the taste of robotussin cough syrup is far superior to the generic brands around here (in Canada) lol. I like the taste in comparison, for some reason i can imagine the taste and visualize it; other syrups just taste nasty and thick.
Robo gels are relatively easy to get down if you swallow 8-10 at a time, don't swallow one pill after another as that'll definitely make you gag. The syrup is pretty easy to chug but disgusting. I find they both take about the same time to kick in. I stick to robo gels now, it's just more convenient