Phoood Fight!: Pepsi vs. Pepsi Throwback

Pepsi Throwback is Pepsi cola sweetened with real sugar, the way it used to be before the switch to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was made. Most soft drink makers currently use HFCS and it is very controversial because of claimed health risks. Despite the possible health risks of HFCS, I wanted to know if Pepsi made with real sugar tasted any different than Pepsi made with HFCS (let’s call it “regular Pepsi”). So, I did a blind taste test of the two. Pepsi Throwback seemed to have slightly less carbonation than regular Pepsi. I don’t know if it really did or this was just an effect of the sweetener used, but I liked it. Because of the reduced carbonation, I thought that Pepsi Throwback was easier to drink and more of the cola flavor came through. The sweetness of Pepsi Throwback was smooth and tasted more natural. Regular Pepsi, on the other hand, seemed to have more carbonation and had a sweetness that was more pronounced than Pepsi Throwback. The differences between the two sodas were pretty subtle, much more so than I expected. So, which one did I prefer? Even though the taste of regular Pepsi was more familiar to me, I preferred Pepsi Throwback because of the slightly more pronounced cola flavor and a more pleasant sweetness. Pepsi Throwback is only supposed to be available for a limited time, so get one while you can.

Winner: Pepsi Throwback