Coca-Cola Blak
Coca-Cola has announced a new beverage that will debut in France in January 2006. It’s called Coca-Cola Blak, and it is a strange hybrid soda-coffee concoction. Carbonated coffee? Well, no thanks. Who knows, they could have pulled it off, but my gut reaction is, “WTF?”
According to Coke, it “has a rich smooth texture and has a coffee-like froth when poured.” Lest you think they got it right, it’s being marketed as a “mid-calorie beverage,” meaning it has the same sweetening structure as Coke C2: Half high-fructose corn syrup, and half Splenda. I’m not sure many of you experienced the tastebud travesty of C2, but it wasn’t pleasant. I hope they didn’t do the same thing here.
Since it isn’t actually available yet, I only have estimates at the caffeine content. Best guesses put it at 68mg for 12 ounces, about double a normal cola. I’ve put this number into The Caffeine Database and, of course, you can off yourself with Blak on the Death by Caffeine calculator.
If anyone has actually tried this, let everyone know how it tastes.
UPDATE: Estimates were correct (except that bottle size is only 8oz). Coca Cola Blak has 46 mg caffeine per 8oz bottle.
78 Comments
[...] Coca-Cola Blak [...]
I don’t know where you are, but in Chile Coke+Coffee is a traditional keep-me-up recipe for college students. Tastes like crap, too.
[...] Coca-Cola Blak is a new beverage that Coca-Cola is debuting in France in 2006. Supposedly a “soda-coffee conconction”. While checking out the site, why not test how many cans of your favorite caffineinated drink it takes to do you in. (via Energy Fiend) [...]
uhhh….MARKETING: RULE 101: IF IT AIN’T NORMAL, AND IT SOUNDS FUNKY, DA CONSUMER AIN’T GONNA BUY IT.
Jolt cola has had a Coffee + Cola drink for quite a while now.
[...] Energy Fiend » Blog Archive » Coca-Cola Blak [...]
Lost energy drink isnt for the tv show and the orange flavored one kicks ass
More like Coca-Cola Blech…
Hi,
im from Paris, France, and just discovered this “blak” at lunchtime!
tastes like cola mixed with instant coffee….not so bad
the caffeine rate is 20mg/100 ml
in Germany I even tasted a Beer/cola mix (sorry, forgot the name)
As an American living in France I saw this drink in a vending machine at the train station the other day and was instantly intruiged.
The vending machine price was a bit much (1 euro 60) but I found it at the local grocery store for about 90 cents a can. The can is smaller than the average French soda can (which is already smaller than a US soda can) but I can tell you it was worth it!
Man do I love this stuff! Just the right amount of coke and coffee to wake me up. Fizzy indeed! When you stop drinking from the can it comes out of the top on its own.
I really enjoy this stuff and have already stock piled it. I was surprised to learn that it was first released in France. I hope it does well because I would love to see this in the US when I return home.
Blak with Jack.
Hello. Yum. Already Jack Daniels, Kahlua, and Coke make a kick-ass drink. I will definitely try Blak as a mixer.
However, I already know it would’ve been better to have formulated it with plain sucrose instead. I’m not into the icky sweet of either fructose or the fake sugars. Hopefully, that poor move won’t wreck the product.
The concept and packaging is killer, tho. If it tastes good, I will buy it instead of Coke Classic.
Coke Blak is awesome! My friends at the coke plant let me try some and I can’t wait for it to arrive in stores.
It is being packaged in 8 oz bottles, 4 bottles to a pack so will probably be expensive (40 calories to an 8 oz bottle).
Sounds like Guinness.
Is this out yet? Does anyone know when it will be out in Canada?
I love coffee and I love Coke, this sounds like my dream drink.
I tried my first bottle today in San Diego, CA. It is quite good, though pricey… I also wonder - how is the name pronounced?
It’s a really interesting taste. I drank a can of it in France a few weeks ago. It really isn’t like anything I’ve ever tasted before, but I liked it. I’m looking forward to its release in the U.S. though I prefer the can to the bottle.
just bought a four-pak in Mountain View, CA — my initial reaction was mild disappointment, it seemed to have more of a caramel taste rather than coffee — but it grew on me as I drank it — by the end of the bottle, I thought it was OK, certainly drinkable, though not fabulous. I’m certainly willing to finish the other three bottles and I’d consider occasionally buying it.
Tried it. Tastes great if you like the taste of coffee (sweet coffee). Comes in 8 oz. glass bottles. Wouldn’t trust the smooth taste in an aluminum can. No idea on caffeine quantity, but I would guess it’s not much more than a regular Coke. Did not seem to be as much as Mountain Dew (then again, in a smaller serving size).Don’t think I could drink w/meals. A nice afternoon pick-me-up.
I have had the US version and I loved it. I also like the fact that it is small and is half-calorie.
According to Consumer Reports, the formulation is different in the US than it is in France. The French version uses sugar and has a stronger coffee flavor. The US version uses high fructose corn syrup and has a lighter coffee flavor.
There is certainly no doubt that the stuff is expensive. Safeway has it on sale here in Alaska for $1.69/4pk, but will return to $6.49/4pk later this week!
Hey awesome website! I wrote an article about caffeine levels http://www.techmanifesto.com/archives/2005/07/31/what-keeps-you-awake/ and found your site. Keep up the great job.