Coca-Cola Oreo Zero Sugar Review

What is the essence of an Oreo? When you boil it down (and Coke may have done exactly that), it’s a very simple treat. There’s flour, cocoa, sugar, and shortening (with a mix of other stabilizers, preservatives, and unnamed flavors). The idea of combining that flavor family with a sharp bitter Coca-Cola isn’t obvious, but the teams at Oreo and Coca-Cola made it happen in their “Besties” limited editions. I purchased a six pack of the Coca-Cola Oreo Zero Sugar in the small cans at my local Target and dug into the creation (I also acquired the OREO Coca-Cola Sandwich Cookies and did that review here).

Admittedly, I don’t like Coke Zero. I don’t even like Diet Coke. As I sampled this collaboration I was much less thrown off by the flavor of an Oreo in my drink than I was by the hollow sweetness of the core Coke product itself. I smelled cocoa powder kicking up with the bubbles, and that cocoa richness was the first taste on my tongue as well. After that initial burst it evaporated into the unsatisfying bitter shadow of a traditional Coca-Cola. High fructose corn syrup does a lot of heavy lifting on the palate to spread and coat flavors across your tongue. Cane sugar is even better. The aspartame and sucralose in this soda hit hard and fast, but then faded before I even had a chance to swallow.

The “Fizzy Cookie Flavor” itself is interesting. Oreo works better in Coke than I expected, and it reminded me quite a bit of a Brooklyn Egg Cream (made with seltzer, chocolate syrup, and milk). This obviously wasn’t creamy, but the balance overall felt more cocoa than Coke, and then a hint of frosting at the very end. Like I said, the sweetener is the weak point in this collaboration. Those that like Coke Zero already may love the infusion of the chocolate sandwich cookie. I prefer my Coke fully leaded. Part of the reason why I love Oreo cookies is because they’re an amazing combination of sweet and creamy, and you also lose a bit of that from their presence in the drink as well.

Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts? No. In fact, I believe it’s less than the sum of its parts. I’m looking forward to trying the Coca-Cola flavored Oreo cookies that at the other side of this marketing campaign. I had to mail order them, but I’ll report back on my findings soon.