Borojo

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 16.9 oz PET
BevNET Review: Based on the Colombian superfruit of the same name, Borojo features a blend of fruit concentrates and extracts, including borojo, blueberry, pomegranate, and acai. It’s also enhanced with yerba mate (natural caffeine), green tea extract, guarana seed (natural caffeine), and ginseng before finally being sweetened with a blend of sugar and erythritol. The resulting drink is both thirst quenching and energizing, having just the right balance of sweetness and fruit flavor. There’s a slight “functional” note that hits your tongue on the way out, which could be some of the added ingredients and the sweetener, but it’s not something that we’d count as a negative against this product. The product’s package, which has recently been given a makeover, is a 16.9 oz. PET bottle with a full wrap label. It has been cleanly decorated with a design that feels technical but emits a positive vibe. In the most recent edition, the front panel is still text heavy, but it seems more logically arranged. There’s now a better emphasis on the product’s function (“hydrate + energize + perform”) and the flavor name is front and center. They’ve moved the “Powered by Borojo Superfruit" to a less prominent place (we suggested they make it more prominent). But now that we see it this way, we think they’ve made the right decision, selling the product on familiar flavor and function rather than trying to sell an unfamiliar superfruit. Overall, we’re still fans of this product – and the most recent iteration of the label is a step in the right direction. Reviewed on: 8/16/2010

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 16.9 oz PET
BevNET Review: For a product that’s touting an unfamiliar superfruit, this product tastes surprisingly familiar, starting with the drink’s mildly sweetened guava and passionfruit flavors. Having no knowledge of what borojo fruit tastes like, it’s hard to say whether it’s good or bad that it doesn’t impart any flavor onto this drink. Still, we would have expected it to – and we suspect that consumers will expect this drink to taste a bit more exotic than it actually does. The mixture is USDA Organic and sweetened with sugar and erythritol, although it would certainly pass for a straight sugar sweetened product. That’s certainly a plus, as is the drink’s reasonable 100 calories per 16.9 oz. bottle. In addition to enjoyable flavor, Borojo’s Pink Guava Passionfruit is enhanced with borojo extract, yerba mate, green tea, guarana, and ginseng, which are what the drink uses to substantiate its “energy drink” tag line. On the packaging front, the latest iteration of the Borojo label is the best yet, with a more logically arranged front panel putting less emphasis on the borojo superfruit. Plus, they’ve replaced some of the verbose copy that was on the old label (e.g. as “clean, crisp, deeply refreshing”) and replaced it with text that’s more direct and easy to understand (“hydrate + energize + perform”). By downplaying the borojo superfruit (it’s on the bottom portion of the label), we think that Borojo has eliminated the roadblock of consumers deciding if they want to try something new, instead placing the emphasis on the flavor and function. Definitely an improved product.Reviewed on: 8/16/2010

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 16.9 oz PET
BevNET Review: Strawberry Kiwi Watermelon was the final Borojo flavor that we sampled. While there’s a lot going on with this product, it delivers an enjoyable sugar an erythritol sweetened flavor. Honestly, we were slightly disappointed that you can’t taste the flavor of the borojo, but what you can taste is a pleasant blend of strawberry, kiwi, and watermelon fruit flavoring with undertones of green tea and mate. And it’s those last two ingredients, green tea and mate, along with added guarana extract that make for a product that’s got some kick to it. There are also vitamins and minerals in the mix, but they do not disclose the levels on the nutrition panel. Recently, the product was given a slight refresh to its label design. Mainly, they’ve eliminated the two tone color scheme and cleaned up some of the text that is on this product. As a result, the borojo superfruit seems deemphasized, while the product's flavor and function (which they now describe in a more succinct way) take center stage. We think that’s a great move for the brand, making the product more appealing on the shelf while staying true to its core. Plus, the new look is more pleasing to the eye, which is always a good thing when it comes to a graphic refresh. Overall, this product is definitely heading in the right direction.Reviewed on: 8/16/2010