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A reporter asked people to describe the taste of Dr Pepper. He got some really creative answers.

A reporter asked people to describe the taste of Dr Pepper. He got some really creative answers.
via idiehlpare / Flickr and ESPN

An innocent tweet by sports reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques erupted into a great discussion where people tried to describe the indescribable. "There's an unnamed media member in here who has never had a Dr. Pepper and asked what it tastes like," he tweeted.

"I have no idea how to describe it -- how would y'all do it?" he asked.

Marcel Louis-Jacques covers the Miami Dolphins for ESPN and appears on NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, and more.

The question feels like a Zen koan such as "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "What do you call the world?"


The taste of Dr Pepper is hard to describe because there's nothing quite like it. It has a hint of cherry. Maybe a little licorice. There's definitely some allspice in there. It's tough to describe because it's a combination of 23 different flavors.

It's believed that the actual 23 flavors are a trade secret and the recipe is kept as two halves in safe deposit boxes in two separate Dallas banks.

It was created in the 1880s by pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas and was introduced nationally in the United States at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition as a new kind of soda pop. Dr Pepper has been around for over 130 years and the flavor has yet to be duplicated. Mr. Pibb comes close, but it doesn't quite have the same magic.

There are a lot of creative responses to the tweet with people doing their best to put flavor into words.



Some tried to describe it as a recipe. Did they break into two Dallas banks and put the two recipes together?



Evidently, there are a lot of people who can't stand the taste of Dr Pepper. It's kinda like black licorice or cilantro. You love it or you hate it.



Some Mr. Pibb fans entered the fray, but it wasn't their war to fight.



This guy may have hit the nail on the head.



So, in the end, what does Dr Pepper taste like? The best answer should be: Dr Pepper. Much like how an orange has an orange flavor or a cherry has a cherry flavor. Dr pepper has a Dr Pepper flavor.







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