# No, Diet Dr Pepper does NOT taste more like Dr Pepper! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 30, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704 "2003-09-30T15:16:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/1 "2003-09-30T15:16:44Z")
So here I am, a die-hard Mountain Dew[sup] **TM** [/sup] drinker. Absolutely love the stuff. Have it with my breakfast every day instead of coffee, in fact. I do worry about my sugar intake, so I once tried diet Mountain Dew[sup] **TM** [/sup]. Sadly, it tasted like Radioactive Bat Piss[sup] **TM** [/sup] (as opposed to regular Mountain Dew[sup] **TM** [/sup], which just _looks_ like Radioactive Bat Piss[sup] **TM** [/sup]). Anyway, a couple of months ago I went to the office cafeteria to get my daily fix of the Heavenly Green Stuff[sup] **TM** [/sup] and discovered – much to my horror and deep consternation – that they were out! They did have plenty of Dr Pepper[sup] **TM** [/sup] on hand, however. Now, I should mention that I am NOT a fan of colas, and have always avoided Dr Pepper because of a misconception that it was, in fact, Just Another Cola[sup] **TM** [/sup]. However, I remembered recently reading _on this very message board_ that Dr Pepper[sup] **TM** [/sup] was **not** , in fact, Just Another Cola[sup] **TM** [/sup] after all, and so I decided to give it a try. And waddayaknow, it was pretty darn tasty! Not as tasty as the Emerald Elixir of Life-Giving Goodness[sup] **TM** [/sup] that is my normal quotidian quaff, mind you, but pretty darn tasty nonetheless. _Still with me? Just checking?_ Well, I’m still concerned about my sugar intake. My father has diabetes, as well as my older brother, and I’ve had the old Hairs Standing Up On The Back Of My Neck[sup] **TM** [/sup] feeling lately that The Fates[sup] **TM** [/sup] have their crosshairs centered on me. And so, I decided that I would try Diet Dr Pepper[sup] **TM** [/sup] today instead of Mountain Dew[sup] **TM** [/sup]. After all, I’ve seen those commercials where they say that, unlike other diet sodas, Diet Dr Pepper[sup] **TM** [/sup] really tastes like the regular version. And commercials wouldn’t lie, would they? Well, my bretheren (and sisteren, I suppose), I’m here to tell you that commercials do indeed lie! Diet Dr pepper[sup] **TM** [/sup] is just as sickeningly sweet and cloying as any other diet soda out there, with a nasty Nutrasweet[sup] **TM** [/sup] induced aftertaste to boot. Sure, I can try to return the bottle to the cafeteria and get my $1.31 back, but what price can be put on my hopes and dreams of avoiding diabetes and living a long and productive life? Damn you, Diet Dr Pepper[sup] **TM** [/sup]! Damn You To Hell[sup] **TM** [/sup]! Barry ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/2 "2003-09-30T15:26:29Z")
Diet Dr Pepper is good. ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/3 "2003-09-30T15:27:07Z")
But… it _does_ taste more like regular Dr. pepper. Compare it to diet 7up/regular 7up or even diet mt. dew/regular mt. dew. If you don’t like it, sure, then you don’t like it (I love it, actually, and diet mt. dew, too.) But it does, in fact, taste more similar to the ‘regular’ formulation than any other soda that I have tasted. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/4 "2003-09-30T15:33:40Z")
No, regular Dr Pepper[sup] **TM** [/sup] is rather tasty. Diet Dr Pepper[sup] **TM** [/sup], on the other hand, tastes like overly sweet, Liquified Crap[sup] **TM** [/sup] (or so I’m guessing, never having actually tasted Liquified Crap[sup] **TM** [/sup] before). I cannot imagine how anybody could think the two tastes are similar. Barry ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/5 "2003-09-30T15:34:55Z")
Nutrasweet is made from Barry Manilow’s crystallized urine. If you want to wrap your lips around that then be my guest but it’s nothing but the hard stuff for me. lieu: dedicated Dr. Pepper afficianado since '69. ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/6 "2003-09-30T15:35:20Z")
Another vote for the it does taste more like the “real thing” than most. I can’t stand diet drinks at all but if I am forced to drink one then I’ll choose Diet Dr. Pepper over any other. BTW I have a Mt. Dew every morning instead of coffee too. If they ever were to (God forbid) not make Mt. Dew anymore I would cease to function. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/7 "2003-09-30T15:44:30Z")
I quite like Diet Dr. Pepper. It’s not the same as regular Dr. Pepper, of course, because of the artificial sweeteners, but it’s closer to the real thing than, say, Diet Coke is to Coke. (God, how many commas can I cram into one sentence. Geez.) If I had my choice of any diet soda in the world, though, I’d get a fruit-flavored Diet Rite. Tangerine, probably, although I might prefer a white grape if I was in the right mood. The fruit flavors tend to cover up the artificial sweetener taste, so they’re _much_ more normal tasting than most diet colas. Plus, there’s no fruit-flavored versions of regular RC, so they can just worry about making it taste good, without worrying about whether or not it tastes like another product. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/8 "2003-09-30T15:57:14Z")
I think it’s the “more” that is really the claim. In my opinion, the Diet version of DP tastes just slightly more than the actual version than most other diet sodas do. But I prefer Diet Cherry Coke. It doesn’t taste light real CC, but it tastes good in it’s own right. If you’re looking for non-Cola. Try Fresca. At least you can’t compare that to a non-diet version. ---
**Author:** ![Horrifying\_Howler\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Horrifying\_Howler\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horrifying_Howler_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/9 "2003-09-30T16:00:47Z")
I think diet pepsi tastes just like regular pepsi. I hate diet Dr. Pepper though, it tastes nothing like the regular. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/10 "2003-09-30T16:07:30Z")
Can’t stand Diet Dr. Pepper for the disgusting aftertaste, but I think it tastes pretty similar to the real thing when it’s first going down. Diet 7-Up tastes most like the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/11 "2003-09-30T16:27:44Z")
Diet Dr Pepper tastes a lot more like regular Dr Pepper than Fresca. Fresca tastes nothing like regular Dr Pepper. Even Diet Coke is pretty far off – not much Pepper-like there. But Diet Dr Pepper, well, that’s a reasonable facsimile of Dr Pepper. I grew up drinking diet soda, so I really can’t stand the sugar version of anything. (It all tastes like drinking syrup.) But I do love my Diet Dr Pepper. And I don’t really care, personally, how similar it is to the original stuff. (Which is pretty good, for sugar soda.) ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/12 "2003-09-30T16:34:29Z")
Diet Dr. Pepper tastes more like regular Dr. Pepper than, say, transmission fluid does. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/13 "2003-09-30T16:43:35Z")
Yeah, the question is, more than what? It tastes more like regular Dr Pepper than pretty much anything else. That said – and I’m a big Diet Dr P fan – Diet 7-Up is pretty good too. And if you want a diet cola that doesn’t taste like a diet cola, Pepsi One is magnitudes better tasting than Diet Pepsi. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/14 "2003-09-30T16:44:40Z")
I think Diet 7-up tastes similar to regular. But I agree with **CrazyCatLady** –Diet Rite fruit flavored sodas are pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Stonebow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Stonebow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stonebow)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/15 "2003-09-30T17:09:35Z")
I’m sorry, I just can’t do ANY diet sodas. Even tried Diet Rite and their Splenda stuff, but it’s all pretty nasty to me. It’s not even the basic taste that gets me…but most diet drinks are like battery acid going down, and leave a weird ‘film’ on my tongue. It’s just not right. I HAVE found the if I have to drink Diet Coke, adding lemon to it will help it taste ‘normal’ but that’s about it. (I assume that’s where they got the idea for Diet Pepsi w/Lemon) ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/16 "2003-09-30T17:13:30Z")
I buy Diet Doc by the case. Curses and pestilence upon those who would dare speak evil of it. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/17 "2003-09-30T17:17:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beagledave \* > \*\*I buy Diet Doc by the case. Curses and pestilence upon those who would dare speak evil of it. \*\* Yeah, “curses and pestilence” pretty much sums up my experience with trying the fetid stuff… ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/18 "2003-09-30T17:20:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stonebow \* > \*\* (I assume that’s where they got the idea for Diet Pepsi w/Lemon) \*\* No, they got that flavor idea from Lemon Pledge furniture polish. At least, that’s the first thing that shot into my head when the accursed, vile fluid crossed my tastebuds. Or was that diet lemon Coke? I don’t remember, I was too traumatized by the first experience to try the other. And I regularly put slices of lemon into my cola. ~Mixie ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/19 "2003-09-30T17:28:35Z")
Diet Rite has some good sodas, I’m partial to the Raspberry and White Grape flavors. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704/20 "2003-09-30T17:36:05Z")
While most of the soda I drink is diet, I don’t drink most diet sodas. I strongly prefer Diet Dr Pepper, drink Diet Coke if DDP isn’t available, and occasionally have Fresca. I _can_ drink diet Pepsi, but I don’t enjoy it. The Diet Cokes with lemon and vanilla are – um – unsatisfying, what with the nasty faux-lemon and vanillesque flavors and all. Other than that, I’d rather just have water or some other non-soda beverage. My favorite caffeinated beverage is iced tea, but only if it’s homemade with lots of lemon. Since it’s kind of a pain to make up tea in big batches, I drink more soda than I’d like. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-diet-dr-pepper-does-not-taste-more-like-dr-pepper/204704.md?page=2)