BevReview.com

Following up the first Jazz flavor, Diet Pepsi Jazz Black Cherry French Vanilla, it's time to take a look at its sibling… Diet Pepsi Jazz Strawberries & Cream.

Just like the obvious competitive reasoning for Pepsi to have a cherry/vanilla flavor (namely to battle Coke and Dr Pepper), the only seeming competitor to this flavor is Cadbury Schweppes' Dr Pepper Berries & Cream. Whereas the first flavor is very cola-like, the Strawberries & Cream entry from Jazz/Diet Pepsi tastes a lot like a red pop.

Don't get me wrong, just like the other Jazz flavor, this one tastes bad as well. I mean, c'mon, it's diet. You can't have a good tasting soda when you throw in a ton of aspartame and Ace-K, can you? As I did with Black Cherry French Vanilla, I had some friends taste test Strawberries & Cream to get their opinions. Many liked Strawberries & Cream better than Black Cherry French Vanilla, however, I did not. I guess I preferred more of the cola flavor vs. the fruity flavor.

Reactions this time around ranged from "it tasted like fizzy Triaminic [a kids' cough medicine]" to "it's like carbonated Cream Savers! [a candy from Life Savers]" There was a definite "fake" strawberry flavor in place which could not be disputed. It was not a strong, bold strawberry experience.

I sort of wanted to like Diet Pepsi Jazz Strawberries & Cream just because of the novel flavor entry. But I didn't. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this beverage probably won't be on the market 2 years from now.