Dasani Essence

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 18.5 fl oz
BevNET Review: Of the flavors that we sampled, this was our least favorite. The main reason is the overly acidic taste to the flavoring, but there’s also something off with the finish. Our best guess is that this is something that is intended to cover for the lack of sweetness to these naturally sweet fruit flavors. Packaging is decent, but there’s too much text and too little fruit imagery, resulting in something that feels very much like an afterthought product to the main Dasani water lineup. Plus, the shape of the bottle and the label that they’ve created feel very much like a work in progress. If nothing else, more dominant fruit elements and less of the dark blue backdrop would be more appealing and take the eye to the proper place.Reviewed on: 2/26/2009

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 18.5 fl oz
BevNET Review: Lime Essence is the best flavor of the bunch, if for no other reason than that lime is a naturally unsweetened flavor. However, we always have a soft spot for water with a twist of lime, which is one of those drinks that helps cleanse the palate. In that sense, this product is well executed. On the other hand, we’re not sure if a Dasani entry into unsweetened water is really going to help the brand. Looking at the packaging, which looks too similar to the core Dasani still water brand, it seems like the positioning of this product is trying to appeal to someone who’s drinking still water as opposed to flavored beverages. Otherwise, the package feels technical and sterile, relying exclusively on the image of a lime to lure the drinker in. Overall, an enjoyable but opportunistic effort that could have legs – if they can manage to improve it a bit.Reviewed on: 2/26/2009