The Twice-Failed Coca-Cola Flavor No One Misses At All - Tasting Table

"After initial testing in France, the product was released to the United States in 2006, an idea meant to appeal to the novelty of the beverage market at the time, with a name that fit the minimalist trend of the era. Even though several other unique Coke flavors from around the world might have been a hit in the U.S., Coca-Cola Blāk absolutely bombed with consumers and was pulled from shelves just two years after launching."

"When Coca-Cola Blāk launched in 2006, energy drink sales were skyrocketing, and the coffee market was just coming to life. Beyond the fact that this was Coca-Cola's first attempt at combining its soda with coffee, it was also a unique approach at packaging, featuring four sleek-looking, 8-ounce bottles per pack in the U.S. That very packaging, and the unusually high price tag that accompanied it, were part of the reason that the drink failed the first time around."

"If you've ever visited the international section of a grocery store, or are lucky enough to live near a giant World of Coca-Cola store, you'll notice that the selection of fizzy flavors spans a mile long. Cherry and Orange Cream are just a few of the tamer options, but there are even some limited edition flavors like OREO and Holiday Creamy Vanilla. Sometimes, Coca-Cola's outside-of-the-box flavors aren't such a hit."

International Coca-Cola offerings include many unconventional flavors, ranging from Cherry and Orange Cream to limited editions like OREO and Holiday Creamy Vanilla. Coca-Cola Blāk combined classic Coca-Cola with coffee flavors and caffeine, testing first in France and launching in the U.S. in 2006. The product faced steep competition from rising energy drinks and a nascent coffee-beverage market, and suffered from premium packaging, high price, and poor taste reception, causing it to be discontinued after two years. Coca-Cola relaunched a coffee-combined soda in 2021 with higher caffeine; it saw success in some foreign markets but failed to sustain U.S. sales and was pulled by the end of 2022.

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