"Pepsi Shiso", Vibrant Green Perilla-Flavoured Pepsi

Pepsi Japan's speciality for this summer "Pepsi Shiso" came out today on Tuesday, June 23. So we gave it a shot.

The colour's kind of eerie, but it did taste good (though some of us considered it too grassy). Here's our review.
PEPSI SHISO

Shiso is a Japanese herb, sometimes called perilla or Japanese basil, with refreshing taste and scent. It's one of the most widely used herb in Japan, deep-fried as tempura or rolled with sushi, cut into thin strips topping tofu, noodles, salads and pretty much any dishes. You sure have tasted it at least once if you've ever been to Japan.

Compared it with "PEPSI NEX", the main product of Pepsi Japan. It's basically a diet pepsi.

Artificial colour Blue 1, Tartrazine and caramel colour make this almost fluorescent colour.

Shiso-shaped window on the label. Looks more lime-green or slime-green than shiso-green.

The green looks darker from this angle.

42kcal per 100ml (206kcal per bottle).

Poured them in glasses to better see the colour.

Less intimidating than PEPSI Ice Cucumber of two summers ago. But it sure does remind us of slimey toys and horror flicks.

Beautiful or creepy?

It didn't really taste like cola, more like Mountain Dew with Shiso flavour, though less carboned and less sweet as pops in Japan generally are. It did taste unfamiliar at first to even us Japanese but you'll get used to it by the time you finish a bottle. Some of our staff absolutely loved it but some thought it tasted strange. It might make an interesting drink mixed with booze. Maybe with vodka? Try and decide it yourself if you're visiting Japan this summer!