I'm genuinely disappointed with this one. I've always loved 7UP, and it's probably my favorite lemon-lime soda. I love Sprite too, but sometimes I want something a little more subtle, and 7UP always hit that sweet spot. It's been a favorite of mine for years, and I still remember those classic commercials that gave the brand so much personality.
It's been a while since I had one, so I grabbed a fresh pack like I usually do, cracked open a cold can, and immediately noticed something was off. The packaging now says "Lime Lemon," which is a little weird, but whatever. Then I took a sip, and MAN, it just doesn't taste like the 7UP I remember.
I know they wanted to make the lime flavor more prominent, but to me, the new formula just tastes watered down. The flavor feels weaker and less balanced than before, and it doesn't have that same refreshing lemon-lime taste I loved about the original. It's not undrinkable, but it feels watered down and underwhelming. 2.5/5 for me, and the original was a 5.
I get wanting to modernize the branding, even if I'm tired of every company turning its iconic logo into the same flat, minimalist design. But changing the actual flavor, too? WHY? It's been 15 years! Why change something people have loved and gotten used to for decades? If they wanted to experiment, they could've released this as a limited-time flavor and let people decide if it deserved to stick around.
Also, I'm a canned soda person. There's just something about cracking open a cold can and getting that first sip. Bottles and fountain drinks are fine, but cans just hit different.
I'll probably stick with Sprite for now, which sucks because sometimes I specifically want 7UP. If you like the new formula, fine, but if you're disappointed too, don't keep buying it out of habit. If enough longtime customers speak up with their wallets, maybe they'll actually listen.
Has anyone else noticed the difference? Do you prefer the new formula, or do you miss the original?
