Few things awaken the senses like the smell of pancakes and maple syrup in the kitchen. In partnership with IHOP, Pepsi is celebrating pancake lovers everywhere with a new highly limited-edition flavor, Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola, that combines the indulgent flavor profile of maple syrup with the crisp, refreshing caramel notes of a Pepsi.
This new limited-edition flavor is Pepsi’s most recent foray into the breakfast realm, with their Nitro Pepsi (yup, like Nitro Cold Brew) recently hitting grocery store shelves. Plus, Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola comes on the heels of several of the Pepsi brand’s unique and indulgent flavor innovations including PEPSI X PEEPS, Pepsi Apple Pie, and Pepsi x Cracker Jack, to name a few. Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola joins these one-of-a-kind drops available in uniquely designed, absolutely adorable, 12 oz cans.
The limited-edition Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola was only available to 2,000 lucky (well, maybe) winners via giveaway through the #ShowUsYourStack program on Instagram and Twitter.
Plus, one winning consumer will also be surprised with a custom Pepsi Spout, inspired by the iconic IHOP syrup pitchers, that will produce the perfect pour to enjoy Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola.
Luckily, I was able to get my hands on one of the special soda cans. I cracked the beautifully designed matte can open and was greeted with a satisfying pop of the tab. Like the soda sommelier I am (or, well, have become), I carefully sniffed the open can of cola and was taken back by the surprisingly strong scent of maple syrup. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but I was surprised by how maple-forward the scent was.
Upon my first sip, I immediately tasted very fake, very sweet maple syrup, quickly followed by the classic caramel taste of a regular Pepsi. The more I drank, the more I tasted the Pepsi, but the maple remained prominent. It was ultimately how I imagined it — like drinking super sweet, carbonated Pepsi cola that had been spiked with an ungodly amount of maple syrup.
As someone who doesn’t love super sweet, super sugary candy and drinks (I’ll take a lightly flavored sparkling water or even the chemical aftertaste of a Diet Coke before the sugar rush of a regular soda), I was already turned off by Pepsi. And while I’m not one to pay attention to every detail on a nutrition label, the singular can accounts for a whopping 83% of the recommended daily intake of added sugars. Add artificial maple syrup to it…yeah, I’m out.
One thing that stuck out to me was the very unpleasant aftertaste. I already don’t love Pepsi to begin with (like I said, I’m a Diet Coke stan through and through), and the aftertaste definitely didn’t help. Although, I will say that I wanted to keep drinking the uber-sweet soda to avoid its aftertaste.
Unfortunately, the sweepstakes has since closed, so you’ll have to take my word for it. Your dentist will thank you.