[endianswap]

It is interesting to me that so many people seem to believe that it's difficult to distinguish between different cola products. I'm a programmer at a game studio and when I randomly asserted that I could distinguish between Coke and Pepsi they immediately scoffed and said that I could take the test, but no one passes the test. Blind test results? 100% correct (the test only had Coke and Pepsi proper, no random RC cola.)

I don't think I'm a freak; can the average Joe not distinguish between the taste of Coke and Pepsi?

[DanBC]

It depends how you do the tests. People in the US tend to have drinks very cold, which makes it harder to tell the difference. Doing "sip" tests makes a difference too.

I've seen (uncontrolled not-scientific just-for-fun) tests where blindfolded volunteers could not tell the difference between coke and 7up / sprite.

For sure I agree with you; I think that I'd easily be able to tell the difference between pepsi and coke. But I've never tested myself.

[marshray]

I can tell the difference right away and I am definitely not someone with a particularly acute sense of taste. I won't even drink the Pepsi.

[alttag]

No, I don't think it's unusual. I've watched a former colleague (now the state superintendent of schools) successfully identify not only pepsi from coke, but coke, diet coke (which he drinks regularly), and caffine-free diet coke from each other in a blind test.

[philwelch]

Perhaps you're a supertaster. I think I am; I find many green vegetables taste absolutely disgusting, which is a common problem among supertasters as they can taste certain substances normals can't.

[endianswap]

That's an interesting thought, I hadn't even considered anything along those lines. After reading about it for a bit I find that I cannot disqualify it from being a possibility. I've also read studies about having other senses heightened due to the lack of strength in other senses; specifically, due to a nasal inflammation condition I have I've always had difficulties with my sense of scent. Maybe I have a heightened sense of taste to compensate? Either way it's something interesting to think about, so thanks. :)

[apl]

Olfactory and gustatory analysis of flavors are intricately linked; losing smell severely diminishes one's ability to discriminate between subtly different aromas. Indeed, smell generally dominates here. So I don't think that's what happened.

[DiabloD3]

I agree, but go put them in a food, cooked as an ingredient, and its fine. Its the raw veggies by themselves that disgusting.

[btilly]

It is genetic. If you can tell, you can tell easily, but most people can't tell.