It’s no secret that Dr Pepper greatly outsells Dr. Thunder. However, bigger does not always mean better. Here we will compare Dr Pepper and Dr. Thunder to see if one is a superior beverage. There is a poll at the end of this article. Please consider voting for your favorite between Dr Pepper vs Dr. Thunder if you’ve tried both sodas.
Dr Pepper vs Dr. Thunder
Taste Test
We went to Walmart, purchased 2-liters of Dr Pepper and Dr. Thunder, and completed a blind taste once the sodas had time to chill in our refrigerator. Here are the results:
When you ask people to explain the flavors in Dr Pepper, you will get a lot of different answers. That’s because there are 23 flavors (see the ingredients section), which makes it difficult to explain what is actually being tasted.
That being said, we won’t attempt to break down the complete flavor profiles of each soda. What we will say is that these sodas greatly differ in the intensity of their flavors. The flavors in Dr Pepper are pronounced and unique to the Dr Pepper brand. In other words, most of our taste testers knew they were drinking Dr Pepper even though the taste test was blind.
Dr. Thunder was like a toned-down version of Dr Pepper according to our taste testers. One person described it as cola with a slight Dr Pepper flavor in the background. It was considered a respectable tasting soda by the testers. However, we suspect that lovers of Dr Pepper won’t be caught filling their carts with Dr. Thunder as a better alternative. Rather, we think Dr. Thunder is best for people who don’t care for the potpourri of intense flavors that Dr Pepper offers but potentially want something less complex.
Overall, the taste testers preferred Dr Pepper over Dr. Thunder. However, we encourage you to check out some of the 250+ reviews of Dr. Thunder on the Walmart website if you are interested in trying this soda. There are certainly a lot of lovers of this soda and many different opinions on its taste as well.
Price
We purchased the 2-liters shown in the top image from Walmart. The Dr Pepper cost us $1.48 and the Dr. Thunder was attractively priced at only $0.88. That’s an approximate $0.60 difference between the two sodas. The good news is that you have options on where you can purchase Dr Pepper since it’s a name brand unlike the store brand, Dr. Thunder. You may be able to find Dr Pepper cheaper if you hunt around.
Ownership
Dr Pepper – This soda brand is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. It was first introduced in 1885 after being invented by Charles Alderton, a pharmacist. It was sold locally at the drugstore where Alderton worked in Waco, Texas. It wasn’t until 1904 that Dr Pepper expanded nationally. A common theory is that the soda was named after the drugstore owner’s friend named Dr. Charles Pepper. Another theory is that Dr. Pepper was not a real person but the name was used to attempt to symbolize a healthy drink.
Dr. Thunder – Dr. Thunder is a brand owned by Walmart. It is technically a brand under Walmart’s Great Value line of foods, beverages, and similar products. Primo Water Corporation (formerly Cott Corporation) reportedly makes the Great Value sodas on behalf of Walmart.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts for both sodas are extremely similar. The differences are with sodium and sugar with Dr Pepper having more sodium but two grams less sugar.
| Dr Pepper | Dr. Thunder | |
| Serving Size | 1 Can (12 fl. oz.) | 1 Can (12 fl. oz.) |
| Calories | 150 | 150 |
| Total Fat | 0g | 0g |
| Sodium | 55mg | 35mg |
| Total Carbs | 40g | 41g |
| Total Sugars | 39g* | 41g* |
| Protein | 0g | 0g |
Ingredients
The ingredients are also very similar between Dr Pepper vs Dr. Thunder as was likely expected by most readers. Two ingredients of note are the use of preservatives and the inclusion of natural and artificial flavors.
Dr Pepper uses sodium benzoate whereas Dr. Thunder uses potassium benzoate as its preservatives. Furthermore, the natural and artificial flavors listed aren’t specific to what flavor ingredients are actually being used. Of course, this is the proprietary blend greatly contributes to the overall flavor profile.
Dr Pepper states that they use a blend of 23 authentic flavors to give Dr Pepper its classic taste. The 23 flavors that are believed to be in Dr Pepper are amaretto, almond, blackberry, black licorice, caramel, carrot, clove, cherry, cola, ginger, juniper, lemon, molasses, nutmeg, orange, prune, plum, pepper, root beer, rum, raspberry, tomato, and vanilla. We’d assume many if not all of the same flavors are also in Dr. Thunder.
Dr Pepper – Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Caffeine
Dr. Thunder – Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Benzoate (Preservative), Caffeine
Caffeine Content
You can see in the ingredients list above that both sodas have added caffeine. Dr Pepper and Dr. Thunder have the same amount of caffeine. The caffeine level in these sodas is considered moderate.
| Soda | Serving Size | Caffeine |
| Dr Pepper | 12 fl. oz. | 41mg |
| Dr. Thunder | 12 fl. oz. | 41mg |
Poll: Dr Pepper vs Dr. Thunder
Please vote in the poll below if you have tried both Dr Pepper and Dr. Thunder.
Sources:
drpeppersnapplegroup.com/company/history
walmart.com