Oooli

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16 oz Glass
BevNET Review: Made with five ingredients (water, cranberry juice, honey, green tea, citric acid), Oooli's Cranberry flavored Organic Green Tea is a very wholesome tasting product. Using honey as the only sweetener, the product doesn't have much in the way of sweetness, with only a faint touch of honey flavor to the finish. If you're a calorie conscious consumer, then this should be music to your ears, with the product having only 40 calories and 3 g of sugar per 16 oz. serving. But low calories doesn't mean that this product is low on flavor: the green tea, cranberry, and honey deliver a complex flavor that's very pleasing to the palate. If they are trying to prove the point that great taste doesn't mean lots of sweetness, then they've definitely succeeded. From a packaging perspective, the whimsical looking design fits the mold of what a USDA Organic low sugar tea should look like. It feels polished, but homespun, which ultimately sends the message that this product was created by someone who cares about the craft of tea making but also realizes that beverage packaging is also about image and aesthetics. To that extent, there's still a little room for refinement, with the "lower sugar" sending mixed messages about what's actually inside the bottle (putting the calorie and sugar content would be a better approach). Overall, though, this product is off to a great start.Reviewed on: 5/28/2010

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16 oz Glass
BevNET Review: Like the other sweetened flavors of Oooli, this variety uses minimal ingredients to create a wholesome, homemade flavor that's low in sugar. In this case, the product uses a sugar and brown rice syrup mixture, which, in addition to giving the product a light level of sweetness, adds a touch of molasses-like flavor to the mix. The green tea is spot on, with a medium strength brew that's flavorful but not grassy, resulting in something that should be palatable even to the mainstream consumer. On the other hand, the fruit flavor of this variety seems particularly muted, which could simply be the result of the lack of sweetness relative to two fruit flavors that are naturally very sweet. Still, the use of mango puree and passion fruit juice as opposed to flavorings is a plus, both in terms of flavor and marketability. Packaging is, like the other flavors, a 16 ounce bottle that has a very polished look for a newcomer to the beverage space. As we've cited in the other reviews, the "lower sugar" callout is really the only part of the design that needs improvement from our point of view. Overall, a very good product, although we're more fond of some of Oooli's other flavors. Reviewed on: 5/28/2010

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16 oz Glass
BevNET Review: Using a "lower sugar" formulation, Oooli's Pomegranate Ginger Blueberry Organic Green Tea has been designed to deliver great taste without a lot of calories or sugar. How they've done this is slightly different than the competition, with each flavor being derived from juice or puree instead of adding flavorings. So, there's certainly a more natural fruit and ginger flavor to this product than many of Oooli's competitors. Plus, they've sweetened the product with a mixture of sugar and brown rice syrup, which gives it a very mellow level of sweetness (on par with Honest Tea). The tea itself is very good, with bold green tea flavor pairing nicely with the other flavors in the drink. There's a slightly acidic note to the finish, but otherwise it's a very smooth experience. From a packaging and positioning perspective, the product has a whimsical vibe to its design, which seems like an okay approach for the tea category. Looking at the package, there's something about it that, despite the "lower sugar" badge, made us expect a sweeter product to be inside the bottle. Figuring out a way to further quantify it or describe it on the front of the bottle would certainly be helpful. Overall, this is a very enjoyable product that, with a few minor tweaks to its label, has the potential to be exceptional.Reviewed on: 5/28/2010

Product Type:Tea: Unsweetened; Container: 16 oz Glass
BevNET Review: Of the entire Oooli lineup, this product, despite solid execution, seems like a bit of a misstep for the brand. While the oolong tea that's inside the bottle is extremely enjoyable, calling this the "Original" which implies that this is the place for new consumers to start, doesn't seem like the right move. In addition, unsweetened Oolong tea is something that's been somewhat commoditized, with brands like Ito En likely cheaper on the price front. Perhaps adding a touch of lemon or another flavor would help. On the other hand, this product's packaging is the most clear of the bunch. This is due in part to "lower sugar" being replaced with "no sugar" something that's definitive sounding in comparison to the other varieties. Overall, it's still a good product, but we don't think that a completely unsweetened flavor will be a winner in the long run for this brand.Reviewed on: 5/28/2010