I’ll be the first to admit I tend to live in the past a little too often. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ve always been a sucker for nostalgia — reliving certain days or moments that have long since passed. What can I say? Some days are far better than others, so why not reflect every now and then and remember just how great some of them really were.

I remember walking across the stage and receiving my bachelor’s degree like it was yesterday. That job I had throughout high school and most of college? I learned what it took to be a good co-worker and how to put in an honest day’s work.

I’m aware, however, that being too nostalgic can be shortsighted and often lead to difficulties in moving forward in some situations. Others times, as I recently found out, even relying on the smallest, most trivial bit of nostalgia can end up in disappointment.

More than a decade ago Pepsi came out with Holiday Spice, which made the overly sugary drink taste like, well, Christmas, if that’s possible. It wasn’t too sweet and was smooth to the tongue. Pepsi only sold it for a short time, if I recall correctly, and I haven’t seen it since.

You can go online and see petitions for Pepsi to bring the holiday drink — which was just cola with nutmeg and cinnamon flavoring — back to the consumers. It’s probably the only petition I’d ever seriously consider signing regarding food or drink.

I can’t really think of any other childhood favorite of mine that went away, so imagine my surprise one recent morning when in the store I saw Pepsi Fire for sale. The bottle claims each sip gives a “cinnamon-flavored kick” to its drinker. I immediately thought of Pepsi Holiday Spice and its similar-sounding advertisement.

I quickly took out my phone and looked up some reviews. Sure enough many who drank the caramel-colored stuff compared it to my long-gone favorite. Eager to relive the past, I grabbed two bottles and headed to the register.

Any hopes I had for a comeback were quickly dashed by the clerk, who asked if I had tried it already. “No,” I told him, “but I’m really hoping it tastes like the version they came out with when I was young. I really liked that stuff.”

In a monotone voice, the clerk replied, “It’s disgusting. I don’t know how anyone can drink it.”

I mumbled something under my breath telling him he should become a sales rep with those skills and left the store. Sure enough, as soon as I took a sip I knew this wasn’t going to be a trip down memory lane.

The stuff is pretty bad. In fact, it’s awful. It might be the worst Pepsi-branded product I’ve ever spent money on. Think of it this way: As soon as I tried it a few times, I knew exactly what my next column was going to be about.

Talk about a let down. Of course, it could be the exact same drink for all I know. I was probably 17 when the first version came out and I wasn’t exactly known for my refined tastes yet.

Reviews for Pepsi Fire are mixed online. Out of five stars, I’d give it half a star — and that’s being pretty generous.