Bos

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 12 oz can
BevNET Review: Of the flavored teas that make up the Bos lineup, their apple flavor is both the most unique and enjoyable. It’s made with the same base of rooibos tea sweetened with sugar, but the addition of apple flavoring provides a nice secondary flavor and one that goes well with the rooibos tea. To that end, the flavor is well balanced and straightforward, which is always a plus. The 8 oz. size seems somewhat limiting since it’s smaller than the competition, but Bos has done a nice job of using the small size to create something that’s hip and unique. While it looks more like an energy drink than a tea, the red Bos logo and black and white lion graphic are definitely an original looking effort and something that should appeal to consumers’ curiosity. Overall, the can is the biggest asset for this drink, but the apple flavored tea is definitely the best of the Bos lineup.Reviewed on: 11/29/2011

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 12 oz can
BevNET Review: Made with a straightforward blend of rooibos tea, spring water, sugar, and citric acid, Bos’ Ice Tea Lemon is a drinkable sweetened tea with lemon. There’s nothing overly special about the taste of the product. Despite using rooibos tea, the product tastes almost identical to a standard can of black tea with lemon. Using a small 8 oz. can is definitely a risk from a value point of view (pretty much every competitor is in a bigger package), but they’ve done a great job of creating a brand that is eye catching and cool looking. In this particular case, they’ve chosen a vibrant yellow background, which is both a natural fit for the lemon flavor and the perfect visual complement to the red lettering of the Bos logo (it definitely looks better than the other color pairings). The addition of a lion to the front panel, which is presumably because of the brand’s South African origins (which is where it is produced), rounds out the design and ultimately gives the product a clean, hip look. Overall, it’s not an overly innovative tasting product, but we’re sure that the eye catching design will lure in some segment of consumers.Reviewed on: 11/29/2011

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 12 oz can
BevNET Review: Bos’ line of iced teas includes one flavor that is clearly not like the others: Energy. Starting out with a carbonated base, this product has rooibos tea, sugar, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and cranberry flavoring. Carbonated tea by itself has always been a tough sell in the US, but positioning it as an energy drink further complicates matters as its ultimately not clear what this drink really is. From a flavor perspective, it is definitely not a home run, with the cranberry and tea flavors not working so well with the carbonation (it feels like two drinks that were mixed rather than one cohesive effort). Packaging, on the other hand, feels slightly more logical in the sense that this is an energy drink in an energy drink can. However, the white background, which typically signals that it’s a diet product, might not have been the best choice. Further on that, the can’s messaging feels disjointed, with tea and energy taking center stage, while a cranberry badge is off to the right. Overall, it’s a creative effort, but one that still needs to be refined.Reviewed on: 11/29/2011