We got our first glimpse at Nitro Pepsi a couple weeks ago, and since then we’ve been counting down the days until we could get a taste. The official nationwide release date, at least as far as we can tell is still set for March 28th, but it seems to be hitting a lot of Walmart stores much earlier. That was the case for several stores in a larger city near us, and even without a preorder we were lucky enough to get our hands on both versions right off the shelf.
Before we get into tasting, one of the most important aspects of Nitro Pepsi is actually how you pour it…and Pepsi wants you to know this going in, rightfully so. All of the marketing material they’ve put out and even the can itself gives you a little visual guide on how to get the best results.
It’s really simple though…basically just make sure it’s nice and cold, pop it open, then flip the can over and let the magic happen. We sped up this video just a tad to save some time, but it took a full 27 seconds from the first drop to the last on this pour.
If you’ve tried any canned nitro coffees or beers before, you’ll be familiar with that sort of “crack” when you pull the tab, but it’s certainly a new and fun experience with soda. There’s a loud whoosh, followed by the sound of lotsa bubbling. Apart from the sound, you’re immediately hit with the recognizable smell of Pepsi.
After all the fun of pouring, how does it actually taste? Well, that got some mixed reviews in our household…
I for one am not a frequent soda drinker, it’s not uncommon for me to go weeks without having one. And when I do…break out pitchforks Pepsi fans…it’s generally always a Coke I reach for. You can set those pitchforks down though, because for me, Nitro Pepsi is home run!
While this is most certainly not meant to be a replacement of the original, the sweet and sort of citrusy flavors of Pepsi shine through much more in this ‘Draft Cola’ nitro version. The bubbles and foamy head that forms really make for a very creamy drink, that combined with the sweetness, just creates a very enjoyable experience and amazing mouthfeel. I was surprised to see how long that bubbliness lasted, and even after several minutes, the glass was laced with those tiny little bubbles. It may have something to do with me already being such a huge fan of other nitro drinks and the overall experience of drinking them, but I would actually reach for one of these over just a normal can of Pepsi.
On the other hand, not everyone in our household enjoyed it nearly as much as I did. My wife’s go to soda is Pepsi, so she was pleased with the flavor…but said drinking Nitro Pepsi was like someone had just handed her a flat soda. I’ve seen this thought shared quite a bit online, and while I certainly can understand it, I would recommend going into it without expecting that “bite” from a straight carbonated soda if at all possible.
When it comes to the Vanilla Draft Cola, it seemed like we did get a little bit less of the tiny bubbles and head, but other than being a tad bit darker it looks nearly identical. It does smell quite a bit sweeter though. Taste-wise it’s got the familiar Pepsi flavor found in the normal Draft Cola version and has a similar mouthfeel, but is noticeably sweeter. It has almost a root beer like quality, but then finished off with a vanilla flavor that was a bit too artificial tasting for me. That artificial flavor coated my mouth, and sort of lingered on, making me take nothing but a couple sips of this version before passing it off to my son. For what it’s worth, he thoroughly enjoyed both versions and my wife preferred the Vanilla over the original flavor.
It’s a bit too early to say if this will be a game changer in the soda space, especially with this being really the first major release of any nitro soda that I’m aware of. Though I am hopeful that it’ll push some other brands into experimenting with nitrogen infused soda. In the meantime, we’ll be grabbing more cans of these to have around and to also try out some of the neat recipes they’ve posted on Nitro Pepsi page.