has no calories, hence the new leaf design on the can and green colouring. In the UK this green and "natural" theming seems slightly strange, because here, even regular Coca-Cola is made with a natural type of sugar - cane sugar. It's a different story however in the US where their Coke is made with high-fructose corn syrup and I can imagine Coca-Cola Life's natural attributes would make it much more appealing over there. 

For consumers of Coca-Cola Life the inclusion of Stevia extract equates to roughly a third less sugar and calories per can. A 330ml can has 89 calories and 22g of sugar, compared to full fat Coca-Cola which has 35g of sugar and 139 calories. Of course Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero have virtually no calorie content at all so I don't really see Coca-Cola Life appealing to devoted diet soda drinkers. It seems to be a more tempting prospect to regular drinkers of full fat Coca-Cola, since it promises the same taste to go with the fewer calories. It will probably also appeal to people who are worried about the artificial sweeteners in Diet Coke, such as aspartame.

When it comes to my own personal preferences, I usually go for diet drinks whenever I have the choice (I only really drink Coke when I'm out and about), and like most people who opt for the diet options, I now find the full sugared versions far too sugary and sweet. Having said that, I don't actually like the strong artificial aftertaste that comes with Diet Coke, so I was still keen to review the new Coca-Cola Life. The initial taste is quite different to original Coke and I think any regular drinker of Coca-Cola would be able to tell the difference. For a start, it's nowhere near as sugary or cloying, it didn't give me that sugary-tooth-coating sensation that I usually get from real Coke). The flavour is also not as complex as real Coke, which I find has very subtle hints of cinnamon and spices. Instead Coke Life is a much lighter and refreshing drink but happily without any hint of an artificial sweetener aftertaste. This for me makes it a very enjoyable drink and I can imagine choosing Coke Life if I felt like an energy/sugar boost but didn't want the sugary overload of regular Coke. Even more keen is Mr. Grocery Gems (who would normally go for full-fat Coke anyway); for him, Coke Life makes a pleasant replacement to the original version - it still has a great taste, has the bonus of lower calories, but has none of the artificial sweeteners that he hates about Diet Coke.

It will be interesting to see if Coca-Cola Life takes off in the UK, I wonder how many people will switch to it from regular Coke? The difference in flavour would take a little getting used to but it's not as big a change as switching to Diet Coke. Perhaps if the brand does well enough they could expand the range to include flavoured versions along the same "natural" theme.

Have you tried Coca-Cola Life? I'd love to hear your views and opinions on it in the comments below. Thank you!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Coca-Cola Life

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy it again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 89 calories per can. 
Purchased: Asda. 
Price: £2.50p (8 can multipack pack - special offer).