STOP. THE. PRESSES.
I was just standing at our local café waiting for my felafel roll when a flash of green caught my eye. “What’s this? Diet Coke… with Lime???” Dammit, why wasn’t I aware of this? I was counting down the arrival of Diet Coke with Vanilla for months, yet somehow they slipped this one right past me. (I knew Lime was out in the US, but based on the Vanilla experience I didn’t think we’d get it for at least another six months.) No commercials, no website, no advertising, nothing! How on earth were the Australian members of the cult of Diet Coke supposed to know about this? I probably drink more Diet Coke than anybody in a five-mile radius but I had to discover the new flavor in the cooler like the rest of the unwashed masses? Hmmmph.
Anyway, after ten seconds of mentally ranting at Coca-Cola Australia’s incompetent marketing team, I grabbed a bottle and headed back to the office for a taste test. I’ve been reading Max’s raves about it for ages so I expected to be blown away. Unfortunately… not so much. Meh. It was okay. There was still a hint of the “pledge-ness” that I disliked about the Lemon version. Also, like the Lemon it gave me a very “diet soda” aftertaste that I never get with regular Diet Coke (or the Vanilla flavor). It just didn’t change my life like I wanted it to. I’ll be sticking to the old standbys.
NOTE: Hmmm. Now that I think about it, that bottle wasn’t ice cold since they’d just recently stocked it. It was cool to start but towards the end it was basically room temperature. Could that have affected my experience? Is it better colder? Maybe I’ll give it a second chance…
Max
May 13, 2004 — 3:39 am
Give it another shot! It’s definitely better colder, Kris–much ‘crisper’ and more refreshing (though I, in a true display of perversity, sort of like to drink it warm). I’m really disturbed by how much I have written about it or mentioned it on my site–OCD, anyone?
WeeB
May 13, 2004 — 9:57 am
I hate to tell you guys that you could have had this taste for a while.
Slice of lime in some Diet Coke 😉
Max
May 13, 2004 — 11:09 am
Ah, true, but until they install lime-slicing kiosks in my local gas stations, this will remain a total treat (I always gotten a slice of lemon or lime with my Diet Cokes in restaurants, though).
Kris
May 13, 2004 — 11:48 am
I’ve been doing the “lemon in the Coke” trick since my summer in Germany in 94. (I found it very weird at first but then got addicted.) But like the man says, citrus fruit aren’t easy to come by away from home.
Kristen
May 13, 2004 — 12:37 pm
i tried the diet lime stuff on saturday – i was hot and thirsty, and boy it tasted goood. i’m having fun tasting my way through all the different variety of diet sodas available in the good ‘ol USofA. diet minute maid is deeelish. diet slice is weird. diet cherry coke & vanilla coke are great. diet sprite is much nicer than diet 7up. diet root beer is really nasty. oh, the novelty of variety! i still haven’t tried diet mountain dew….plenty of time for that though…
Max
May 13, 2004 — 2:05 pm
Diet Minute Maid is the absolute bomb!!! For some reason, it’s really hard to find around here, and we have to settle for Diet Sunkist (which lacks a certain full-bodied roundness* that Diet M.M. has in spades). The Winn-Dixie generic diet orange soda is quite tasty as well, and cheaper than dirt!
*that Nigella-ism was just for you, Kris. 🙂
Kris
May 13, 2004 — 2:54 pm
Thanks, Max. Now I just have to picture you tossing your hair and fondling a carrot while you say it. 🙂
Tricia
May 14, 2004 — 2:42 am
I haven’t seen diet minute maid in years and years; that’s the best! Diet Sierra Mist is my current favorite caffene free soda; add some crushed mint and a lime wedge for a virgin mojito. And don’t forget Fresca! Diet Dr. Pepper is the least diet-tasting, and diet Dr. Brown’s cream soda is the most luxurious.
I like the lime diet coke (but hate the “put the lime in the diet coke” radio ad that was playing for a while).
Frances
May 19, 2004 — 1:00 am
I have to admit, I don’t like it at all. I have tried it warm, cold, and slushed…I just dont really care for it.
Charles
May 20, 2004 — 5:40 pm
I like it. Not enough to drink all the time instead of regular Diet Coke, but it’s nice for a change. I think at least it tastes a lot more like actual lime in the DC than that god-awful fake lemon flavour did.
Kris
May 21, 2004 — 11:59 am
I gave it a second shot… but I’m still not a fan. I tried to like it; I really did! It just tastes too “diet” too me. Maybe it’s some chemical that I’m sensitive to. Anyway, I’ll be sticking with Vanilla and Plain.