When it comes time to gather around a campfire this fall, it’s tough to beat the iconic s’more. And since we’re all about maximizing our time outdoors before the weather starts to get really cold, we were ~intrigued~ when we heard that Pepsi decided to get in on the s’more action. A few weeks back, to celebrate that last day of summer, the popular cola brand launched a new trio of sodas called Pepsi S’mores Collection.
This isn’t the first time Pepsi has decided to just get wacky with it. In the past, the brand has launched limited-edition offerings like Maple Syrup, Pepsi X PEEPS, Pepsi X Cracker Jack, and others. But instead of simply dropping a soda that tastes like s’mores, Pepsi decided to give the world three different flavors: Toasty Marshmallow, Graham Cracker, and Chocolate. Each comes in a 7.5-ounce mini-Pepsi can and is supposed to be mixed together to create a perfect s’more concoction.
These haven’t hit retail yet but you can get them by sharing an image or description of “how you s’more” on Twitter and Instagram with the #PepsiSmores hashtags. Although… you probably don’t need to go through that effort because… well, just read the review.
Price: Limited Edition
The Story:
As we mentioned before, the three flavors are Toasty Marshmallow, Graham Cracker, and Chocolate. The Toasty Marshmallow was created to taste like (you guessed it) a marshmallow that was gently toasted on a fire. Graham Cracker was created to have the subtle flavors of graham cracker, honey, and cinnamon. Chocolate is fairly self-explanatory. The one is supposed to taste like cocoa and vanilla. And while the makers of the trio want them to be mixed, we’re going to try them each on their own and rate them.
Toasty Marshmallow
There’s not much going on with the nose. It smells like a vanilla cola. We tried but couldn’t find any other flavors. Not terribly unappealing, just no discernable toasted marshmallow aroma. That changed immediately upon taking the first sip. The best part about this soda is its subtleness. It’s clearly a toasted marshmallow-flavored cola, but it’s not over the top. There’s toasty marshmallow, vanilla, and of course classic cola flavor.
We would definitely drink this as is. It’s sweet but also interesting enough to be worth your time (and daily sugar intake).
Ranking: 8/10
Graham Cracker
While the Toasty Marshmallow didn’t smell like we assumed it would, this soda’s nose is loaded with an unmistakable graham cracker aroma. There’s also a slight hint of vanilla cream in there as well. Very inviting to say the least. This one is definitely sweeter and has a little more of a knockout punch of flavor than the Toasty Marshmallow. They really want you to know this is graham cracker. There’s also a little kick of cinnamon as well.
Overall, it’s a little too much though. And again, lots of sweetness.
Ranking: 4/10
Chocolate
This soda smells like a melted chocolate bar and that’s a good thing. It’s supposed to. There’s also a cola aroma behind it (also expected). We’ll give the folks at Pepsi credit, it also tastes like a melted chocolate bar mixed with a cola. That’s really the only flavor we could find. It’s very sweet though and not at all subtle. It’s not something we’d drink on the regular, but it tastes exactly as it should.
If you’ve ever craved chocolate syrup in your Pepsi, well — Mission accomplished.
Ranking: 6/10
All Three Mixed Together
Since you’re supposed to mix them together, we did just that. We mixed equal parts of all three to create a s’more cola. The aroma is a mix of cola, vanilla, and subtle graham cracker. We didn’t catch any chocolate on the nose when everything was mixed together. While there are slight notes of marshmallow and chocolate, it’s clear that graham cracker is the most dominant flavor.
And here again, it’s sweeeeeeeet. You know how having a soda AND a s’more sounds too sweet? Well, there you go.
Ranking: 6/10
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of over-the-top sweet, these three Pepsi flavors are definitely for you. Congrats to your dentist, who will get to put in a hot tub soon. If you’re like us and enjoy a little more subtlety, you probably don’t want to waste your time trying to get them. They’re fun but there’s nothing really special about them. Stick to cherry or vanilla Pepsi and you’ll be much happier.