Pepsi & Mtn. Dew Throwback: A Late Beverage Review

PepsiCo recently put on shelves across the nation two new products: Pepsi Throwback & Mountain Dew Throwback - both made with sugar (cane & beet), not high fructose corn syrup. The web was all a-Twitter about it before the cans hit the shelves and two excellent reviews (Pepsi / Mtn Dew) from a new favorite blog have shown this to be an already well covered topic. While keeping this in mind, an afternoon of lo-tech beverage reviewing (with grilled Italian sausage+works) is a terrible thing to waste.

Accompanied by my dutiful co-hort, Mr. O'Flacker, we acquired a 2-liter of regular Pepsi and Mtn. Dew from the Wal-Mart near my day job. The Throwbacks 12-packs were found at Publix down the street from the domicile. We gave it the full-on summer experience by grilling out.

Full disclosure: 1. I don't drink a lot of soda. Only on weekends when I eat out. 2. When I go to restaurants and ask for Coke, I want Coke. Not Pepsi. Then Dr. Pepper, not Mr. Pibb. 3. Grew up an avid Mountain Dew drinker but, like Pepsi, had not touched it in years.

We started out comparing the labeling, current versus retro. Pepsi's current logo was an attempt to adopt to the zeitgeist of a moment and I don't think it was necessary. I do like the font choice, not that you really need to have any words - everyone should recognize the Pepsi symbol, right? The same font is used for "throwback", but gets lost on the cans, particularly on the Mtn. Dew (the monochromatic doesn't help).

The epitome of "X-treme" and "Edgy"-fication of a logo, the current Mtn. Dew graphics seem downright Poochie and even more of a grab at GenKeyDemo when compared to its predecessor.
Mr. O'Flacker asked why pieces of kryptonite were floating in the background.

Then we got to the tab pulling. We followed what we imagined to be International Wine Tasting Laws (I'm sure they really exist) in an effort to remain pseudo-scientific about the endeavor.

Appearance
We lined up the glasses in a sunny spot on the counter and checked out the appearance. The Pepsi's were indistinguishable. Bubble's size was different in sugar vs HFCS and the Throwbacks appeared less bubbly after a few minutes. The regular Mtn. Dew was more opaque than the throwback version, possibly due to the OJ-concentrate, assorted acids, and preservatives not found in the throwback version.

Aroma
For me, any smell difference between the Pepsi's was indeterminable, but O'Flacker's schnozz could tell the difference blindfolded (we did this and the remaining stages blindfolded). Mountain Dew Throwback was obvious. The regular Dew was louder, but it was a din compared to the Throwback's brighter and more distinct smell. The citrus aspect was more noticeable in the Throwbacks , despite having no OJ-concentrate like the current model.

Taste
Tasting was up next (still blindfolded). I failed the Pepsi Throwback Challenge. I couldn't tell which was sugar and which HFCS. They both were too damn sweet. O'Flacker passed with flying colors. We asked his avid Pepsi fan roommate to give an opinion of the Throwback (sans blindfold) taste too. She did not like it at all, thought it tasted like Coke. She's wrong, but it was an interesting response.

O'Flacker failed the blind Mt. Dew challenge. He believed the regular Dew to be the sugar. I nailed it easily. If I ever drank sugar-Dew before no memory exist in my head of it. I tried the sugar stuff first and then the HFCS. I recognized the taste of the HFCS instantly and realized my childhood was a lie, having grown up on corn syrup when sugar was obviously my beverage soul mate. I'm a big fan of corn, don't get me wrong - cereal, chips, alternative fuel source - but I'm all about Big Sugar in my soda-pop.

In the end we figured both Throwbacks were smoother, more muted and yet more distinct than the regular.

The ingredients comparison reflects why the Mountain Dew was a much more obvious difference than the Pepsi. I find it interesting that HFCS types requires more preservatives than sugar versions. Ingredients in one version and not the other are in italics.

Ingredients List:

Mtn. Dew
CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CONCENTRATED ORANGE JUICE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), CAFFEINE, SODIUM CITRATE, ERYTHORBIC ACID (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), GUM ARABIC, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), BROMINATED VEGETABLE OIL, YELLOW 5

Mountain Dew Throwback
CARBONATED WATER, SUGAR, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), CAFFEINE, GUM ARABIC, BROMINATED VEGETABLE OIL, YELLOW 5

Pepsi
CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CARAMEL COLOR, PHOSPHORIC ACID, CAFFEINE, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS

Pepsi Throwback
CARBONATED WATER, SUGAR, CARAMEL COLOR, PHOSPHORIC ACID, CAFFEINE, NATURAL FLAVOR

Final Thoughts

• When I started doing research on the Throwbacks I discovered that many other sugar-based versions of my favorite colas exist throughout the world. Most notably for me, Mexican Coke. I will be mounting a search party to try and find some.

• I would have tried Pepsi Natural if the test market was anywhere in the "South".

• You say "throwback" enough in connection with food and it comes close to "throwup". Old School, Retro, Back-in-the-Day etc lost out to this term in the focus groups.
  

• It all went well with the Italian sausage sandwiches + works and the strawberry spinach salad with walnuts and gorgonzola cheese.

• Burp Factor: Throwbacks seemed less burp inducing - but hard to say.