A legit Cola Quest find, Retro Cola is a genuinely Kyrgyz-made cola rather than a cheap import from Russia or beyond. And it is readily available throughout the country. Is it any good though? Well….
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Table of Contents
What the Retro Cola
Retro Cola is made by Abdysh-Ata, one of the largest beverage companies in Kyrgyzstan and a firm better known for beer than trying to take on Coca-Cola. Still, they have given it a decent crack, with Retro Cola now available pretty much nationwide, from supermarkets and corner shops to random roadside kiosks in the middle of nowhere.
It is marketed as a lower-sugar cola made with local artesian water and carries halal certification, which matters to few people in the country.
The range comes in a surprisingly large number of sizes:
- 0.45 litre can
- 0.45 litre PET bottle
- 0.9 litre PET bottle
- 1.35 litre PET bottle
- 1.8 litre PET bottle
- 20 litre keg
- 30 litre keg
As for price, expect to pay around:
- 0.45 litre bottle/can – 40-60 som ($0.45-$0.70)
- 0.9 litre bottle – 60-80 som ($0.70-$0.90)
- 1.35 litre bottle – 80-100 som ($0.90-$1.15)
- 1.8 litre bottle – 100-130 som ($1.15-$1.50)
Prices vary depending on where you buy it, but it is generally one of the cheaper local cola options available.
How does Retro Cola taste?
OK, so in comparison with Coke, you could say that it has more of a caramel tint to it. It also has very vague hints of lemon/lime, which is at least unique. OK, so the good parts out of the way. It also has a weird aftertaste that is very reminiscent of shit like Tesco Cola, or worse, Safeway Cola – yeah, I am that old. Also it is apparently “low sugar”, which means it not only tastes bad, but Diet Coke bad.
In fact, I thought this was so poor that I got nowhere near finishing it. Would Retro Cola go with liquor? You could perhaps mask a bad vodka with bad cola, but only at a real push.
Cola Quest Score?
4.5/10. Not the worst I have ever had, but there’s a heap better than Retro Cola out there.
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