Sometimes I just get lucky.

I was really wondering what I was going to review for this week’s I’ll Review Anything segment. The thing is, there was nothing special I could think of. So, I was wandering around the Ayala area, which is the business/commercial area in the Philippines, wracking my brain on what I could review.

Just as I was thinking of what I should review, I happened to pass by a Coca-Cola vending machine. Well, I was thirsty so I perused the selection they had. It turns out Coke was offering something new now. They were offering Coca-Cola but with coffee mixed in. Basically, it was a product that was already released in other areas. In the Philippines, it seems to have been given the very unimaginative name of “Coca-Cola with Coffee.” But I know it’s actually Coca-Cola Coffee Plus! All of a sudden, I had something to review!

I guess I have to point out a couple of things about the can I got from the vending machine. For one thing, Coca-Cola Coffee Plus is much more expensive than your garden variety Coke in can. A regular can of Coke from the same vending machine costs 30 Philippine pesos. The Coca-Cola Coffee Plus is priced at 50 Philippine pesos! If my math is correct, that’s an additional 60% on the regular price of Coke! This better be something special or else!

I also have to mention that the Coca-Cola Coffee Plus drinks come from Vietnam, apparently. I mean, I’m basing it on the language that’s written on the cans themselves. I used Google to translate what it says and it basically means “Coca-Cola plus coffee.” Not sure why we had to get these drinks from Vietnam… unless the people from Vietnam just got so sick of the drink and Coke decided to dump the leftover stock in the Philippines and say it’s here for a “limited time only” to disguise the fact nobody wants it! It’s just a theory but it’s a theory that makes sense, doesn’t it?

I actually got two cans of Coca-Cola Coffee Plus. One was for drinking and for taking pictures right then and there. I could also drink it and give it a taste. The second can was for me to check on what the actual drink looks like. Since I was walking around, I didn’t have a way to take a picture of the contents. Let’s tackle the latter first before the former. Let’s discuss what the contents looks like.

I will say that I was kind of disappointed that Coca-Cola Coffee Plus, the liquid, looked just like regular Coca-Cola. To be honest, I don’t know why I expected it to look different but I just thought there would be something different. Maybe I was thinking it would have a thicker texture or maybe have a more solid black color to regular Coke. But nope. It looks like regular old Coke. Well, maybe the fizz looks a little more viscous but that just could be my mind playing tricks on me.

It does smell different, though. While Coke itself doesn’t have a strong odor, coffee certainly does. And I did detect the strong smell of coffee as I poured the Coca-Cola Coffee Plus into the glass. Now, I’m not a dedicated coffee drinker so maybe that’s why I could smell it; I just could notice it because I don’t generally sniff out coffee in my everyday life. But the smell of coffee is definitely there. The question is, how does it taste?

Well, maybe I spoke too soon when I said I was lucky to find this to review. I wouldn’t say Coca-Cola Coffee Plus tastes bad. However, I definitely won’t say it tastes good. It tastes really artificial, as if nothing in it is real. It doesn’t taste like regular Coke nor does it taste anything like real coffee. It doesn’t even taste anything like really sweet coffee as well.

You know the best way I would describe Coca-Cola Coffee Plus’ flavor profile? It tastes pretty much like a cheap coffee candy. I’m not talking about one of the more expensive ones either that actually tastes like real coffee. I’m talking about the kind you would buy from the cigarette vendors who walk the streets here in the Philippines. It’s almost like Kopiko but with a more “fake” flavor.

I can attest to how it tastes because I had two Coca-Cola Coffee Plus cans in that very day! I honestly didn’t really like how it tastes but it definitely wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever had. I can see how someone might like Coca-Cola Coffee Plus’ flavor since it does kind of taste like you’re drinking a carbonated glass of liquified coffee candy. It’s just not for me. Then again, since I don’t drink coffee on a regular basis, I’m not the target audience for this product. However, I can say that I don’t like it for another reason. And that reason is how much it is.

Coca-Cola Coffee Plus is much more pricey than your regular old Coke in can. It’s also around the same price of a regular cup of coffee at a place like Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonalds. And that for me is the kicker. I would much rather buy a regular can of Coke or a cheap cup of coffee than a can of Coca-Cola Coffee Plus. If it were just priced slightly higher than a regular Coke, I might say it’s just okay. But at that price, you can buy something much better. Heck, I wonder how many packs of Kopiko candy you can buy at that price. That might be a much better deal, come to think of it.

At least I got something to review this week out of it.

Have you tried Coca-Cola Coffee Plus? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments section below!