For a long time, Pepsi has owned the flavored cola market in Japan. It did so with left-of-center flavors that often tasted bad but, by rolling out curiosities such as cake-flavored soda, got attention, which is sometimes all that's needed. Now, Coca-Cola wants in on the action.

The soda behemoth recently released Coca-Cola Peach, which takes its signature beverage and adds the juicy fruit's flavor. This isn't a retread that has appeared somewhere else in the world, but rather a first for any market. The drink (¥140 before tax) has fittingly received a big advertising push and appears to be readily available in all convenience stores. It has even received the level of press coverage from the West that is usually reserved for Pepsi's oddball creations.

It isn't an oddball, though. The peach taste actually comes off as pleasant, starting off sharp on the first sip and becoming (a bit) more subtle as you drain the bottle.

The peach flavor mixes well with the regular taste of Coke, although this also presents the one challenge to enjoying the new flavor: Regular Coca-Cola is just so sugary. If you don't dig the saccharine feeling, the peach won't be enough to salvage it. But if you do, give it a swig.

Otherwise, wait for the Coke Zero version to hit the shelves.