Review: Sunkist Citrus Fusion
Jul 14th, 2010 by Steve
BevReview fan Ed Rankin recently uploaded a photo to our Facebook Page regarding a new drink he found. It appears to be related to the Sunkist Solar Fusion lineup… but this drink is called Sunkist Citrus Fusion. Thanks to a conversation I had with Ed regarding his finding, we were able to put together this review.
While we've covered Solar Fusion pretty extensively here, I can't say that we've heard anything about Sunkist Citrus Fusion. Ed notes that he found the beverage outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. He snapped the above photo at a gas station.
By looking at the label design, you can see that it's very much in-line with the Sunkist Solar Fusion style, especially with the stylized "S" behind the name of the drink. The callout at the top of the drink notes that this is a "Citrus Lime Flavored Soda", which would explain the green color scheme. We see the mention of "B Vitamins" and "Caffeine" as well.
Interestingly, a PDF we found online featuring a "Label Information Note" dated 3/1/2010 had entries for both HFCS and sugar-sweetened versions, which leads us to believe plans for this drink range beyond the U.S. A quick search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows trademark filings on the name "Citrus Fusion" dating January 2007 by Snapple Beverage Corp (The Sunkist beverage brand is now owned by an entity that contains Snapple, Dr Pepper Snapple Group). A more recent January 2009 filing by Sunkist also claims the name. (Interestingly, Everfresh Beverages, Inc. has an abandoned trademark filing for a "non-alcoholic fruit-based juice drink" dating from August 1995.)
Ingredients:
Sunkist Citrus Fusion
Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preservative), caffeine, natural flavors, ascorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), niacinamide (Vitamin B3), calcium pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Yellow 5, pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Blue 1, cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)
The ingredient list is very similar to Solar Fusion, with a 20 oz. plastic bottle containing 300 calories, 115 mg of sodium, and 81 g of carbs (of which, 78g are sugars). The same percentage of nutrients were also found in Sunkist Citrus Fusion, with just 25% of your recommended daily value each of Niacin, Vitamin B6, B12, and Pantothenic Acid.
Just like Sunkist Solar Fusion, Sunkist Citrus Fusion contains 4.1 mg/oz of caffeine department. In comparison, Pepsi contains 3.2 mg/oz while Coke has 2.9 mg/oz. In the fruit/citrus pop category where Citrus Fusion probably will be compared, Mountain Dew has 4.5 mg/oz., Mello Yello has 4.3 mg/oz., and standard orange Sunkist contains 3.4 mg/oz.
Ed he noted that the drink reminded him of "liquid green Skittles candy." It was very drinkable, more on the sweet side vs. sour. He liked the fact that it was a lime drink, which brought memories of Mountain Dew Distortion to mind. He actually thought it compared favorably to that limited-edition DEWmocracy drink. There was a strong lime flavor present, but it wasn't authentic, probably more syrupy in nature.
Overall, it appears that Sunkist Citrus Fusion is part of a new franchise of "Fusion" drinks from Sunkist, kicked off first by Sunkist Solar Fusion. While that original version was mandarin orange-infused, this entry seems to be aimed at the lime-lovin' crowd. Are these drinks being targeted at the likes of Mountain Dew? Well, you'll have to find them yourself and decide!
Update 9/15/10: Ed writes via the comments: "Since this review I had a better chance to try Sunkist Citrus Fusion and Mtn Dew Distortion side by side and pay better attention to the taste comparison. Distortion is more sour and tastes much more like a real lime; I liked it a lot better. Sunkist is definitely more on the sweet end, for people who look more for that. I am still seeing Citrus Fusion at a few places around here (St. Paul/Mpls suburbs)."
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Sounds like I will be getting these in the 12pk of cans when they come out. I feel like I am the only one that liked Mountain Dew Distortion; I am a sucker for anything lime! [=
I'd love to try this – I like lime sodas.
The sugar version is for Puerto Rico, the HFCS version is for the US.
Does he still have the bottle? I am curious as to where it was produced. There should be a 2 letter production code on the sidewall of the bottle, above the label and below the neck.
@Slurm – thanks for the insight on the location and production codes. He didn't have the bottle anymore, but I asked him to hang on to the next he picks up. We're sure to get some answers from that!
[...] Review: Sunkist Citrus Fusion » Citrus Lime Soda with Caffeine as well as B Vitamins » BevRev… [...]
The Sunkist Citrus Fusion at this time is only going to be made available in 20oz pet bottles. It is very similar to 7UP "DNL". It was bottled in Columbus Ohio. Any other questions don't hesitate to ask.
I think it tastes just like the discontinued DNL soft drink by 7UP… Does anyone else agree?
dnL was AWESOME! I hope this really does taste similar to that.
I tried this drink this week and it was awesome! Loved it! There also was another Sunkist – Cherry Limeade and it was great too. I called customer service and was told it was available nationwide at Kroger grocery stores. I got mine at a gas station in KY (where I live). Highly recommend both drinks, they are better than any of the DEWmocracy choices.
Love to order diet soda online! Definitely a something that is not to be missed out on! I normally buy it at Beverage Universe for pretty cheap. http://www.beverageuniverse.com/
[...] Review: Sunkist Citrus Fusion » Citrus Lime Soda with Caffeine and B Vitamins » BevReview.com [...]
I was hoping this would taste like lime so I checked it out. It has a hint of lime, but it's more like a watery grape juice/honey dew melon flavor. Won't be getting it again.
I was looking for this at Jewel tonight, but instead I found Crush Lime. I'd never heard of Crush Lime, so I'm guessing it's new? It's really good. It reminds me of Green River and a little like dnL. It's not super sour like Mtn Dew Distortion and it's a much nicer flavor.
Since this review I had a better chance to try the Sunkist lime and Mtn Dew Distortion side by side and pay better attention to the taste comparison. Distortion is more sour and tastes much more like a real lime; I liked it a lot better. Sunkist is definitely more on the sweet end, for people who look more for that. I am still seeing SCF at a few places around here (St. Paul/Mpls suburbs). I hope to find some Crush Lime; I haven't seen any around here yet.
[...] seems to be experiencing a slight resurgence in the marketplace, with beverages such as Crush Lime, Sunkist Citrus Fusion, and Mountain Dew Distortion showing up over the past few years. I've always felt it was more [...]
[...] seems to be experiencing a slight resurgence in the marketplace, with beverages such as Crush Lime, Sunkist Citrus Fusion, and Mountain Dew Distortion showing up over the past few years. I've always felt it was more of a [...]