I was a big fan of vanilla coke when it was launched in the early '00s, and when it was axed I thought it was gone for good. It's not the sort of flavour you would really expect to be popular - citrus or cherry seem to be more commonly paired with cola - so I wasn't expecting a return any time soon.
Thankfully I was wrong, because it's now back on shelves after a 6 year absence! According to Coca Cola UK there's been a big demand from consumers to bring it back, and they have listened.
I've been searching for this ever since I read about it, and actually passed it by a couple of times in Tesco because it looked almost identical to the regular bottles of Coca Cola there. There isn't really much to distinguish it apart from a beige streak and swirly symbol on the label, and I had to look closely to notice the word vanilla.
Taste-wise it wasn't quite as good as I remember. It tasted sweet with just the faintest hint of vanilla giving it a smoother, more rounded taste than regular Coca Cola, but it didn't taste all that different to be honest.
Overall, it's great to see Vanilla Coke make a return, but I think it should have a more pronounced vanilla flavour. Maybe I'm just looking at the past with rose-tinted glasses, but I remember it being much nicer. I'm pretty sure there also used to be a diet version, which may be the one I'm remembering. If anyone else remembers it please do leave a comment!
Price: £1.15 at Tesco.
Nutrional facts/ingredients: Contains caffeine.
Were you a fan of Vanilla Coke when it was launched, or are you completely new to it? Are you glad it's back? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!