Review: Sierra Mist Natural
Aug 24th, 2010 by Steve
Back in March, we wrote about Sierra Mist Natural and speculated on the future of the product, based on trademark filings by PepsiCo.
Sierra Mist Natural
Eventually, this speculation was confirmed by John Sicher at Beverage Digest when he noted via Twitter on August 24 that "PepsiCo's new Sierra Mist Natural, with sugar instead of HFCS, will start sale at some national retailers week of Aug. 29, say sources."
According to Pepsi and other sources such as Advertising Age, Sierra Mist Natural is taking the unprecedented step of actually replacing its namesake product. Though it's doing it with a different name (Sierra Mist Natural vs. Sierra Mist), here we have a situation where the high fructose corn syrup product is being replaced with "real sugar" on a permanent basis… something Pepsi Throwback, Mountain Dew Throwback, and Dr Pepper "Made with Real Sugar" fans seemingly have wanted for a few years now.
Sierra Mist
However, in this situation, what did PepsiCo really have to lose? Sierra Mist trails behind Coke's Sprite pretty significantly in market share. As a differentiator, it's worth a shot changing the sweetener to make this lemon lime brand seem attractive. Now granted, here at BevReview, we've not been shy in admitting that we've never really liked Sierra Mist. Frankly, we thought that Slice or even Storm were superior products. But alas, Pepsi continues to shove this product down the throats of consumers.
It's also seen its share of limited-time product extensions that attempted to add a little life into the brand, including Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash, Sierra Mist Lemon Squeeze, Sierra Mist Undercover Orange, and Sierra Mist Ruby Splash. We won't even go into all the name changes (Diet Sierra Mist to Sierra Mist Free back to Diet Sierra Mist) or logo redesigns. It's not been a pretty ride for this lemon lime.
The "Natural" name gets its heritage from the niche Pepsi Natural, which debuted in 2009 as a sugar-sweetened soft drink that tasted pretty good, but didn't really have the feel of its namesake. Pepsi has also trademarked the name "Sierra Mist Essence", but obviously went with the more familiar "Natural" moniker.
So, what's the big difference in Sierra Mist Natural? Let's take a look at the ingredients…
Sierra Mist
Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, potassium benzoate (preserves freshness), potassium citrate, ascorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)
Sierra Mist Natural
Carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, natural flavor, potassium citrate
In all likelihood, the "real sugar" being used in Sierra Mist Natural is a combination of cane & beet sugars, as Pepsi has confirmed in the past with their Throwback products. If it wasn't, such as featuring the more-pricy cane sugar exclusively, I'd see the making a big deal about that in the marketing.
Ingredients of Sierra Mist
Ingredients of Sierra Mist Natural
Per an article in Advertising Age, customers wanted something "natural", and if this type of sugar pulls that off from a marketing perspective, Pepsi is probably thinking "why spend the money?" on the more expensive stuff.
PepsiCo is eliminating Sierra Mist in favor of Sierra Mist Natural, which is sweetened with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The move, which has been in the works for about 18 months, is two-fold. Research showed that brand loyalty in the lemon-lime category is lower than it is in the cola category. And the natural food and beverage category is exploding."There's not a strong reason to choose one [lemon-lime] brand over another. … And when we asked consumers what would re-engage them in soda, 'natural' was the No. 1 concept," Ms. Mangelsdorf said. "The notion of a mainstream lemon-lime soda felt like a huge territory."
Ms. Mangelsdorf expects the shift will make Sierra Mist "extremely competitive" with Sprite, adding that the brand should easily exceed its previous peak performance figures. (According to Beverage Digest, Sprite is more than four times larger than Sierra Mist, with a 5.5% share in 2009 compared to Sierra Mist's 1.3% share and 7Up's 1% share).
Comparison: Sierra Mist vs. Sierra Mist Natural logosGoodby, Silverstein & Partners created Sierra Mist's new graphics, as well as the campaign, which breaks Sept. 20. It will include 15- and 30-second spots, as well as digital, radio, print and out-of-home.
The last part of that quote notes the new look for Sierra Mist Natural. Yes, once again the label gets a redesign.
Comparison of bottle color between Sierra Mist and Sierra Mist Natural
As you can see, there's a larger emphasis on the word "Mist" with a very, very notation of "Sierra". A lighter, more transparent look also conveys the idea that this is a "healthier" beverage.
"Real Sugar" emphasis with Natural
As has become commonplace, we see the shoutouts of "Made with Real Sugar" and "No artificial ingredients" being proclaimed on the label.
Gone is "100% Natural Flavors" on Sierra Mist
Gone is the phrasing "100% Natural Flavors", which is sort of ironic, since now it's more valid than before. The label on the 20 oz. bottle is translucent in places, showcasing the drink. In addition, the color of the green plastic bottle is lighter in hue vs. the previous Sierra Mist bottle, again given the impression of a look that is closer to water in transparency.
See the difference in logo style?
(Photo by Gregory Koval)
BevReview fan Gregory Koval spotted both Sierra Mist and Sierra Mist Natural side-by-side in a store in Pittsburgh, PA and snapped some photos. You can see the large difference in designs between the two products. However, with the original flavor being phased out, it won't matter much eventually.
So what does this stuff actually taste like? Is Natural better than the original Sierra Mist? We tasted the two products side-by-side and even compared their look when poured into a glass.
While regular Sierra Mist felt heavy and more syrupy, Sierra Mist Natural had a lighter feel to it overall. It possessed a stronger citrus taste that portrayed a strong crispness. It almost felt more carbonated, to be honest. A stronger citrusy scent was also obvious when you first opened the drink.
Sierra Mist Natural: Small Bubbles
Sierra Mist: Large Bubbles
However, things got a little different the more we explored the drink. Unlike other real sugar lemon lime drinks we've tested, such as Bubble Up, the crisp and clean start to Sierra Mist Natural leaves for a peculiar aftertaste. I've seen some folks mention that it almost tastes like a diet soda. I will admit that at first, this wasn't a very good thing. I mean, seriously, what could go wrong here?
That said, it was a taste that seemed to be acquired quickly over time because as we moved beyond the initial sips of Sierra Mist Natural, the aftertaste actually wasn't an issue. Overall, we really wanted to like this drink because of the "real sugar" element. However, that quirky taste isn't going to help, I'm afraid.
It should be noted that Diet Sierra Mist continues seemingly unchanged from its previous formula. Even though there is a trademark filing for Diet Sierra Mist Natural, that phrasing won't be used at this time.
(Source: GillettePepsiCola.com)
However, Walton Beverage Co's distributor website notes that "Diet Sierra Mist and Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash will be restaged with great new graphics but will not be converting to Natural until 2011." Additionally, "Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash will also be reformulated to be 'naturally sweetened'."
(Source: GillettePepsiCola.com)
Will this move to Sierra Mist Natural help the lemon lime fortunes of Pepsi? I guess we'll know for sure in a year or so. But given the history of turbulence in the Sierra Mist brand, does anyone want to place a bet on when the next reboot will be?
I love the can design. I miss this, they have to take everything from Canada.
[...] 10th, 2010 by Steve Update: Sierra Mist Natural is a reality as of August 2010! Learn more about this new drink and read our [...]
I bought a 12-pack of Sierra Mist Natural at a Stop and Shop on August 24 and it is really like he said: crisp. Not that gummy feel you get from the corn syrup. I hope this is a permanent product and I don't normally purchase lemon-lime sodas but thought I'd try it out.
[...] Review: Sierra Mist Natural » Lemon-lime soda sweetened wіth real sugar » BevReview.com [...]
I've been looking for them every where and no luck yet. I can't wait to try it out.
I just found a 20 oz. bottle of Sierra Mist Natural at Jewel. I went there looking for 12 packs of Pepsi Throwback, Dr. Pepper with sugar or Sierra Mist Natural, but I didn't find any. But at the checkout they had a few 20 oz. bottles of SM Natural (along with coupons for 35 cents off) so I got a bottle for myself and one for my 10-year-old son. I don't drink lemon-lime soda very often, but my son loves Sierra Mist; it's his favorite kind of pop. He really liked the Natural, more so than the original. I like it as well. It doesn't taste as fake and it doesn't have that syrupy aftertaste to it. It's very refreshing. If they keep it around, I'll definitely keep buying it. Now if we could just get Pepsi to keep the Pepsi Throwback around, or better yet, get them to switch all their drinks to real sugar. Then I wouldn't have to worry about all the people hoarding the Pepsi Throwback everytime it comes around.
Yesterday was a bit disappointing for me. I stopped at Festival Foods looking for Sierra Mist Natural, and there was none to be found. I thought maybe they hadn't received any inventory yet, but then I found one lonely 12-pack of the new Diet Sierra Mist 0 Calorie. I couldn't find anymore of those anywhere in the store, and I didn't find any Natural either. So sad.
Hopefully they get some in this week.
I want my orginal Seirra Mist back, the natural tastes to much like a diet drink, it's nasty. I use to drink coke all of the time, then I tried Seirra Mist and loved it. Why does everyone want change things. I work at one of the largest retailers around and we could not keep Seirra Mist on the shelf. But since we started stocking the natural the shelves stays full ):
I found it here in the Florida panhandle at a Walmart. They had the cans and 2L bottles.
What I noticed is that it doesn't.. burn? Same thing happened with the real sugar Throwbacks and Dr Pepper. The HFCS burns in my mouth compared to the real sugar versions.
Overall I liked it. I don't drink Lemon-lime soda often but when I do it's usually Sprite. If they keep this around, given the choice I would buy this instead.
We got this in at the Super Target I work at last Thursday, and I had a chance to talk to our Pepsi vendor about it. He said that the original Sierra Mist was being discontinued, he could no longer order it at his warehouse, and that this would be permanently replacing the regular Mist. I'm glad to see here that there is a Diet version coming eventually, though it's still a few months off.
I've tried both and really like them, so I'm glad they're sticking around. I look forward to trying the Diet, but I'm guessing we won't see it in store until Jan or Feb.
@10 Zach: I've already seen the new Diet Sierra Mist 0 Calorie on the store shelf, so I can guarantee you it is already available. I don't know where you or your vendor heard it wouldn't be out for a few months.
Found a case at Meijer in Illinois today. Sierra Mist is my regular 'mixer', and I love love love the new Sierra Mist Natural. Glad to see it will be around for a while so I don't have to stockpile the stuff. Once a year I go to Cuyahoga County in Ohio to stock up on Coca-cola made with sugar (sucrose) instead of HFCS. Glad to know I can get this Sierra Mist Natural half a block away instead of the 12 hour round trip to Ohio!
I found a 20 oz of each Sierra Mist Natural and Diet Sierra Mist 0 Calorie at Kwik Trip today, and I really like them. Hopefully this is the start of a trend in the soft drink industry…
[...] Review: Sierra Mist Natural » Lemon-lime soda sweetened wіth real sugar » BevReview.com [...]
I had just purchased a 12 pack of regular Sierra Mist at my local Lucky and as I was leaving the Pepsi guy showed up to restock. I asked him if he had any of the new SM Natural, nope. But he told me he had just delivered some to Target, so today I went there picked up a 12 pack of Natural. I poured myself a glass of the HFCS version and the sugar version, what a difference. The suger version was very crisp and tasted, well, natural. Unlike the regular HFCS version which is very syrupy. If this is permanent product, I'm never drinking HFCS Sierra Mist again.
Tastes alright but I was soon certain that the citric acid is obtained from corn. Made me feel awful with my corn allergy. I'm glad that the soda companies are moving in the right direction, away from HFCS, but I really wish they'd get away from corny citric acid. Still undrinkable for me. Had to buy a 12-pack to find out. Anyone want 11 Sierra Mist Natural cans?
Found the Natural Sierra Mist here in Detroit area. Agreed, very "crisp". It is very good, nice clean taste and not too sweet. My understanding is this is replacing the HFCS version permanently. Very happy to see this and hopefully the Throwbacks and Heritage/Anniversary Dr Pepper's will be extended or made permanent!
[...] Review: Sierra Mist Natural » Lemon-lime soft drink honeyed with genuine … [...]
I absolutely hate the new "natural"…it tastes like diet to me. I am very disappointed because this was the only pop I drink and now I am going to have to find another. I will not be buying anymore until the original is brought back!
I didn't even realize Sierra Mist had a 'natural' version until I saw it on the shelves at my local Target (in northern Illinois). Ingredients: Water, sugar, citric acid, natural flavor, potassium citrate. Taste is delicious, will definitely buy again… I hope they keep this going, and not have this as a 'test'.
1. Sierra Mist Natural is permanent.
2. The HFCS formula is gone for good.
3. Their is absolutely ZERO chance corn-derived citric acid can affect corn allergies. There is also ZERO chance that corn-derived citric acid can "taste like corn". Citric acid is the same exact thing, whether it is derived from an orange, a lemon, corn, or any other fruit/vegetable. No matter where it comes from, it is C6H8O7.
I hope you guys aren't getting rid of the original Sierra Mist. The Natural is okay, but taste too much like a diet drink. We switched from Sprite to Sierra Mist but if the original goes we'll go back to Sprite.
I work at an automobile dealership and we by 10-12 cases of regular Sierra Mist per month. We were forced to buy the Natural because the original was being discontinued. Nobody at work likes the Natural. I know there's a lot who like it, but there's a lot who don't. Why not keep both products? If not, then sorry Pepsi, you will lose a lot of customers and a lot of revenue.
– Zachary — Let me direct you to a forum of corn-allergy victims who will beg to differ.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/AvoidingCorn/start
Corn allergy does not seem to follow the 'protein-only' rules of other allergens. We are sensitive to corn-derived ingredients, and even to ingredients grown on corn sugars, such as Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, and sometimes even Yeast.
Citric Acid, by the way, is produced from Corn Sugars using a black mold, aspergillus niger. So it's a mold by-product that's freely introduced to our food supply that's endorsed by the FDA as safe in any amount. And it's a pet peeve of mine when beverage companies use enough of it to make my throat close up. You'll find corn-derived Citric Acid in fruit juices, even orange juice, because it's cheap. It's very frustrating trying to find sodas and juices that aren't contaminated with corn-derived Citric Acid. It's equally as frustrating that the producers don't have to tell you the source of their ingredients, when it makes a world of difference to someone like me.
I got a 2-liter bottle of Sierra Mist Natural at Walgreens for .99 cents a few weeks ago. It tasted pretty good.
I'm allergic to corn, and citric acid made from corn causes me to have severe allergic reactions, and also triggers an asthma attack. I find it interesting, that people who are not allergic to corn and it's many derivatives, have the audacity to tell us we can't react to additives that are made from corn. People who have food allergies are the experts, due to our experience. We are the ones who suffer the severe and often life threatening reactions. We are all different in how we react to allergens. And to what degree, whether mild or deadly. We don't need outsiders putting us down, when we mention foods or ingredients that make us sick. The naysayers are welcome to keep their crackpot opinions to themselves, they don't know what they are talking about.
I want Sierra Mist original back. NOW!!! I used to drink 7-UP and Sprite but I loved Sierra Mist soo much that it became my main drink years ago. This new Sierra Mist is worse than 7-UP and sprite combined. It tastes like diet Sierra Mist. And not in a good way. Hopefully the original is brought back someday.
I do not like the new Sierra Mist Natural at all! Bring back the original!!
Good for Pepsi. Finally some manufacture gets it, even if they lie to us and tell us that the change has nothing to do with health issues. HFCS is an excitotoxin that is killing people and they know it! The FDA knows it too! For all of the folk that want the old drink back, there are plenty of other lemon lime drinks made with this poison on the store shelves. It's my hope that all soft drink companies will see the light and put the consumers first for a change. Getting rid of HFCS is a GREAT start. The only reason it's used is because it's cheaper than sugar, PERIOD. READ people, this stuff is deadly and they all know that it's tied to an awful lot of health problems in humans. It may be just about taste for you, although I like the taste of the natural better, but it is time for us to stop being mindless consumers. And to stop allowing them to use us as lab rats then get rich in the process.
To me this tastes like club soda with a splash of lemon.. I too noticed the diet like taste immediately.. but its resemblence to club soda really put me off..
[...] new Cranberry Splash is part of the reboot of Sierra Mist into Sierra Mist Natural. While not taking on the "Natural" name, Cranberry Splash is now being positioned as "Naturally [...]
I am happy to hear Pepsi is making attempts to make a healthier product. However, I am also disappointed by the new Sierra Mist Natural: It tastes like diet so badly. Couldn't hardly drink it.
My main drinks are Pepsi–when I want a caffeinated soda–and Sierra Mist otherwise. But I, too, will have to find a replacement.
It is crisper. It does not taste as syrupy, but I don't think I would trade the upsides for the downright, nasty taste of diet.
Sorry, Pepsi. Back to the drawing board.
I tried the new sierra mist natural and i love it. taste way better than the old sierra mist. Cant wait to see on store shelves.
please don't get rid of the old sierra mist i love it and i have tired the new sierra mist natural, my husband bought for me thinking i would like it but to my dismay it left a thick taste in my mouth and awful aftertaste in like a diet soda, so please keep sierra mist on the market.
First of all, I hate reading though the comments on here and having people comment or argue about things laid out in the post(like the fact that Diet Sierra mist still has HFCS till some time next year, it's label was just redesigned).
Anyway, I really enjoyed this new reboot of Sierra Mist, it almost makes up for Pepsi's break from bottling 7-UP. Almost.
I HATE THIS NEW SIERRA MIST@##@#@@##@ OMG CHANGE IT BACK!
For all of you haters of "Natural Sierra Mist" because you say it taste like diet. Well you guys have been so used to the artifical HFCS, that you are not used to the natural. Just drink the natural a few more times and you will never desire the HFCS version ever again.
It is like if you step into a swimming pool and the water seems cold, yet stay in it for a feww minutes and it will feel good, just take a few drinks and your perspective will change.
Thank you Pepsi for eliminating HFCS pernamately from Sierra Mist, I never bought it before the change, yet since you did chnge it and now utilized Natural Suger, you now have a new customer.
The throwback pops have real sugar too but they don't have the diet taste that the new Natural does. What the heck? I don't care, keep the Natural, I'll just go back to Sprite. If I wanted to taste a diet aftertaste then I would drink diet.
What diet aftertaste? I enjoy the taste of Sierra Mist Natural.
I wonder if the corn lobby has people trolling this site?
Or people hired from Pepsi's P.R. to pump up how "great" it tastes?
[...] we noted in our Sierra Mist Natural review, all the big players seem to be giving their lemon lime offerings a reboot. PepsiCo just added real [...]
Bring back the original…..none of my family liked the new natural!!!!
I do not like sierra mist natural!!!!!!!! It leaves my mouth dry awful after taste. Bring back the original Please.
this stuff is awesome.
I'm not sure on who many people had the opportunity to travel in Europe, but when you do so, try any know named brand of soda there. SUGAR makes a REAL difference in ANY SODA sold in Europe. Many people that i know said that when they tried coke, pepsi, mist or anything known in US, they had a blast how different and good it was. Slowly we start to see here in USA that move in sods towards real sugar, and we realize how good it is. Sierra Mist Natural become since its lunch my favorite soda drink. I personally don't really like drinks made out of high fructose corn syrup. To make my point more clear, when some of my friends came to visit me here in US, they drink coke and pepsi one time. Why? Well because based on what they said tasted horribly then what they got used to in Europe. I'm glad that a company like Pepsi makes this move towards real sugar. Taste better – sales better.
Sierra Mist has been the only soda that I drink for years. The new natural is absolutely horrible!!! It absolutely DOES taste like diet soda and I can't stand it. This really sucks…now I have to find a new drink.:(
Love it now…it's drinkable:)
I don't like the sierra mist natural, I like the orginal, I think they should sale both because everyone has different taste, so both should be sold so everyone can be satisfied
I HAVE TO SAY I DO NOT LIKE THE NEW SIERRA MIST. IT GOES FLAT SO QUICKLY AND THE AFTER TASTE IS NOT GOOD. PLEASE GIVE US BACK THE ORINGINAL SIERRA MIST.
Anybody else in the portland/Tigard/Beaverton Oregon area gotten a severe case of diarrhea from this product? Me and several friends decided to give this new drink a try and were violently ill afterwords.
The only change in our diets was the new "natural" Sierra Mist. All of us were completely healthy and fine but all seven of us got diarrhea within the next day, three had to call in sick because it was so bad.
What did they actually replace the corn syrup with, and was contaminated Sierra mist sent to Oregon stores?
Sierra Mist Natural taste awful. Makes me think of flat diet soda. Sad that Pepsi destroyed a great product. If they could have just replaced the HFCS without changing the entire formula.
I stopped drinking HFCS sodas about two years ago. I don't like diet drinks I just want real sugar. I bought a 12 pack of Mist Natural over the weekend and I think it's great. Finally the major companies see there is a market for sodas with real sugar.
Its horrible. I don't want to sugar-coat it (nice pun), but its awful. I bought a 12 pack of that natural, not knowing it was different that the usual Sierra Mist…and I was wrong. This stuff tastes terrible. The after-taste is bad, the taste in general is unusual. Like the article says, almost diet-like. I don't see why they can't offer both Natural and regular.
We bought the Natural Sierra Mist at a Meijer in MI. My family hates it and we will not be buying anymore. I think they should offer both versions and not discontinue the original.
I hate the Natural Sierra Mist!!!
It tastes like it's been left in a glass with melting ice for too long.
There are no bubbles, and the taste is too sugary and sweet.
I think they need to bring back the regular Sierra Mist. It's been my drink of choice for the past 10 years (I believe) and I'm their number one customer. I guess I'll be switching to Sprite or 7 up now…though I dislike both of their tastes compared to Sierra Mist. I just can't get over the gross taste of Natural Sierra Mist. I've tried to deal with it…but I can't.
On another note, the new label fits the whole "Natural" thing well.
Change the label all you want, just don't change my chemical filled Sierra Mist!!!
Wow, I am very surprised there are so many on here not liking Sierra Mist Natural. The unnatural High Fructose Corn Syrup was replaced with cane and beet sugars. I am guessing that some people taste buds are too used to that HFCS taste in everything especially soda. I am a very rare soda drinker, when I do drink it is sodas with real sugar. When I drink sodas with HFCS, they leave a lingering syrupy taste in my mouth. This Sierra Mist Natural does not. So glad they changed to real sugar. The taste is pure and fresh, especially the citrus flavors. They really pop out. I'm not sure what diet flavor people are talking about. Why would real sugar leave a diet flavor. Weird. Anyway, not trying to be mean to anyone. Just giving my opinion.
I love the new sierra mist natural!
It changed the taste and I don't like it….I'm going back to Sprite.
Why is no one mentioning that in the switch to real sugar, several preservatives were also eliminated. To me, that's the bigger deal. The fewer unnecessary chemicals the better…
I am so disappointed to learn that this is a permanent change…I thought that Sierra Mist was just doing what the other Pepsi products did for the summer. For me, Sierra Mist was my favorite non-caffeinated soda on the market. But this new incarnation tastes funny – the first time I had a "Natural" I almost thought I had bought Diet by mistake. It's just not sweet enough for my taste and the carbonation seems different, like it mentioned in the article. I guess the competition IS stepping up with Sprite – 'cause here's one former fan who's going to switch teams!
It was all right but I think it taste like 7up. If I wanted a 7up I would have bought one. If I see the old one I buy them up. I have started drinking Sprite. Pepsi you have made a mistake on this!!!
bought it by accident… won't be buying it again! ewww!
I have loved the Sierra Mist (old verson) and bought it regularly. Then I found out that the formula has changed and it is now Sierra Mist Natural. I thought I would try the new flavor. The first carton was terrible I thought there was something wrong with the cans in the carton. So today we bought one in a plastic bottle that honestly was worse in taste. I am all for natural products but it has "killed" the taste of this what was a wonderful product. I am also sad to find out that it is pemanent change. I will no longer be purchasing it anymore and will be looking at trying Sprite again. Sorry Pepsi you made a mistake in this one.
I believe the Corn Lobby is on this too. If corn-infused sprite has such a higher market share over sierra mist, mainly because of brand loyalty, then why the heck can't you corn fed people enjoy sprite or slice? Most of you probably do drink Sprite and are secretly promoting HFCS. Why even try to intervene with a new natural sugar soda. You are what's wrong with this countries obesity problem. Let us health concerned people have a choice. Don't take away our first real soda!! Try mexican Coke and tell me you can't see the difference. HFCS will be gone for the generations to come…a few thousand obese deaths need to result from Corn Syrup
KEEP SIERRA MIST NATURAL ALL GOOD THINGS COME WITH TIME YOUR NUMBERS WILL EVENTUALLY NOT LIE!!
I grew up drinking 'throwback' soda's, when it was soda's w/real sugar. I so enjoyed the Throwback, but I can not drink alot of caffeinated sodas. I was happy when I saw SM Natural, I bought a 6-pack. Generally speaking do I drink lemon-lime sodas alone, its a mixer in lemonade.
The first two times I drunk SM Natural I had an excruciating headache that is accompanied after ingesting aspartame (allergic to that stuff)I eliminated the SM N from the lemonade, no longer a headache. Tried a sip not mixed in the lemonade within an hour my headache was back. I will continue with this experiment and if the headaches continue, I will have to look for something else. BTW Throwback Pepsi never gave me a headache and that I know of I don't have any other food allergies.
About 3 years ago I decided to quit drinking caffeinated sodas. As a result, I rely heavily on the lemon lime sodas from Coca Cola and Pepsi because there is no caffeine. I don't care for the taste of 7-up much. The new change to Sierra Mist has been for the worse. It now tastes a lot more like 7-up with a hint of diet taste on the end… Looks like it will be Sprite only for me now.
Used to be a fan of Sierra Mist, but I have to say I am disappointed in the new natural flavor. I am all for the "natural" that things are going towards, but I think it was a mistake to permanently take the old Sierra Mist away. Let it be the consumers choice to decide what they want. I have given this new natural a try several times and just can't get over the diet aftertaste it leaves. I don't drink much soda, but like to have a carbonated beverage that is non caffinated on occasion. I will have to look into drinking 7-up or Sprite (which always was too sugary to me), but a least it didn't have a diet flavor. Pepsi – I love your products – but this "permanent" change was definately a mistake. Let the consumer have the CHOICE – stock both please!!!
I tried the natural sierra mist and I too think it taste like diet so it will be sprite for me and fanta! Pepsi really screwed up…
I just drank one today after buying a 12 pack at Shaws. I like it. I don't notice a diet-soda aftertaste to it. It's just lighter than what Sprite or other lemon lime sodas taste like. I could taste the difference in the Throwback sodas also, but it didn't diminish their likeability for me.
The removal of the EDTA in the drink is a big deal, I have a couple of friends that have become allergic to EDTA from constant exposure at work. You'd be surprised about how many products EDTA is in.
Of course in the grand scheme of things soda is horrible for you with all the empty calories. I usually drink flavored seltzer or sparkling spring water (I like carbonation), so this won't be a regular purchase for me. I will lean toward Sierra Mist Natural when I want a soda to go with my lunch though.
I DO NOT like the Sierra Mist Natural, and I know of at least three others who feel the same. I used to drink nothing but original Sierra Mist or Pepsi, but now that the original is going to be discontinued, I don't know what to turn to. I don't think it tastes like a diet, I just think the flavor is the same, and I don't like how it's not as "bubbly". What is wrong with selling both the original and natural? Please bring back the original.
I DO NOT LIKE Sierra Mist Natural….it tastes like water with a touch of lemon lime to me. It tastes diet and I hate that I cannot find the original Sierra Mist anymore. I guess that means I will have to go back to Sprite which I didn't like anymore due to the aftertaste. This sucks!!!
I'd agree with Marc but not on this made up corn lobby. There is no such thing… but alot of these for it sounds a bit like PepsiCo's employees. None more so then you Marc.
Are you a right wing nutjob pushing against HFCS or just a PepsiCo employee, probubly the latter. why not go drink the new stuff and stop spewing your right wing ideals down everybodies throat, eh?
My wife and I bought this…guess what, it tasted better BUT we both got a very bad stomach ache. This has never happened before. We're going to find out more information on this issue from Pepsi Co. as the 'potassium citrate' in the ingredient alone is questionable. Either way I hope no one else is getting this bad cramps. We've always bought and drank Hane's natural soda all the time. There isn't something agreeing with our stomach for sure.
I got a 20oz bottle at Kwik Star and was happy to try out the new Sierra Mist (thinking it would be like 7-up when they changed there favor alittle) boy was I mistaken. After the first swallow I looked the bottle over to make sure I hadn't picked up diet, I did that once last year but no I hadn't funny thing is it tasted just like diet soda. I don't like it at all and will not drink it. In fact now everywhere I've been going that has Sierra Mist I make sure to get Root beer instead. They need to fix this Diet after taste problem then I will be happy to buy Sierra Mist once again. I'm dreading the day I get stuck having to drink Sierra Mist at a restautrant because it's the only thing they have to drink without caff. (I'm on a caff. free diet)
I really liked the original version, it was actually better than sprite. The natural tastes almost 'flat'. It is terrible. They really need to either bring back the original or sat the very least, offer it as an alternative. But, who would be suprised if they don't, pepsico hasn't proved to be the sharpest tool in the shed anyway. They had a good thing, it wasn't broke and they sure didn't fix it.
I saw both regular and natural sierra mist today. I decided I would try the natural. I really wish I didnt. It has a horrible aftertaste that reminds me of blood. Nevermind a diet aftertaste, I can deal with that…. I am never buying this product again. Sadly, Sierra mist cranberry splash is my favorite and if they change that to "natural" I dont think I could bring myself to drink that either.
The Sierra Mist Natural is all they have at my University now, and it is disgusting to me. It leaves a thick feeling in my throat and tastes horrible. I actually like Diet Sierra Mist, more than the Sierra Mist Natural. I hope they keep the original because it tastes the best, if not, I will be going back to Sprite.
I agree the Natural kind of has a diet taste. To my husband and I it almost has a flat taste. Id LOVE to see cold hard FACTS on the nutritonal difference between the two drinks.. not just what's on the bottle but how different are the two drinks REALLY. Im not a large volume drinker of Sierra Mist. ANY drink with real sugar or corn syrup is not good for you in large amounts. Im sorry but its up to the individual to take responsibility for what you put in your own body. I bought the last 10 original bottles in town yesterday…. sadly they were only the 16oz bottles.
I drink diet drinks. This drink is horrible imo.
I never read the label and don't care what's in it. I prefer pepsi products generally and drank Sierra Mist almost exclusively. I don't like the new stuff. Like someone else said, keep it or ditch it, I will be drinking Sprite if it stays Sierra Mist Natural or the original is not around to choose.
Bring back the old Sierra Mist, the new stuff is TERRIBLE, i drank sierra mist soley and now have no soda to drink..whats so hard about offering both? i am abstaining from all Pepsi products until they bring it back
Please bring the old back, I bought it every week, and absolutely cannot stand the taste of Natural, just cannot drink it. They have got to be losing sales big time. There's no reason to get rid of the old – have both!!!
I'm a big fam of Sierra Mist, I think it's the best soda on the market.
Sierra Mist Natural is absolutely awful. They need to bring back the
original.
Sierra Mist Natural with sugar instead of the HFCS has a "bite" like the old sodas before the cheap HFCS was used to save $…The new does not taste like diet…it just allows the sharpness of the drink to come through…Jams and Jellies only taste syrupy sweet made with HFCS…when made with suger you get the sweetness of the fruit and the bite or tang of the fruit…the soda people have screwed up everyones taste bus …kinda like drugs…it's sad….Go Sierra…your cranberry is great!!!!
it has a diet taste 'cause the HFCS obliterates everything with it's sweetness!!! the hfcs is horrible for you…give it some time….jeeze!!!
I've been dirnking sierra mist since it came out, and I have to say I'm going back to sprite, this new natural stuff is just awful. I know the world wants their "real sugar" but honestly its just not the same, I could care less about what kind of sweeteners are being used, in my soft drinks, and honestly corn syrup is not that bad for you in moderation, just like every other good thing in this world, as long as my drinks are sweet, and they don't kill me, I'm happy and sierra mist did this until recently, with this bitter flavorless spunk, its almost like vitamin water, a faint hair of sweetness clouded by crap, at first i prayed this natural stuff was going to coexist with regular as does diet and that cranberry crap but nope the good stuff is all gone and I'm personally quite dissappointed by pepsico
HATE NATURAL, LOVED THE ARTIFICIAL HIGH FRUCTOSE SYRUPY GOODNESS
Why can't company's leave well enough alone?
Why can't we have both?
Oh that would make to much since……..
I want my Sierra Mist back, or I'm going to switch back to Coca Cola Products ASAP!
I fell in love with the taste of Sierra Mist.
This New Natural Sierra Mist taste nasty.
I bought a whole case and had to throw it away it was so bad, I didn't even finish the 1st can out of the case………
A big waste of money………..
I have been everywhere and can't find my sierra mist anywhere……
So I called the NC Company and they said my one voice would not bring it back……
I stopped drinking Cokes when Sierra Mist came out and I lost 50 pounds.
I guess I will have to switch to Sprite it is the closest thing to Mist I can find……..
These people in these cooperate office's don't have a clue to what we as the public want or like.
They are just pencil & pin pusher's making fat checks for change, change, change.
Some people don't want change, when it comes to our Food & Drink…….
I bet they don't even drink Sierra Mist……..
One Voice Un Heard……..& Upset With Pepsi!!!!!!!!
I loved the old Sierra Mist, I agree with many of the people that the Sierra Mist Natural tastes like a diet drink. I'm very disappointed because I preferred Sierra Mist to Sprite but I prefer Sprite to Mist Natural. So Sprite it will be until they get the old Sierra Mist back. Who really cares about HFCS as long as you aren't drinking this as your only beverage, COME ON!
It amazes me that all the anti HFCS people are surprised that some of us don't like something that tastes like it was ran through a baby diaper. My wife bought a case of this, and where I work has a contract with Pepsi, so this is my only choice for non-caffeinated. You do NOT get used to it. I honestly tried to get used to it. Awful is awful, and there is no getting around that. I liked the original just a little better than Sprite, but guess what, Coke just got my business for lemon-lime.
I like it!! I'm not a big pop drinker (I'm from Michigan and that's what we call it). But, I just bought a can and it tastes pretty good. Don't know what people are talking about with the diet Sierra Mist taste. It actually seems a little sweeter than normal to me – yet it's still crisp.
I HATE the new formula. I have chronic migraines & the only thing that feels good was the old Sierra mist. This one does have a strange aftertaste. Sometimes it tastes a little like bleach. I notice mure bubbles & do not like that. I'll be going back to sprite or maybe even an off brand.
DON'T BUY!!!!! It's the same thing as HFCS!!! Corn syrup is the same as "corn sugar" "sugar beets" I don't trust! Why not "label" as "Cane Sugar"??? Because it's not…..and now Monsanto also owns GMO "Sugar Beets"!!!
I hate this Sierra Mist Natural, It tastes disgusting. I thought I had picked up diet. The "natural" sugars are still Sugar aka so why does it matter if I drink regular sugar…PLEASE get your heads out of your arse Pepsico and bring back my fav. drink! Its THE ONLY POP I HAVE DRANK IN 3 years!!!
Just bought some tonight. Sprite is terrible. I've hated it since I was a kid. When you go down the isles these days you have coke products on one side and pepsi on the other. All the High Fructose Corn Syrup + Sodium Benzoate Drinks are basically the same lousy mouth feel and leave you with an "I can't believe I drank that" feeling afterwords. Sierra Mist Natural Was Crisp and Refreshing. That's a rare thing to find outside of the craft soda makers. Kudos Pepsi.
YUCK YUCK YUCK!!!!! OMG PEPSI CO. what were you thinking when you brought this out of lab. The first time I purchased a bottle I went the store cooler as usual I looked for the name Sierra and grabbed the soda. After returning to my vehicle I twisted off the cap and turn it up for a big drink because I was very thristy. At the moment of my taste buds recieving the flavor I was in shock because my first thought was I had grabbed a diet sierra mist by mistake. Immediately looked at the bottle and that is when I saw on the label "Sierra Natural" saying I said Uggghhh is being polite. How can your people not think that the "natural" and "diet" IS NOT THE ONE in the same. Both have that disgusting after taste. From the first time I tasted Sierra Mist (Regular) I became a instant fan. I had always loved 7UP or Sprite for clear sodas but after that first taste that could not hold a candle to Sierra Mist.
To coin and old phrase "IF IT AINT BROKEN DONT FIXED IT" Why Pepsi feel the needed to change to a "natural" taste.
I hope that they are planning on continuing the "Mist" brand as a choice, if not well I will have to return back to my old stand by Sprite or 7UP. I am quite sure diet soda drinkers have not complaint about the natural. ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!!!! Very disappointed.
I will be one of the few to say that this will be the lemon lime soda I will be buying for now. Then again I'm one of those people who try to avoid HFCS and artificial/chemical preservatives, so good for avoiding those! Truth be told, there are better tasting lemon lime sodas, SM Natural is a little too far towards carbonated water, and could use more sugar, or possibly some real juices or something.
I'm REALLY interested in the changeover to Diet Sierra Mist Natural after a reformulation, I really hope that means a move towards Stevia. I get migraines from aspartame and sucralose, and the only stevia sodas around here are really expensive. If Sierra Mist moves to stevia, and it isnt a$$ like stevia lemon lime Ive had, then it'd become my primary soda, and possibly primary drink!
Not sure where all the "diet" speak is coming from. Yes, it's a lot lighter than the HFCS SM, but it no way, shape or form does it taste like diet. I like the new taste, even if the sweetness is not as intense.
HATE IT. I LOVVVVVVVVVVVEEED THE OLD SIERRA MIST. THIS NEW "TASTE" IS GROSS AND FLAT. BRING BACK THE OLD STUFF!!!!!!!!!
I have been drinking Sierra Mist forever. I would always have 2-3 cases in the house as this is all that we drink. My best friend bought a 12 pack the other day and we started discussing the difference in the taste since the package change but this is the first time I have had a chance to see if we were imagining things or what. Neither of us prefers the soda any longer because it doesn't satisfy the palate in the manner that it did before. It is not crisp or lemon-limey and to me as well, it does taste like diet. I even did a taste test on a friend to see if they could pick the diet one, they picked the natural regular. All I can say is Thank goodness for Slice and all those others that I can try. Yippie for everyone that still has a wonderful clear soda that they can enjoy.
I tried to like it because I had bought several of the 6 packs like I usually do with Sierra Mist but the after taste is so frikkin unappealing. I have preferred Sierra mist to other lemon limes for sometime now and it was all I was buying. Today I went back to Sprite because that new formula just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Oh well. I hope this is not a trend I absolutely love Pepsi and detest Coke so if that formula ever changes I'll be without my fave soda.
I guess I need to move back to Sprite. I don't like this despite having been a Sierra Mist drinker.
I hate the new Sierra Mist "Natural". I will drink store brand lemon lime now. I loved the original Sierra Mist, why can't we have both. The "Natural" taste watered down and flat and yucky. I will no longer buy this.
I hate the new Sierra Mist "Natural". I will drink store brand lemon lime now. I loved the original Sierra Mist, why can't we have both. The "Natural" taste watered down and flat and yucky. I will no longer buy this. Maybe I will try the "Slice" someone mentioned above or Sprite.
I hate the new Sierra Mist "Natural". It has aftertaste. I will drink store brand lemon lime now. I loved the original Sierra Mist, why can't we have both. The "Natural" taste watered down and flat and yucky. I will no longer buy this. Maybe I will try the "Slice" someone mentioned above or Sprite. I HATE SIERRA MIST NATURAL.
I have been drinking Sierra Mist Natural for a few months now. I didn't like it at first, but acquired a taste for it eventually. However, I've had DIARRHEA every day for the past few months and it's gotten much worse over the past few days. Up to 12 times a day and throughout the night. I finally figured out that Sierra Mist Natural is the ONLY thing I've changed in my diet. I am going to stop drinking it starting today to see if it's the culprit. I'll be back to share the results in a few days.
I have three 6 packs of the Regular Sierra Mist, 20 Oz bottles which are left over since I tried Sierra Mist Natural. I love the natural and won't go back to the original. The natural (in the bottle) has a crisp, clean taste as opposed to the regular. I did try the Sierra Mist Natural in the cans, but as with any soda, it gives a metallic taste. Therefore I stick to the bottles.
My boyfriend is a huge lemon lime soda drinker and HE HATES THE NEW NATURAL FORMULA. WHY ELIMINATE THE OLD??? Now I need to buy every bottle and hoard it.
this takes me back to the gigantic failure of the coke2.. honestly, it was hard to swallow, sierra mist was started in 2000 and 10 years later they completly ruined it… i wouldnt be surprised if they quit with this… i wouldnt have minded if they gave us both, but i wont be drinking sierra mist anymore.. it tasted like a FLAT diet drink..
I HATE IT! its the worst soft drink i've ever tasted. i've tried it in can's bottles and a two litter. the can was the best but all were bad! my advice would be…all the stuff that was taken…PLEASE PUT IT BACK!!!!
What if we all "Original Sierra Mist Lovers" send our comments to sierramist.com asking them to keep the original in the shelves as well, as an option for all of us the loyal customers who enjoy the regular taste instead of the new natural ?
I want my original Seirra Mist back. The natural tastes to much like a nasty nasty diet drink, it's nasty. Pleaseeeeeeeee, at least keep them both. I'll buy it by the large case. Just bring it back. I have receipts to prove I bought the original by the 24 pack every week. Bring back the Original!
The "Natural" has the bad "Diet" aftertaste. My taste buds are very sensitive to artificial sweeteners and I'm guessing they're slipping some in and passing it as "Real Sugar". If not, why are so many people in agreement with me? What else would cause the horrible aftertaste?
For 2 months I had been searching grocery stores in my area for
"REGULAR" Sierra Mist. I consulted with several store managers
who were not aware of the change in the product. I am highly
disappointed that Pepsico decided to change this product without
at least giving loyal customers like me a choice between the two!
In my opinion REGULAR Sierra Mist is a far Superb product than
"Natural". It had a clean, fresh taste that was thirst quenching
and more effervescent!!! Natural to me tastes like a diet soda,
is flat, and is less satisfying. My philosophy is "if it ain't broke,
don't fix it"! Sierra Mist was the only soft drink I enjoyed! Thanks for
arbitrarily taking away another simple pleasure in life.
IT SUCKS. CHANGE IT BACK, PEPSI, YOU JERKS!!
The aftertaste is HORRIBLE. D:
PLEASE Pepsi, I beg of you. Don't make the same mistake Coca Cola did when they changed their recipe awhile back. Keep the old Sierra Mist. The new tastes terrible. Bad after taste that is just like a diet. You will lose money on this. How could you even think of doing this? My God did you even taste it first? You have a great product in the original and then you have to change it. Why? To impress people that is has real sugar??? If that is ALL it had it would not taste so bad. Switch back before you lose your shirts on this terrible venture!
Sierra Mist natural is far better than original because it tastes nice and doesn't have high fructose corn syrup which is far worse than regular sugar. I personally would never drink anything with artificial flavorings/ high fructose corn syrup.
On top of that, drinking regular sodas increases the risk of pancreatic cancer by 87%. The liver immediately converting HFCS into fat and a high fat diet increases the risk of cancer in general.
i tested the new sierra mist natural and there isn't any formaldehyde in it like there is with high fructose corn syrup products that i've tested. i'm definitely drinking soda again.
pepsi needs to bring back our drink, the old sierra mist. This new stuff is terrible and all around the world kids are sad because there favorite drink is gone
Hated it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Back to Sprite!!
Hate the Sierra Mist Natural!!!! I used to only drink Sierra Mist. The new natural is way to sweet, it has no kick and I quit buying and drinking it….changed to 7-UP too bad, missed the original!!
If you like club soda, this is your new pop! Sadly, I'm switching back to 7-up or sprite. Hey, it's their billion dollars. They can do what ever they want with it. I wouldn't buy stock in them though:)
Cracks me up how these morons who prefer the HFCS don't realize that the reason they do is because it's as addictive as HEROIN…. and just as POISONOUS. Fools. It's made from GMO corn and processed with MERCURY. It's directly responsible for the huge increase in diabetes and obesity over the last couple of decades. IT and ASPARTAME ( Splenda, Nutrasweet, Equal ) are two of the most poisonous food additives there are.
I wonder how many people will think that their soda is now somehow healthy. Excessive sugar is bad no matter where it comes from or what you call it.
This is horrific stuff! Why mess with a product that tasted just great as it was previously? I've never been able to do Coke products, except Dr. Pepper. Our family still buys regular Pepsi—now & then, more Dr. P & mostly Gingerale. I, then squirt a bit of my lemon & lime into the glass. Hhm—my "new" Sierra Mist?
[...] Review: Sierra Mist Natural [...]
I hated the original Sierra Mist with a passion.
I tried the new Sierra Mist Natural for the first time today and I like it. I don't love it, but I like it. Contrary to what others are saying, it doesn't taste diet at all; matter of fact, it tastes quite like 7-Up.
Good on Pepsi. I make my own kefir as a recovering soda-holic. Might pick this up just to see but still won't put manufactured citric acid in my body on a regular basis. At least its a big step in the right direction.
Don't worry…Pepsi and mainly all other FDA ran food/drink companies will trick us into thinking their products are healthy. Now they have put undoubtedly snuck an artificial sweetener in the drink. There is no way in hell any natural, unprocessed cane sugar has an aftertaste like that. I don't drink any of this garbage anyway until it was all I had away from home. One sip left me saying WTF?
oh…or processed cane sugar (bad as it is) for that matter will not have that "diet" aftertaste.
I have to be suspicious as openyoureyes says.
This tastes like diet to me. That makes me strongly suspect that they've decided to put sucralose (at some level) into this drink. And even if they didn't, why would you go forward with something that tastes like s*ty diet soda.
Loved Sierra Mist (original). Was brand-loyal. Now I'm brand-phobic for this product.
I HATE it. I will no longer buy this product.
And one day, I'll be unsurprised when independent testing shows artificial sweeteners are found here.
Sadly, this seems to possibly have gone the way of: Sunny D, Robitussin Cough syrup, Halls Cough Drops, and a few others who think people can't taste the sweeteners (in lower amounts) in the product.
Beet sugar and cane sugar have very different sweetness profiles. At least for me they do. Cane sugar always has a very smooth and silky texture with no burn or after taste. You can actually sample this buy purchasing some Mexican Coke in glass bottles. It is the REAL THING. Real CANE SUGAR.
Also keep in mind that sugar beets in the USA are almost all genetically modified now to allow them to be sprayed with Roundup to control weeds. Sugar Cane is NOT transgenic like most sugar beets are.
So if Sierra Mist Natural had truth in labeling it would state:
Carbonated water (From Municpal filtered water), sugar (From Genetically Modified Sugar Beets), citric acid (From Genetically Modified Corn), natural flavor (Sorry trade secret-Your welcome to guess), potassium citrate (From Genetically Modified Corn)
So how NATURAL is Sierra Mist Natural? In name only. If it was REAL CANE SUGAR then we would have something. If it came in a glass bottle THAT would also be something. If they got the corn sourced products out of my soda, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING.
For the rare time I will drink soda, I am sticking with the Mexican sourced products that have REAL CANE SUGAR (It actually says that on the label) in glass bottles.
Sugar (From Genetically Modified Sugar Beets),
It's great that Pepsi changed sierra mist around from HFCS to real sugar.It tastes more real than the previous sierra mist,but the previous drink is better because it has more taste and the current to me has a combination of diet and regular type of taste to it.I like what pepsi did with it's cranberry splash flavor making it with real sugar to. It tasted too plain with HFCS,but with real sugar,it tastes very similar to a type of citrus soda,such as mountain dew with cranberry flavor,other than the splenda sugar taste it has with it.That tastes very good though,unlike sierra mist natural.
Hate Sierra Mist Natural. Tastes horrible. I bought three bottles & dumped them down the drain. Going back to Sprite
I have drank Sierra Mist for years over Sprite but guess I'll be going back to Sprite or Canada Dry Ginger Ale. The Sierra Mist Natural is horrible. I thought they had just changed the label but after tasting the natural I couldn't accept the taste. I too thought I had bought a diet drink. I'm not a fan of diet drinks at all-those drinks make me thirstier! Very disappointed that the regular Sierra Mist has been discontinued.
My wife and 2 daughters 20 and 21 said it is the worst drink ever there is a bad after taste like old soda hope they keep the origanal not even my 3 year old grandbaby who loves any soda would touch it said yuk!
As many others before me have said, after taking a sip of this "Natural" Sierra Mist, the first thing I did was look down for some "diet" or "0 calorie" indication. This product taste like carbonated Vitamin Water (see: flat, diet soda); the only reason I even bothered to finish the half dozen I had bought was because I didn't want my money to go to waste.
And I know, some people have said "Oh, it only taste like that because your taste buds are used to HFCS." If that's the case, then why did none of the Throwback flavors have a diet after taste? Why do none of the Throwback flavors have a flat soda taste? I'm not drinking soda to "get used" to the flavor, I'm drinking it to enjoy the taste. If I'm not enjoying the taste, then why am I even drinking it? I'll drink water before I'll drink a diet drink.
The people who truly benefited from this switch were the people down at the Coke-a-Cola company; I know that I'm not the only one going back to drinking Sprite because of this change.
I've been looking out for more natural, healthier pop. I tried SM Natural, and I was wondering if its truly made from real sugar, then why does it leave such a god awful diet residue in my mouth for an hour or so? I drink a lot different kinds of pop, mainstream and otherwise. If its made from real sugar it doesn't leave an aftertaste, this pop does. It leaves a sour ache in my stomach as well. Pop with sugar in the 80's never left an after taste, so its not because I'm used to HFCS!!! Nor does any of the other current pops like the throw backs. Get the real sugar, don't just say its real sugar. Get rid of the aftertaste. Get rid of all the phosphoric acid in your other colas as well.
[...] time lemon-lime product that uses "real sugar" should provide a nice comparison product to Pepsi's Sierra Mist Natural. While we like the sugar Sierra Mist, we do agree that something in the taste just seems a [...]
Clean, crisp, citrusy taste without HFCS. What is not to like. My first CM Natural this weekend. I will buy more. Don't get the "diet after taste" for me the after taste is citrus, just like when I add lime/lemon to other soda drinks.
i like sierra mist so decided to try NewNatural. Right from the first taste it is one of the worse sodasI have tasted. I unfortunately bought the 2 liter size so eirher dump it or get tortured swallowing the rest as to not to waste my money spent.
I think the Sierra Mist Natural is nasty. It tast like diet. I would rather have the original Sierra Mist back. I can still get the original when I go out to eat. I was about to switch from mountain dew to Sierra mist but now that I can't get it anywhere but out in restaurants so I will stay with Mountian dew. I hate the new taste.
I personally don't like the SM Natural. Sierra Mist tasted a lot better without the weird after taste. In my opinion PepsiCo should have had both Sierra Mist and SM Natural on the market instead of eliminating one for the other. This would've pleased the loyal Sierra Mist drinkers and the people who wanted a 'more natural' flavor.
I do maintenance at one of the biggest citric acid and corn syrup producing plants in North America(guess who). The way citric acid or potassium citrate is made none of you would consider natural. I don't know the whole process but there is something about corn cobs, fermenting the stuff(feeding it corn syrup and such), extracting the broth, separating it, drying it, and packaging it. The stuff leaves a bad taste when it gets stuck to my face. So I am guessing that is where the aftertaste is coming from.
I don't care much for the natural stuff. I like the throwback stuff but not this.
Sorry, but the not new "natural" does not cut it. Not at all happy about it, but I will be switching my brand.
OK, Pepsi, your new "Natural" has been on the market for three full months now. What are consumers telling you with their purchases? Have sales gone up, down, or are they the same? I know you should have had an initial spike in sales for introducing a new product to market. But how are the reorders going? How about sales in machines with a captive audience like the automotive repair shop mentioned in this thread? Are you having to restock the Natural as muuch as you did the origional?
I hate the Natural formulation. Unlike the health Nazis that have posted on here, I buy products because I like the way they taste! At the end of my life, I will die, regardless of which soft drink I drink… I know too many health conscious people who have died anyway… Provide a good tasting, flavorful product and I will buy it! I will not buy Sierrra Mist Natural!
We LOVE this drink… you can count on us to purchase it. It is much more refreshing than a reg soda….. and we love it does have NATURAL SUGAR instead of the chemicals…the less chemicals we comsume the better we will all be. Thank you for this product! Where can we get coupons??
to be honest with you it felt like PepsiCo change the formula BEFORE they came out with Sierra Mist Natural. but yes i don't like Sierra Mist Natural either. it's flat and seems less carbonated, and has a weird diet after taste. back when it first came out circa 2003 it was like a better version of sprite. not it's just…ugh.
btw i don't mind real sugar
I don't care what it's made of if it tastes as bad as this stuff does. The old SM was the best mix on the market, this stuff is awful.
I have been drinking sierra mist in the can for the last few months since i found they have the natural kind now. However, i bought a 12 pack of cans yesterday and when I opened one to drink it, it tasted rotten! I mean, the taste was as though the lemons (if they use any) had actually fermented! I don't know who I can talk to about it but I really want my money back! If i wanted soda that tasted like trash I would have dug for it!
The Sierra Mist Natural tastes AWFUL!!!! It was so terrible that I thought surely something was wrong with my particular can… until I tried another one and realized that it was just as bad!! I'm not sure who they used to taste test this product before production, but they should (and I'm sure eventually will be) FIRED!!!!!!!!! They should just leave the preservatives and fructose corn syrup in their beverages if the alternative must taste like this.
We purchased what must have been a bad batch of the SM natural and it was very horrible. Took that back, tried a few weeks later and those were excellent in comparison. Watch out for bad batches, I guess. Both were the six pack plastic bottles.
taste naturally bad sorry !! stick with original !! bad after taste very unnatural!!!
Bought another lot of Natural Sierra Mist and it was terrific. I am no longer addicted to the HFCS garbage. The wife does not buy any HFCS products now. We no longer touch the stuff.
It is disgusting! DONT TRY THIS
I love how all the anti-HFCS bleeding-hearts try to label anyone who disapproves with the taste of this "Natural" formula as a "corn lobbyist" or tells the rest of us that we will "get used to" the flavor. F**k that s**t. When I tried Pepsi's Throwback line of sodas for the first time, I was blown into orbit — it was almost as if I had forgotten what Pepsi really tasted like. I demanded that Pepsi make it permanent. I noticed virtually no difference with Dew or Pepper, either. NONE of them have the god-awful aftertaste of this swill that Pepsi has foisted upon us ("real sugar" my black **s). "Get used to it?" How about I get used to not having to choose between Mist and Sprite for a lemon-lime soda anymore.
Besides, guess what, diettards — whether it comes from cane, beets, or corn, soda is STILL F**KING BAD FOR YOU. You would've been better off choosing a bottle of Pellegrino or Perrier water. Do us all a favor by doing so and leaving the rest of us the f**k alone. F**king passive-aggressive control freaks. the whole lot of you.
I don't do caffeine! Drugs in my soda??? I would have quit drinking soda a long time ago if it where not for the original sierra mist… I loved the stuff I would drink it every day for sure, without fail. Don't smoke so my last couple bucks always went on sierra mist. Then this new natural crap came out. It totally taste like NutraSweet in there. I hate that crap. If I wanted the taste of a diet drink I would by diet crap!!! They ruined my favorite beverage!!!! I would pay $10 for just one more 2 liter of the good stuff. But it's probably all expired by now and dead tasting as well. Well Pepsi Co, all your other drink products sucked now so does this one. Congratulations to the winner. Sprite by Coke! By the way I've switch to cherry 7up except when not available then I drink sprite. If they only have Sierra Mist I get ice water instead. It's that bad tasting to me. Water is good too but I'd rather have a soda with my meal.
By the way Gatorade would be much better if it was EXACTLY the same ingredients but half the salt! So salty! If your thirsty you don't want flavored salt water??? You almost have something there Pepsi :0
Sierra mist natural is the ONLY pop I will drink willingly. No HFCS and great taste. It my love.
[...] real sugar lemon lime, 7Up Retro finds itself being compared to the recent shift of Sierra Mist to Sierra Mist Natural, which based on the comments we've seen here on BevReview, sparks a love/hate reaction regarding [...]
I have been drinking the Natural for a few weeks now, I love it! No more deadly chemical!!! Those who what the HFCS back need to get there heads examined!!! That stuff will kill you!! This is the only soda I drink now, and same for my son!!!
I used to hate Sierra Mist but after trying the natural version it has fast become my favorite soda.
This soda is delicious and I hope its permanent
there is also 0 aftertaste. Least I never tasted one
We have been buying the Natural for about 3 or 4 months now and yes it does take a minute to get used to but we love it. It reminds me of the natural citrus sodas in Europe. We no longer by dark colored sodas(carmel color-carcinogen). Besides water…this is all we keep in the house. Had a taste of regular soda and we just can't get over how heavy and sweet these drinks are with corn syrup…yuck!
I was surprised to discover I really do like sierra mist natural. I hated sierra mist and I can't stand the tastes of diet drinks. I do prefer to drink the "throwbacks" when I find them. I find the drinks with real sugar taste better than those with fructose syrup. I took a mountain dew and a throwback md and found the mountain dew had a left over syrupy taste and the throwback did not. I now think sierra mist natural is my favorite non-caffeine drink right now. I love the flavor and that it doesn't have that syrupy aftertaste.
Not to mention the wierd taste, this new formula gives me a stomach-ache. I got one after each can I drank. No more.
Why are these anti-hfcs people so adamant that we will get acquired to the strange diet taste of natural? I really have given SMN multiple chances but every time I do I am painfully disappointed. If Pepsi was going to do something as radical as change the entire formula they could have at least still sold the original product to us devoted to the hfcs formula. By the way all soda is still bad for you. All of you anti-hfcs need to check out that even if they got the hfcs' outta the formula it is still not healthy to drink. You people need to stop contradicting yourselfs.
I think tht they should put samples out nd give the consumers a choice I love the sierra mist cranberry but the natural taste like diet and its so so sweet I can't drink a whole can its gross…..I wasted a whole 12 pack not a happy consumer at all
I am allergic to beet sugar. I am allergic to sulphites, which beets have naturally. I thank you for posting the contents. And although it says "sugar", I really wish that companies should say what kind of sugar. It's exhausting to do all this research before eating or drinking anything.
Pepsi – Good job!! Now just get rid of all the corn products in your sodas, put your sodas in glass bottles, and use pure cane sugar!!!! Thanks.
Bought a liter of SERRIAMIST Lemonlime soda nomally i like the taste but this one tasted like it was full of dirt . would like to try again but not sure will take the chance .Thanks for your product in the past.Bob
It says "sugar" which means it's not natural or real because it's using GMO sugar beets. If it was using cane sugar it would say so. GMO sugar beets are genetically modified and sprayed abundantly with pesticides.
If you're looking for a truly natural lemon-lime flavour drink you want one that's organic and made with cane sugar, as there is no GMO sugar cane in existence.
Also this lists "natural flavor" and as a little research will show this could be any number of a thousand different chemicals made by the same companies that make perfumes for smell and taste. The only difference between "natural" and "artificial" flavors in some cases is how they are processed, ie – with heat or not.
Don't be fooled by the "Natural" label, there are no label requirements in place at all for what allows a product to be labelled natural. This is a complete sham. If you care about your health you'll simply steer clear of all PepsiCo and Coke products until they release something that is actually organic. Natural means bunk.
Ok so . . . this forum has been out for awhile, not sure anybody actually still reading however I was in the hospital for about a week or just shy of a week and they put me on a 1800 calorie diet (like a diabetic) but they allowed me to drink diet sierra mist (natural). I have been addicted to the worse. . . (Mountain Dew) for the last 10 years. I am not a very tall person, 5'1 and have weighed about 160 the last few years. Being in the hospital with combo of 1800 calorie diet & the one soda I was allowed to drink I lost 20 lbs. I have been out of the hospital for about 30 days and I have put none of the weight back on. I cannot even drink Mountain Dew anymore, its too sugary & I love the Diet Sierra Mist. Pepsi, don't change back! And get rid of the non-natural sodas, they do no good, and are addictive. May benefit company but it's not benefiting Americans.