Adina Coffee Energy

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 8 oz can
BevNET Review: Of the lineup of Adina Coffee Energy Drinks, this one certainly seems like the most marketable and credible entry. Espresso certainly has a stronger reputation than coffee in terms of energy capabilities -- and making it a double sends a clear message of the drink's intended purpose. On the other hand, they don't actually state how much caffeine is in the can and they've removed the guarana (which adds natural caffeine), so reading the label undermines things a bit. Flavor is exquisite, delivering a rich and creamy body that uses a bold Colombian coffee base. There's a noticeable note of vanilla (listed in the ingredients), which is likely there to help soften the bitter flavor of the stronger dose of coffee. It works, and the drink has a smooth flavor from start to finish. Overall, our favorite flavor of the line.Reviewed on: 10/21/2008

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 8 oz can
BevNET Review: Adina's effort to create a coffee based energy drink is an enjoyable one, which is no surprise given the drink's easy to read nutrition panel. This variety uses a smooth but rich base of coffee, milk and sugar (all fair trade and organic) with added guarana, natural flavors, and pectin, a thickener that's typically used in jam. The resulting product is extremely enjoyable, with just the right amount of sweetener and a mellow caramel finish. In terms of energy, this product relies on the coffee, the most widely known and used energy drink, and guarana, which, like coffee, adds natural caffeine. As far as we're concerned, it's a credible drink, although your average energy drink consumer will probably expect taurine and other ingredients that are typically associated with energy drinks. This means the drink will likely appeal to coffee drinkers and natural consumers who are seeking an extra bit of buzz. In addition to buzz, they're attempting to promote one of coffee's often ignored benefits: antioxidants. Packaging is appealing, although we'd love to see more emphasis on the words "energy drink" than the current design gives it. Furthermore, Adina's new slogan, "Drink no evil," would be a great slogan to use somewhere on the package. Overall, we really enjoyed this product, but it could use a bit more -- either in design or ingredients -- to help improve the its ability to lure in the energy drink consumer.Reviewed on: 10/21/2008

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 8 oz can
BevNET Review: From a flavor point of view, this was our favorite variety of Adina's Coffee Energy line. The mild cocoa flavor is the perfect addition to Adina's super smooth and clean coffee base. Quality product development and high quality ingredients make all the difference in terms of flavor, while the addition of guarana gives the drink an extra caffeine boost and potential for energy drink appeal. Conceptually, we really like what this drink is about and what they've done with it so far. However, it still feels more like a coffee than an energy drink, which is going to make it an uphill battle for Adina to win over consumers who expect energy drinks to taste like Red Bull or a CSD. Otherwise, Reviewed on: 10/21/2008

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 8 oz can
BevNET Review: Following in the footsteps of the other flavors, Hazelnut Hookup has a superbly executed coffee and milk base. It's smooth but rich, with just the right amount of milk and sugar added to the mix. On the other hand, the hazelnut flavor comes from flavoring, which is not what we'd expect from a product of this caliber. Still, the flavoring tastes pretty accurate, providing an added level of nutty flavor. Our only thought on the flavor is that it could use a bit more of an edge, to help bridge the gap between the RTD coffee category and the energy drink category that the product aspires to be in. On the outside, the color red color scheme is attractive and has pop to it, but the front of the can is a bit cluttered with text.Reviewed on: 10/21/2008

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 8 oz can
BevNET Review: Like the other flavors, Vanilla Nut Case delivers a creamy, smooth, and slightly sweet mixture of milk, coffee, sugar, vanilla and natural flavors. The use of organic and fair trade ingredients is a plus, but that will certainly mean more to a consumer who picks this up as a coffee rather than an energy drink. That's okay with us, especially since focusing on the energy and antioxidant aspects is an obvious but untried approach to competing with Starbucks, the market leader with over 90% share. The outside of the can is appealing, but the graphic on the center of the can doesn't really add anything to the look. We'd like to see a larger Adina logo as well as their new "Drink no evil" slogan as well as a bit of cleanup of the text on the lower portion of the front panel (it's a bit redundant in places). Otherwise, this is a very enjoyable product, whether you consider it an energy drink or an RTD coffee. Reviewed on: 10/21/2008