Just last week, I was in the lab, taste-testing Coke’s new Holiday Creamy Vanilla. It was OK, but it didn’t sail me away to Santa Land. Now, Pepsi has swooped in with its own Yuletide flavor. I had to find out what this new Christmas-themed soda was all about.
In the battle of Pepsi Vanilla & Cream vs. Coca-Cola Holiday Creamy Vanilla: Who jerked it better?
That is the ultimate question. First, let’s revisit my altercation with Coke’s latest take on vanilla cola. The can promised to coat my taste buds with a little Noel magic. The aroma reminded me of sweet frosting, but my overcompensating nostrils couldn’t detect much difference between this and regular Vanilla Coke.
After a couple of experimental gulps, I picked up hints of Cool Whip and maybe a suspicious pinch of nutmeg, but the cola flavor stomped all over the drink’s holiday spirit. Where was the cinnamon? Where was the Christmas morning euphoria? WHERE WAS MY SANTA HALLUCINATION?!
Don’t get me wrong. Coke Holiday Creamy Vanilla might sail like silk, but it’s also quite crispy. And who doesn’t love a crackling fireworks show? This was like lighting an M-80 while rolled up in satin sheets, all inside your mouth.
This bubbly little specimen went down smoother than a greased-up elf on a chimney slide. I polished off the entire 20-ounce bottle lickety splickety, and gave Coca-Cola Holiday Creamy Vanilla a respectable 8 out of 10.
It’s a tasty dessert soda that would pair nicely with apple pie, but it didn’t exactly transport me to the North Pole. I could guzzle this stuff next to a swimming pool in July and never suspect Christmas was lurking around the corner.
So Coke put a decent vanilla cola in a festive sweater and called it a holiday miracle. But now Pepsi has entered the laboratory with Vanilla & Cream, and I’m ready to see whether the competition can finally put the CHRISTMAS in my cola!
Let’s start with the can first. Coke went with red stripes against a two-toned caramel beige. At a quick glance, it looks like a fridge cig. Total Diet and Zero vibes, even with my 240-calorie proof that this is my chubby-dude version. Coca-Cola is trying to trick me again, like it did when it made the full-sugar and caffeine version of Dirty Mountain Dew look like it was wearing Diet clothing. I can’t prove this, but I think they are doing it on purpose.
Pepsi wins this round. Its aluminum cylinder caught my eye on the shelf right away. I like the little snowflake. The caramel beige tones are similar to what Coke is slinging, but I like the frosty drip. And the Zero Sugar version is way easier to differentiate. I want to drink this soda. When it comes to Coke’s presentation, it left me a little unnerved. I don’t mess with Zero or Diet, so I hate it when I accidentally grab one. That happens way too often.
I was pretty excited to snap open a can of Pepsi Vanilla & Cream. I was a little too confident that it would win this challenge just from can presentation alone. But pulling back that tab, I thought, “Uh-oh.”
Because this has a very familiar smell that I hate. I can only describe it as “secondhand salted caramel vape smoke.” When vape juice first became a thing, this distinct sweet smell permeated the whole scene to the point of making me seasick. It called my boat Nau-Sea, which is a sickening name for a dinghy.
Now I was fearing the worst. I internally pinched the inside of my nostrils to take that first sip. And it tasted like disappointment. This soda is way sweeter than the Coke version. Gaggy, almost. It’s less crispy, more smooth. The vanilla hangs heavier on the old taste buds. It’s definitely more of a dessert beverage contained within itself, whereas the Coke holiday edition was made to sidle up and accompany whichever blessed pie or twinkling cake one decides to partake in.
My final verdict?
Pepsi Vanilla & Cream gets a 4 out of 10.
Coke totally wins this round.
I just can’t get past Pepsi’s vape smoke smell to enjoy the taste lingering below the foggy bog. I don’t hate it. I bought a twelve-pack. I’ll choke it down late at night, crying over Endless Love. But I’m not going to purchase it again.
To be fair, I only bought three bottles of Coke’s Holiday sipper. I won’t be buying that again, either. Thing is, neither cola whisked me into a Christastide. These will not be making an appearance at my Wassail unless invited company brings some.
While I won’t buy it again, I will drink both if offered. They aren’t terrible by any means. The less sweet taste of the Coke really pulled me over to its side. But man, that Pepsi can? I just want to hug it and give it a try-hard trophy.
