# Cherry Dr. Pepper **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2010, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382 "2010-01-10T09:34:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PokerAKQJT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@PokerAKQJT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PokerAKQJT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/1 "2010-01-10T09:34:52Z")
Picked up the new Cherry Dr. Pepper at Target the other day. Still trying to determine if I can discern the cherry taste compared to regular Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper already had that very fruity taste. Have you tried this and can you taste the cherry flavor? Are my taste buds possibly not as sensitive as when I was younger, and do taste buds get less sensitive as a person grows older? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/2 "2010-01-10T12:02:12Z")
I can definitely taste the cherry in it. And I’m old enough that I’m starting to lose my taste sensitivity. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/3 "2010-01-10T12:45:34Z")
I can taste the cherry. And yes, taste buds do change with age, but not always the same way. My father had completely lost his sense of taste by the time he was in his 70s. And I’ve noticed my sense of taste changing. Foods that I’ve always enjoyed now seem too salty or too sweet or too sour. So at least in my case, my taste buds have become more sensitive. I don’t know whether this is from age or from medications I’m taking. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/4 "2010-01-10T13:36:54Z")
Since the OP is looking for more than the answer to a simple question, I think this will do better in IMHO, where others can express their opinions, facts, and whatever else they need to. **samclem** Moderator, General Questions ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/5 "2010-01-10T14:15:31Z")
Since this deals with food, I am moving this from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/6 "2010-01-10T14:38:28Z")
Since I am a fan of Dr Pepper, I am letting it stay in Cafe Society. twickster, Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/7 "2010-01-10T14:46:26Z")
> [@PokerAKQJT](#): > > Picked up the new Cherry Dr. Pepper at Target the other day. Still trying to determine if I can discern the cherry taste compared to regular Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper already had that very fruity taste. Have you tried this and can you taste the cherry flavor? Are my taste buds possibly not as sensitive as when I was younger, and do taste buds get less sensitive as a person grows older? I was out buying sprinkles yesterday and found myself checking out the gooey ice cream topping offerings and I saw a jar of Cherry Dr. Pepper ice cream syrup. I didn’t buy any because it sounded disgusting but now you Dr Pepper fans know about it and can give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/8 "2010-01-10T15:21:17Z")
Well, it’s nice to see moderators taking charge so early on a cold Sunday morning. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/9 "2010-01-10T16:02:06Z")
It doesn’t do much for regular Dr. Pepper, for me at least, but the cherry flavor makes the Diet Dr. Pepper (possibly the worst diet soft drink in the history of mankind) actually drinkable. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/10 "2010-01-10T17:35:04Z")
It’s yummy. I have the remnants of a 12-pack of it. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/11 "2010-01-10T17:59:00Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > It doesn’t do much for regular Dr. Pepper, for me at least, but the cherry flavor makes the Diet Dr. Pepper (possibly the worst diet soft drink in the history of mankind) actually drinkable. You can tell the difference between regular and diet Dr. Pepper? I’ve never been able to. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/12 "2010-01-10T19:20:28Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You can tell the difference between regular and diet Dr. Pepper? I’ve never been able to. Same here. I think it is the only drink that tastes exactly the same in regular and diet versions. Haven’t tried the Cherry version, but sounds interesting. Still - Dr. Pepper has such a distinctive flavor, not sure it really needs any “punch”. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/13 "2010-01-10T19:27:45Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Same here. I think it is the only drink that tastes exactly the same in regular and diet versions. This is pretty much my take, with the exceptions of non-colas, like 7-Up, Sprite and fruit sodas, like Orange Crush. Those taste the same to me, as well. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/14 "2010-01-10T19:49:23Z")
Wait, there’s a NEW Cherry Dr Pepper? Is this different from the one that came in the black cans? Cuz that stuff was AWESOME (and I definitely could taste the cherry), but I swore off caffeine, and most soda about 3 months ago. And I can definitely tell the difference between diet and regular. For most diet drinks (including Tropicana’s new diet Orange Juice), all I can taste is the diet sugar-substitutes. Since I grew up drinking Diet Coke, that’s the only one that actually tastes good to me. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/15 "2010-01-10T19:54:49Z")
Great; now Dr Pepper will taste like prunes AND cherries! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/16 "2010-01-10T19:55:06Z")
Cherry Dr. Pepper isn’t “new” except in the sense of “been around for a couple years”. But it’s not a standard on the shelves of convenience stores or the slots of beverage machines, so some people may not have run into it, yet. Someone in a thread not long ago thought it tasted exactly like Cheerwine. I disagree, but certainly that indicates they recognized the cherry flavor in it. So do I (it’s my current favorite soda pop). ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/17 "2010-01-10T20:18:05Z")
I haven’t tried the cherry yet, but when they had the diet berry cream, the berry flavor was more apparent once the chill had gone off the soft drink. It was too subtle to taste ice cold. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/18 "2010-01-10T21:52:49Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Wait, there’s a NEW Cherry Dr Pepper? Is this different from the one that came in the black cans? Cuz that stuff was AWESOME (and I definitely could taste the cherry), but I swore off caffeine, and most soda about 3 months ago. I think that was the short-lived Black Cherry & Vanilla Dr. Pepper. I loved that stuff. Apparently not too many people did…it went defunct over a year ago. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/19 "2010-01-11T04:40:50Z")
It is unbelievable to me that there are people in the world that can’t distinguish Dr. Pepper from Diet Dr. Pepper. Nectar is what the Gods drank when they were out of Dr. Pepper. The Geneva Convention specifically singles out forced Diet Dr. Pepper use as a war crime. Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper was drinkable but just barely. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382/20 "2010-01-11T12:37:21Z")
Some people’s taste buds really dislike the false “sweetness” of the current crop of sugar substitutes. Yours may be in that category, in which case the difference would be obvious. Some people don’t notice the difference at all. For me, I can tell the difference, but in general it’s not that much of one to make it important. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-dr-pepper/524382.md?page=2)