Indulge Hawai'i

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16.9 oz PET
BevNET Review: There are lots of products out there that incorporate images of beach scenes or tropical landscapes, but few manage to actually incorporate these ideals into the flavor of the drink. Indulge Hawaii is an exception to the norm, with 12 percent pineapple juice mixed with organic tea, cane sugar, natural flavors, xanthan gum, and vitamin C. The pineapple juice gives the product both a logical tie to Hawaii and a flavor that’s original and enjoyable. There’s a fair amount of tea flavor to the mix, while the pineapple juice gives it a pleasant tropical flavor. The addition of xanthan gum gives the product an unneeded boost to the thickness, but otherwise, the product is very smooth and clean. On the outside, the fully wrapped bottle has a very clean look to it. However, the name, “Plantation Iced Tea,” doesn’t tell you what’s inside the bottle. Changing this to be more straightforward (and include the word “Pineapple”) seems like it would help. In addition, calling attention to the use of cane sugar from Maui might help. Otherwise, the product has an authentic and high quality feeling to it. Overall, this is a very enjoyable product, but cleaning up the product’s messaging would definitely help.

Product Type:Tea: Unsweetened; Container: 16.9 oz PET
BevNET Review: The “no sugar added” variety of Indulge Hawaii’s Plantation Iced Tea is a rebiana (stevia) sweetened beverage that contains 10 percent pineapple juice. It has a fairly pleasant flavor, although the pineapple flavor is much more subtle without the addition of sugar. What you do get is a medium bodied base of tea and a somewhat indistinguishable tropical fruit flavor. The stevia is easily detectable in the body of this drink and also leaves a slightly bitter note to the finish. Really, for a product that still has 10 calories per serving (20 per bottle), we’re somewhat disappointed with where this product’s flavor is at, especially in comparison to their sugar sweetened product. On the packaging front, they’ve made it quite clear that this is a product for the calorie conscious consumer, with both “no sugar added” and “only 10 calories per serving” on the front panel. However, they’ve still failed to properly articulate the flavor of the drink (pineapple tea), sticking with the conceptual “Plantation Iced Tea.” Overall, this product needs help in both flavor and the messaging that’s used on the bottle, but the concept is good.