It's the Real Thing. Sort of.

If you've ever dreamed of smelling like various forms of Coca-Cola, then for about an hour, Tonka Cola can make that fantasy a reality.

It begins like cracking open a can of cherry cola and pouring it over ice, complete with the fizzy little bubbles that leap up when you drop a wedge of lemon in. It’s not quite the real stuff, though - more like a knock-off supermarket brand - but the resemblance is uncanny all the same.

As the bubbles settle, the sweetness turns candied. It's still cola, but now more like the fizzy cherry cola bottles you’d find in a pick ’n’ mix selection. There’s a lingering sour fizziness, but it feels drier and gummier - more like a candy than a pourable drink.

Before long, the cola illusion starts to fade, revealing its true construction: a blend of warm spices, vanillic tonka beans, and a cocktail of synthetics. It's fun to sniff, but it has a juvenile streak that makes it hard for me to take seriously.