Review: 7Up (with new "crisp, clean" formula)
Sep 20th, 2010 by Steve
Back in May we noted that 7Up was once again planning on changing their formula, shifting to something that tasted "crisper." Really? Crisper? How about "less crappy"? Because it seems like the folks at the Dr Pepper Snapple Group insist on just messing this drink up continually. Poor 7Up.
7Up with new "crisp, clean" formula in 2010
Go ahead and hit our May 2010 story for the recent history on all of 7Up's changes, including the 2007's ridiculous move to "100% Natural Flavors" (previously known as 2006's "Now 100% Natural").
As 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 sugar to Sierra Mist, Coke is going to be rolling out a big ad campaign for Sprite (per Advertising Age), and apparently, that leaves 7Up with getting "crisper."
Logo Comparison: 2006, 2007, 2010
Taking a look at the packaging, you can instantly see that the 7Up logo got a little refreshing compared to the previous iterations in 2006 and 2007. The underscore ribbon of "100% Natural Flavors" is now gone, with emphasis again placed on the images of lemons and limes. The main distinctive callout can be found on the upper left side of the logo, where the phrase "New crisp-clean taste" resides above a subdued mention of "100% natural flavors".
The rest of the packaging remains pretty much the same… except when you get to the ingredients. No, 7Up hasn't gone the sugar route. It's still playing the high fructose corn syrup game (which I really hope we don't have to start calling "corn sugar"). However, we see a change in the lineup. Let's compare:
7Up (2007)
Filtered carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural citric acid, natural flavors, natural potassium citrate
7Up (2010)
Filtered carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and less than 2% of natural flavors, citric acid, potassium citrate, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)
Aside from the removal of the "natural" marketing spin from the 2007 version, we now see the addition of calcium disodium EDTA. This is used in many beverages, but would probably also indicate a change in taste.
Upon opening the bottle, you are greeted with a very lemony scent, nothing out of the ordinary for 7Up. As for that first sip… yes, it's different. While the rebooted 2006 formula tasted quite syrupy and in the same vein as Sierra Mist, the 2010 "cripsy" 7Up actually seems like a throwback to an older version. It no longer is seemingly trying to assimilate the flavor profile of either Sierra Mist or Sprite. Instead, it tastes, well, blander. But that's a good thing in this case. It's a cleaner-tasting drink now (just imagine if it had sugar in it!) We applaud this change, as it tastes like something closer to what you should be expecting from 7Up. The aftertaste doesn't even stink anymore. It's just there.
Now, how do you market that type of flavor? We'll let the advertising folks contracted by Dr Pepper Snapple Group figure that out as the months go by. But overall, it's a step in the right direction. The parent company has for too long ignored this drink and given it lackluster promotion, design, and positioning. I'm not really impressed with the new label look, as it doesn't seem progressive enough to help the brand gain some ground. I mean, take a look at the look of the drink in Canada (as noted by the folks in the BevNet forums). Granted, different organizations are responsible for the drink up there, but there could be some more innovative thinking going on regarding the look/feel.
That said, this new "crisp-clean" version of 7Up seemingly undoes the damage that was thrown its way during the 2006 "natural" shift. It positions the drink as more middle of the road, away from Sprite's distinctively boring lemon-lime and Sierra Mist's new sugar-sweetened take.
haven't been a fan of 7-UP in AGES, but this stuff is great. tastes like the 7-UP I remember. wish they would do the same for Cherry 7-UP.
This taste pretty good.
The old flavor was pretty bad. It was both syrupy and bitter, which made it taste like bad medicine to me. The new flavor is better. Less sugary, still citrusy, and with the sort of crispness that you get from mineral water or ginger ale.
So glad to see that I wasn't the only one! I used to love 7up, but haven't drank it in ages because of its decision to basically repackage Sprite. This is great news that it's at least pretty close to the old stuff. Grabbing a bottle tonight!
[...] Review: 7Up (with new "crisp, clean" formula) [...]
7 up is the shizzzittt! i wanna drink some errrday
I recently tried the NEW 7up and it tastes like crap to me. I'll never buy any more 7up. From now on it's Sprite for me. They even ruined diet 7up, although it's not quiet as bad as regular 7up. Well, 7up has lost me forever as a customer. Bye- bye.
I just tried the 'New clean crisp' 7up and it is CRAP!! It tastes flat to me. I actually liked the old formula. I will not buy any more 7up.
I just found this review by googling "new 7 up" because I wanted to know if everyone thought it tastes as bad as I do. It looks like the consensus is that its crap. It tastes like someone poured a little cough syrup into a bottle of 7up. The odor is unplesant and stonger on the nose. I always prefered 7up over Sprite (to lemon lime) and Sierra Mist (to artificial). If this is what 7up has become I don't care if the brand dies. It is dead to me already.
Mark one more for the tastes like crap vote. It tastes like tonic water with a little flavor added, or watered down 7up. Yuck. Will never buy 7 up again.
I thought I accidentally picked up a diet soda. Unpleasant smell, taste and after taste. No more 7 UP for me.
Forget about the packaging we all know what 7up looks like, the taste is not good so who cares about what the can looks like. When I bought 7up I would have never thought twice about the can. When I drank it I felt disappointed. Now I don't been want to drink it when my stomachs upset, I feel like I'm drinking diet soda. What set apart 7pm from the competitors was the ability for it to taste great and give that kick to soothe your stomach. Now it has neither benefit.
I was surfing through google tonight out of bordom and I don't know how the subject turned to soft drinks but I wondered why the last two times I bought 7-Up recently it tasted terrible. I looked it up to see if they had changed it, or revamped it, or did something to the formular recently because I just don't remember it tasting this bad before. Granted I don't drink it all the time but I remember years ago once in a while I'd drink a clear soda,…I liked 7-Up. Sprite was ok too. I couldn't remember which one was sweeter and which one was a little more strong. I think the 7-Up was stronger and Sprite was sweeter. Anyway, It had been years since I bought a 7-Up, and I recently had a taste for one so I bought some in the store and I don't know what in the world. Ewww. It tasted funny. I couldn't put my finger on it. It was like it had a bad taste of plastic, or chemicals. Like I could taste the plastic bottle it was packaged in. Then I kept looking to see if I bought Diet by mistake because it had that bitter, nasty aftertaste that all Diet drinks seem to have. Nope, wasn't diet. It was just wierd. It even smelled horrible. I couldn't hardly stand to put the bottle to my mouth and breath it in while drinking it. I kept blaming it on the plastic. I thought it was an odor from the plastic lid or gasses from the plastic bottle. I kept saying, "I don't remember this stuff tasting like this either….This tasts like crap. It's terrible. Don't tell me they went and changed the forumlar to classic 7-Up???" But now after looking it up on Google I see they absolutely did apparently. Well, I'd like to put my two cents in and saying after buying two six packs in bottles and trying really hard to figure out what was wrong with this drink….I will NEVER be buying another 7-Up again. As far as I'm concerned the 7-Up I was always used to is a taste that's just gone now. Because this new soda, I don't know what it's got in it that's making it so bitter and taste like chemicals but I'm not buying it anymore. I was hoping that idiot move to change Coke and the even bigger moron decision to change Mr. Pib in the 80's to this more bitter version of Dr. Pepper was the last of those moves….I guess I was wrong.. RIP 7-Up.
[...] which after 4 limited edition rereleases, are now permanent parts of the Pepsi lineup. With the recent reboot of 7Up's normal formula, we're looking forward to tasting this sugar-infused [...]
Well, we have been a family of loyal 7up drinkers for YEARS. So our review of the new "crisp, clean" tasting 7up is: "this tastes like the old Pledge furniture polish smelled" (from 40+ year old parents who remember pledge and also decent 7up); "soap. it smells and tastes like soap" said the teen who grew up drinking 7up over all other lemon-lime sodas; "this is the worst drink ever. it tastes like that stuff you cleaned my room with last week mom" from the 10 year old who will usually drink ANY soda. As a family, we are voting with our limited soda budget and will never buy this 7up again. Why oh why did they mess with a good thing?
[...] decided to test it side-by-side against high fructose corn syrup-sweetened 7Up, which was recently rebooted in late 2010. We actually liked the current version of 7Up, noting that it tasted less like a Sierra Mist clone [...]
[...] Per the article, "the new Legacy bottle will be used for many of DPSG's flavor brands, including 7Up, Sunkist soda, Canada Dry, Sun Drop, Squirt and other soft drinks in the company's portfolio that [...]
I've been drinking 7&7s for over 35 years and am now looking at alternatives. Maybe they'll do the Coke thing and bring back Classic 7up.
I haven't had a 7-up in a couple of years and when I had one last week the taste difference was instantly noticable. Please go back to the original formula. The "new" 7-up sucks;won't ever drink it again.By the way, did 7-up sneak aspartame into this latest flavor change?
How can 7 up market themselves as being 100% natural? High fructose corn syrup is still in it. High fructose corn syrup is as processed as it gets!! If they are going to call themselves natural, then shouldn't they start using cane sugar?
Bring back the original classic formula, the new changes taste and smell like cleaner. I just bought some because I have an upset stomach, the new taste upsets my stomach even more.
[...] and seems to undergo a new formulation every other year. We're fans of the current version, which arrived in 2010, and seemingly brought back some of the distinctive flavor that set apart 7Up from the other lemon [...]
I used to LOVE 7-up. It was my favorite drink, by far.
I found this article because I googled to see what the "new crisp-clean taste" bs was, and if that's why my last glass of it was so hideous I couldn't finish it. Sadly, it is. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this will cause the public outcry that New Coke did, as I didn't even *know* they'd done this until just now, as my family buys soda infrequently.
This is TERRIBLE, and unless they do something to change it, I will *never* buy 7-up again. Ever.