19 Ramune Flavors, Ranked in a Taste Test

“We need all the Ramune flavors ranked” is the best assignment I’ve ever gotten here at Sporked. Over the past few weeks, my crack team of bounty hunters tracked down 19 flavors of Ramune Japanese soda. And, with the help of the guinea pigs guests who attended my birthday party, I reviewed and ranked every single one. Strap in for 19 Ramune flavors, ranked; it’s a long ride.

(And if you’re wondering, what is Ramune? Read our explainer before diving in.)

Pomegranate

I don’t have the best history with pomegranate-flavored drinks, and this didn’t change my mind about the flavor. While many Ramune soda flavors are similar to medicine, this actually tastes worse than any cough syrup I’ve ever had.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

1/10

Sporks

Bloody Grapefruit

Despite the heavy-metal Sanrio character on the label, this Ramune soft drink flavor was miserably tame. It didn’t have an accurate grapefruit flavor and whatever it actually tasted like wasn’t good either.

Credit: Liv Averett / World Market

Rating:

2/10

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Lychee

This Ramune Japanese soda flavor was floral to a fault, which is on par with most lychee-flavored products I’ve had before. Accuracy isn’t always a good thing.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

3/10

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Melon

This Ramune flavor inexplicably smelled like bubble gum to me—right up until someone said it actually smelled like nail polish topcoat. Melon came through only in the aftertaste, and not nearly enough to save it from a very poor rating.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

4/10

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Hello Kitty Pineapple

I love pineapple and Hello Kitty, so this Ramune flavor was a heartbreaker. It smelled like caramel apple suckers (promising, if confusing!) and tasted like water that had been used to rinse out a can of pineapple juice (sad!).

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

5/10

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Strawberry

This Ramune flavor smelled like Suave strawberry shampoo and tasted like Strawberry Mentos. Soap and barely-strawberry mint doesn’t make for the best Ramune flavor, folks.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

5/10

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Grape

Grape flavor science hasn’t changed in decades, and this certainly lives up to expectations. But with so many outstanding Ramune flavors out there, “exactly what you expect” isn’t enough to rank better than average.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

6/10

Sporks

Watermelon

Many of these fruity Ramune flavors were very reminiscent of Jolly Ranchers, but none more so than this one. I would have liked to see a more faithful “fruit” flavor rather than the candy imitation, but this deep into the lineup, I’ll take what I can get.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

6/10

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Orange

This smelled like 7-Up, but it tasted like… Emergen-C Orange? “Medicine-adjacent” is an adjective I could slap on most of these Ramune soda flavors, frankly.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

6.5/10

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Green Apple

The aroma coming off this bottle had me worried I was in for another candy-flavored soda, but I was pleasantly surprised that this was just a muted, realistic green apple! It wasn’t a thrilling end result, but I give them credit for accuracy.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

6.5/10

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Yuzu Citrus

I can’t speak to how close this Ramune soda flavor comes to real Japanese yuzu (especially since it’s illegal to import from abroad), but I know I’m a big fan of this interpretation. Not quite mandarin orange or lemon, but a great balance between the two.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Blueberry

If you’re tired of waiting for blue sno-cones to melt so you can drink them, this is the Ramune soft drink for you. “Soft” is an operative word here; while it was definitely carbonated, this was a very smooth drink.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

7.5/10

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Cola

This might be the most unique Ramune flavor I was able to track down: It’s just cola! As a cola, it was very similar to flat Cherry Coke or RC Cola. But as a Ramune, it was a welcome reprieve from the train of questionable candy-fruit-medicine sodas that came before it.

Credit: Liv Averett / Oishi Snacks

Rating:

7.5/10

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Kiwi

I would never have guessed this placement in a million years. How did Kiwi Ramune beat Strawberry Ramune by a country mile? This turned me into a kiwi believer—where’s the Kiwi Mountain Dew?

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

8/10

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Matcha

There was a significant vanilla undertone along with the matcha taste you’d expect. You wouldn’t think it’d work, but it really does. I will pick this Ramune flavor up again in the future—I need to introduce more people to this mouth puzzle.

Credit: Liv Averett / Exotic Blvd

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Original

Remember Juicy Fruit? Imagine if you could enjoy that flavor longer than the five minutes it takes the gum to turn into flavorless putty. This is exactly as sweet as a soda can get without being too much. All the other Ramune flavors have a lot to learn from the original.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

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Peach

I’ve spent quite a few of these entries bashing the concept of “candy soda,” but this is pure peach rings and I have no complaints. It checks all the right boxes.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

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Mango

Is this the summer of mango? We’ve got a mango lemonade Mountain Dew, mango pudding, and even mango Doritos! Maybe it’s something in the air, but this Ramune flavor was refreshing and bright in a way no other Ramune soda flavors were.

Credit: Liv Averett / Albertsons

Rating:

9/10

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Raspberry

This isn’t raspberry candy, raspberry medicine, or even raspberry soda (not as rare as you might think). Somehow, every single sip of the best Ramune flavor was pure raspberry jam. I cannot express how confusing and amazing this Ramune soft drink is. If you find yourself in an international market (I went to one of the best in the country for a few of these Ramune flavors), keep an eye out for this one.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

10/10

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