OatWorks

Product Type:Juice: Smoothie; Container: 10.8 oz PET
BevNET Review: Like the other two flavors of Oat Works, Mango & Peach is a 100 percent juice drink that has been enhanced with PromOat (oat fiber). From a flavor perspective, this is probably the most straightforward tasting of the three varieties that we sampled, with the mango and peach being the dominant flavors. The added pear and apple juices don't get in the way as much as they do in the Strawberry & Banana variety, which results in a cleaner, more enjoyable experience. Functionally, being enhanced with oats is pretty straightforward in the sense that it's an ingredient that is universally understood as something good for you. In the case of this product, it adds 2g of soluble fiber per bottle, which is certainly meaningful. However, we think that "oat & fruit smoothie" will imply the drink is going to have at least some faint oatmeal flavor (it doesn't). Figuring out some way to address that head on might be a good thing. Otherwise, the aesthetics of the drink are pretty good, with a simple front panel and easy to understand copy on the back that explains the benefits of the drink. If there's anything that we'd consider changing, it would be the two color logo (one color would probably feel more polished). Overall, Oat Works' Mango & Peach is a unique and enjoyable spin on a classic smoothie beverage. Reviewed on: 12/5/2012

Product Type:Juice: Smoothie; Container: 10.8 oz PET
BevNET Review: The final flavor of Oat Works that we sampled was this one, Pomegranate & Blueberry. Like the other flavors, it's a 100percent juice blend that includes apple and pear juices. However, this particular blend also features raspberry puree (in addition to blueberry and pomegranate, of course). Fortunately, the tartness of the raspberry, blueberry, and pomegranate mask the apple and pear. However, this drink, which, like the other flavors, uses guar gum and xanthan gum, is a bit too thick to the point where it has gone beyond what you'd get from these fruits naturally. However, that can be explained by the added PromOat (oats make things thick, right?). For some reason, this is really the only flavor where we found ourselves thinking that we can taste the oats, but it's hard to pinpoint why that is. In any event, the mixture that they've created is quite enjoyable -- and the 2g of soluble fiber doesn't hurt either. From an appearance perspective, this is our favorite of the three, with the color of the liquid and the choice of label colors feeling stronger than the others. We honestly wouldn't change a thing about it. Overall, another solid flavor from Oat Works. Reviewed on: 12/5/2012

Product Type:Juice: Smoothie; Container: 10.8 oz PET
BevNET Review: As far as ready to drink smoothie flavors go, strawberry and banana is probably as close to peanut butter and jelly as you’ll get. So, we decided to start with this flavor, which we thought would give us the best sense of what an oat and fruit smoothie is all about. The product has a pretty fruity nose, with the strawberry and apple (there’s also pear) providing most of the drink’s aroma. From there, the slightly thick liquid tastes very much like a classic strawberry and banana smoothie before finishing with a slight note of apple and pear. At this point, you’re probably thinking what we were: where are the oats? The product definitely does not taste like oatmeal, which is probably a good thing in terms of mainstream drinkability. However, not being able to taste it might diminish the perceived health benefit (if it looks like juice and tastes like juice, it must be a juice drink, right?). In any event, the oats are in there, at least the fiber of it is (oat beta glucan) in a proprietary ingredient called PromOat. Visually, it’s pretty clear that this is an oat based drink. It definitely has a good-for-you look, which seems like the right approach for this type of product. However, the gold color used on the word “oat” in the logo is hard to read from far away. Otherwise, they’ve done a nice job of making a package that’s pleasing to the eye, polished, and easy to figure out. Definitely worth a try. Reviewed on: 12/5/2012