We Tasted the All-New Cinnamon-Flavored Coke. Here's Our Verdict.

cinnamon coke
Edited - Courtesy of Coca Cola
Edited - Courtesy of Coca Cola

I have to admit, I am a sucker for most cinnamon things. I love the smell of cinnamon apples baking in a pie and it's a tradition in my family to eat cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I put cinnamon in my banana bread, pancakes, french toast, soups -- basically anywhere I can slip it in and add that familiar, warming, comforting flavor. I mean, just this morning I ate brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast. It's cinnamon's world and we're just living in it.

So when Coca-Cola announced cinnamon-flavored cola a few months ago, I was hyped. I love cola, I love cinnamon. What could go wrong?

So did Cinnamon Coke live up to your expectations?

To answer the first question, nothing went wrong and, yes, the Cinnamon Coke did live up to my expectations. The initial flavor is the pure, iconic, syrupy flavor that you and everyone in the universe knows and expects from a can of Coke. It's bubbly and crisp and sweet. But following that initial recognition, you get a spiced tickle in the back of your throat that genuinely tastes like a warm blend of cinnamon and brown sugar. It's comforting without being too sweet or spicy, far and away better in flavor than most cinnamon gum.

I find that when Coke dreams up these flavor innovations that sound unseemly, they always seem to work someway, somehow. I still think Vanilla Coke is the best Coke, but Orange Vanilla Coke is dreamy too. The Coffee Coke that launched in Japan, which I was lucky enough to try when I was out there, worked. And Cherry Coke is, of course, a classic.

Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite was also launched

For those who are more into their lemon-lime sodas, fret not: Coca-Cola is also launching Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite for the holidays and it's shockingly festive and delicious. I'm a big sprite fan; I don't know whether or not it's because it's clear or mimics citrus flavors, but Sprite always feels a bit lighter to me, thus making it a perfect lunch beverage. 

This limited edition Sprite, however, is not lemon-lime forward like the original. You can really taste a rich, bright, cranberry flavor. And it's so good! It reminds me of cranberry sauce during the holidays -- not too sweet, not too tart, just a welcomed addition to a comforting plate of food that has a sneaky bit of cinnamon in it, too. 

The verdict: You should try both sodas

I was perfectly ready to write off the Sprite and spend my time discussing the Coke, because I never feel like the new Sprite flavors are notable. This time around, however, they're both so good and have me feeling especially excited for the holiday season.

Think about the possibilities! Tequila sodas with cranberry-infused Sprite, Jack and Cinnamon Cokes, experimental Coke floats.

There are so many interesting ways to use these new sodas, but if you decide to just drink them as they are ,I promise you'll be pleased. I know I'm ready to stock my fridge with these crowdpleasers as it gets closer to the holidays.

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Kat Thompson is a staff writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @katthompsonn