Never did I think I’d be writing about how great a soda’s bottle is, but here we are. Afri-Cola’s bottle is awesome. The bottle, as you can see in the photos, has a couple of semi-circles cut out of its sides. Not only does this look very aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also very functional and allows the user a greater grip on the bottle. But the question becomes, like, does it taste good?
I have many other questions about this soda straight away. How did a soda that likely references Africa end up being made in Germany? Or is the name largely coincidental? Considering the fact that it has almost 3x as much caffeine as Coca Cola, is it classified as an energy drink? Regardless, let’s make like Stephen Curtis Chapman and dive in.
Place of Acquirement: Jungle Jim’s, Fairfield, OH
Drinking Vessel/Portion: 330ml, 11.16 oz glass bottle, clear.
AROMATICS: 7/10
Not strong, but definitely pleasant. Get a pure kola nut smell from this bad boy.
FIRST SIP: 6.5/10
First sip confirms my idea that this would be a lower sugar soda. Not sure about the taste. It’s definitely a cola, but the question is: will the balance of sweetness and flavor work?
TASTE: 7/10
The more I drink Afri-Cola, the more I get used to the sweetness level, and the more I enjoy it, frankly. It’s nothing out of the ballpark amazing, but it gives the drinker a decent balance. You can enjoy it without thinking about it, or think about it and enjoy it.
AFTERTASTE: 6.5/10
Not unpleasant, but nothing that makes you go “good lord, I just drank something amazing 10 seconds ago”
MOUTHFEEL: 8/10
It’s a bit less carbonated than other sodas, but for some reason, it really works. I like it.
DEPTH OF FLAVOR: 7/10
It’s there, and it’s not boring, but it’s a pretty standard cola taste.
SWEETNESS: 6.5/10
Less sweet than other sodas, but not to the point of being detrimental.
FLAVOR(S) TASTED: Kola nut, probably some other stuff.
LAST SIP: 7/10
Lost a little bit of carbonation, but the taste was still very strong.
OVERALL RATING: 7/10
If we’re going on bottle design, Afri-Cola gets a 10/10. Unfortunately, you’ll have to find another blog if you’re looking for soda bottle design ratings. This soda is tasty, and it’s a step-up from a standard cola. You could absolutely drink a hundred sodas worse than this one, it’s never going to be a bad choice.
Ultimately, however, I won’t be importing $7,000 worth of the soda any time soon. Afri-Cola was neither deptful nor shallow. Here’s the thing: if a soda is going to be lower on the sweetness spectrum, it should be packed with depthful flavor. This soda didn’t quite live up to that “packed” descriptor.
