Once I had tried coca tea in Peru, it was clear what the taste of Coca-Cola comes from.
What became funny was the series of "tasters" who claimed they had figured out the formula with other ingredients like cinnamon, etc.
What became funny was the series of "tasters" who claimed they had figured out the formula with other ingredients like cinnamon, etc.
The formula isn't much of a secret: vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils, and a few others. Plus acid and caffeine, or another bittering agent. It's easy enough to figure out with a mass spectrometer. The details vary but that's the general formula for "cola".
Only Coke uses decocainated coca leaves. I don't doubt that it has some effect on the flavor, but the dominant flavors are still those various oils. A lot of people can't tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi if they're not paying attention (and often, even if they are).