It's often hard to know exactly how new a product is when you happen to notice it for the first time at the store. I'm pretty sure that Sierra Mist Ruby Splash just came out, however. First of all, there are barely any available images online and I don't have my digital camera at the moment, so all you're going to see of it is this shot I found online of the basic logo design:
Was it Sierra Mist who used to run the "Yeah, it's kinda like that" ads? Anyway.
The initial aroma coming out of the bottle is good - it really does smell like fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. And the initial sips tasted as much like a grapefruit soda as I think it's possible to taste - alternatives like Squirt and Fresca are much tamer in comparison. I was actually a little surprised Sierra Mist went this way, to be honest. It's not like there aren't people who like grapefruit juice, but it tends to run towards that sour/bitter end of the spectrum and be more of an acquired taste; to me, the stereotypical grapefruit juice drinker is a grandmother. Of course, I like it, but I like grapefruit.
We're still talking 39 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce can, though. After the first few sips, the grapefruit taste started to fade into the background a little bit, as the overall sweetness and lemon-lime flavor of the Sierra Mist overwhelmed it (and as my tastebuds got acclimated to the grapefruit flavor). It did hang around, but a little less obviously. That's probably not a bad thing for sales, of course - people probably aren't buying "Ruby Splash" expecting a grapefruit soda, but rather a typical Sierra Mist with just a little kick. And ultimately that's pretty much exactly what you get.
I'll be interested to see the reaction to this one. I liked it pretty well, but I enjoy grapefruit juice and I'm not sure that everyone does. Either way, I'm glad to see Sierra Mist carrying the torch for trying slightly different things in the mainstream soda market (following Cranberry Splash the last two holiday seasons). Up until this point I was worried that only Mountain Dew was really trying to branch out, and that would be unfortunate.
Was it Sierra Mist who used to run the "Yeah, it's kinda like that" ads? Anyway.
The initial aroma coming out of the bottle is good - it really does smell like fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. And the initial sips tasted as much like a grapefruit soda as I think it's possible to taste - alternatives like Squirt and Fresca are much tamer in comparison. I was actually a little surprised Sierra Mist went this way, to be honest. It's not like there aren't people who like grapefruit juice, but it tends to run towards that sour/bitter end of the spectrum and be more of an acquired taste; to me, the stereotypical grapefruit juice drinker is a grandmother. Of course, I like it, but I like grapefruit.
We're still talking 39 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce can, though. After the first few sips, the grapefruit taste started to fade into the background a little bit, as the overall sweetness and lemon-lime flavor of the Sierra Mist overwhelmed it (and as my tastebuds got acclimated to the grapefruit flavor). It did hang around, but a little less obviously. That's probably not a bad thing for sales, of course - people probably aren't buying "Ruby Splash" expecting a grapefruit soda, but rather a typical Sierra Mist with just a little kick. And ultimately that's pretty much exactly what you get.
I'll be interested to see the reaction to this one. I liked it pretty well, but I enjoy grapefruit juice and I'm not sure that everyone does. Either way, I'm glad to see Sierra Mist carrying the torch for trying slightly different things in the mainstream soda market (following Cranberry Splash the last two holiday seasons). Up until this point I was worried that only Mountain Dew was really trying to branch out, and that would be unfortunate.
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