Review: New Orange Cream Coca-Cola Left Us High And Dry

Since 1886, Coca-Cola has been bringing iconic beverages to consumers. Among the many things you may not have known about Coca-Cola is that Its earliest beverages were designed as an alternative to morphine. The brand has come a long way since then, with an impressive catalog of creative and innovative beverages that is about to get a makeover with a new product that fans have been clamoring for — Coca-Cola Orange Cream. 

Orange cream beverages have existed since 1905, but are seeing something of a resurgence over the past several years, with market trends indicating more consumers interested in this nostalgic flavor. The folks at Coca-Cola saw this, heard what the people wanted, and have delivered. 

The new Coca-Cola Orange Cream will be available starting on February 10 at retailers nationwide, across Canada, and online, in both regular and zero sugar varieties to accommodate the needs of every palate. Prices may vary by location, but will be comparable to other Coca-Cola products. 

Since we here at Daily Meal are no strangers to Coca-Cola, having previously ranked and reviewed many of the best flavors this brand has to offer, we wanted to get a sneak peak (or sip) of this new fizzy beverage. The kind people at Coca-Cola obliged and sent me a couple of cans to sample before it goes on sale to the general public. Read on for the full scoop. 

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

I had the chance to sample both the regular and zero sugar varieties of the new Coca-Cola Orange Cream flavor. When it comes to the Pepsi versus Coke war, I am a Coca-Cola gal all the way. I also almost always opt for diet or zero sugar options over regular Coca-Cola varieties. Lastly, I consider myself a bit of an orange cream soda snob, preferring ones that are less orange forward and more dominant in sweeter cream notes. All of these likely influenced my overall opinions on this new Coca-Cola Orange Cream flavor. 

In terms of the regular Orange Cream flavor, I was underwhelmed. Upon opening the can, I had to take several sniffs to detect even a modicum of the orange or cream aroma. Though both eventually emerged, they were very mellow. The taste, while pleasant, was not all that dissimilar from a plain Coke. It just felt like there was a blindfold on my taste buds that needed to be removed to be able to fully detect the orange and cream flavors. 

As far as the zero sugar Orange Cream variety, I preferred it flavor and aroma. From the moment the can was popped ajar, the scent of the cream soda came through, with mild citrus notes rounding off the back end of the nose. This continued through in the flavor, which was far more assertively cream-forward than it was orange-like, but pleasantly so. I just thought it was too sweet.  

While I didn't dislike either the regular or zero sugar varieties of the new Coca-Cola Orange Cream variety, I wasn't blown away by them either. The regular one was just not assertive enough in flavor for me to want to drink it, while the zero sugar version was a tad overly sweet, though tolerable. Also, if I'm honest, when it comes to Diet Coke versus Coke Zero, I tend to gravitate toward the former, as I don't mind the slight hint of bitterness in the aftertaste and find the zero sugar variety to often be cloyingly sweet. 

That said, I'd probably opt for one of the higher ranking orange soda brands if I want an orange flavor soda. Alternatively, I would likely stick with one of the best cream soda offerings and skip the orange flavor altogether. 

The one place these sodas may be a great fit is for an ice cream soda bar at your next party. Either of these would pair well with some quality vanilla ice cream, like the delicious Van Leeuwen's brand, to make a fun and festive ice cream soda. And, don't forget the toppings. To amplify the orange and cream elements, consider throwing on some mandarin orange segments, white chocolate chips, and a healthy dollop of whipped cream for a sweet treat that is sure to please your taste buds.