Suja

Product Type:Other; Container: 16oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Suja’s “Choc Full" is a well executed product that is made with a raw (high pressure processed) and organic blend of water, coconut, honey, almonds, cacao paste, and cacao powder. The flavor is extremely smooth and balanced, with just the right amount of each flavor present in the mix. Plus, there’s a slightly indulgent side to this product that definitely appeals to the senses. Nutritionally, this product has protein, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium, making it a great option as a meal replacement beverage. Visually, this product is very appealing, with a clear bottle and label that let you see the chocolate liquid that’s contained inside. Unless you dislike chocolate, it will certainly appeal to the senses. Otherwise, the label, which is somewhat text heavy, is pretty easy to comprehend. This particular flavor doesn’t feel like it needs a ton of explanation -- the visual appearance of the liquid should be sufficient. However, we do like the name “Choc Full,” which is, unlike some of the other flavors in the Suja line, a useful descriptor of the product. Overall, Suja’s Choc Full is an exceptional product. Reviewed on: 10/17/2012

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 16oz Plastic
BevNET Review: The “Purify” variety of Suja is a raw (high pressure processed) and organic blend of carrots, apple, celery, cucumber, beet, and lemon juices. This flavor truly showcases how good Suja is at formulating juice combinations that work. Several of the ingredients used in this product could easily overpower the rest, but instead the mix is perfectly balanced and has just the right amount of vegetable and sweet flavors. It’s an extremely addictive combination. In terms of the packaging and presentation, the product definitely whets the appetite. While it will take a little while for the uninitiated to figure out what this product is, it seems pretty obvious that this is a good for you product. However, we’d like to see the front panel organized a little better, with the ingredients less spread apart and a more prominent mention of the fact that this is a raw product. We’re also not overly fond of the name “Purify,” which doesn’t help the consumer understand what this product is. Regardless, they’ve done a very nice job with this product.Reviewed on: 10/17/2012

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 16oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Suja’s “Fuel” is a blend of nine carrots, one orange, one apple, a slice of pineapple, half of a lemon, and a pinch of turmeric. As you can imagine, the bright orange juice has a heavy carrot and orange flavor, with the pineapple being the only other thing that is easily distinguishable from the mix. The apple, lemon, and turmeric are lost in the mix, but that’s okay -- this flavor still tastes amazing. The “raw” high pressure processed (meaning the ingredients have never been heated) results in something that is super fresh tasting and a leap above traditional super premium juices. However, this approach to high quality comes at a price, literally, with this product retailing around the $10 mark. On the outside, they’ve chosen a clear 16 oz. plastic bottle, which is tall and narrow in shape. The label is clear, with the exception of an orange band around the bottom and another one around the top. These bands are definitely where your eye goes first, while the center area includes a variety of text elements that have been interspersed amongst each other. While it makes for something that’s visually unique, we’re not sure that this is the best approach to helping the consumer understand what this product is all about. Overall, there are some slight concerns regarding the label, but this is otherwise a top notch juice product. Reviewed on: 10/17/2012

Product Type:Other; Container: 16oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Of the two nut based flavors that we sampled (Choc Full being the other), Vanilla Cloud is less indulgent-tasting. It’s made with water, coconut meat, honey, almonds, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and nutmeg. The resulting flavor tastes very much like almond milk flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, with the honey adding both some earthy flavor and thickness to the mix. This being a cold pressed raw product (rather than almond milk, which is more processed), the body of the drink is slightly gritty, but we’d still describe it more as milky than watery. Nutritionally, this product has 140 calories, 7g of fat, 11g of dietary fiber, 4g of protein, 8 percent RDA of iron, and 4 percent RDA of calcium per 8 ounce serving (two servings per bottle). Visually, the front panel is busy and text laden, but the design of this particular flavor seems to work for whatever reason. The approach definitely helps bolster the “raw” approach to what’s inside, while the name “vanilla cloud” is on the right track of being a useful name (adding the word “almond” would make it even better). Overall, we really like what they’ve created with this flavor.Reviewed on: 10/17/2012

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 16oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Made with a three-ingredient blend of apple, kale, and lemon, Suja’s Green Supreme is a very enjoyable raw cold pressed juice (which has been high pressure processed). Each of the three flavors is distinguishable from the whole, with the kale probably the most dominant of the bunch. There’s sweetness, but the drink isn’t something that we’d describe as sweet, with the acidity and tartness of the lemon helping to bridge the gap between the apple and kale. Otherwise, we’d simply note that this is a pretty thin-bodied juice with only the slightest bit of pulp in the liquid. Visually, this is one of the better products from Suja. The green liquid provides a nice backdrop to the white text on the bottle. More importantly, the name of the drink, Green Supreme, actually helps whet the appetite and acts as a general descriptor of what’s inside the bottle (we can’t say that about all of Suja’s product names). Overall, this is one of the best tasting greens based juices that we’ve ever sampled and it’s one of our favorites of the initial Suja lineup. Reviewed on: 10/17/2012

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 16oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Unlike the rest of the the Suja lineup, this variety uses added stevia, presumably to cut calories and sugar levels to something that’s more desirable to those consumers who are watching their intake. While this is all well and good, it does essentially diminish the raw and cold-pressed aspect of the product (at least in the sense that the other products are entirely raw and cold-pressed). Fortunately, the formulation that they’ve created for this product is well done, which effectively keeps the flavor of the stevia to a minimum. It includes water, strawberries, raspberries, lemon, honey, tart cherry concentrate, stevia and cayenne, with the primary flavor being that of the strawberries. The lemon and the heat from the cayenne do a great job of masking the stevia while also adding a nice counterbalance to the tart flavor that the base of the drink has. Visually, this product definitely has the ability to whet the appetite, but we have the same concern that we have about some of their other flavors that use conceptual names (that they’ll confuse, rather than enhance, the consumer while quickly scanning the cooler). Overall, the use of stevia is a unique approach (at least with cold pressed juices that we’ve sampled), but they’ve done a nice job of incorporating it in such a way that it doesn’t detract from the product. Reviewed on: 10/17/2012

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 16oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Suja’s “Glow” variety is a blend of apple, cucumber, celery, collard greens, spinach, kale, and peppermint leaf, all of which are organic (the beverage is USDA Organic certified). It’s a “raw” formulation, which is to say that they’ve used high pressure processing (HPP) instead of pasteurization (which, of course, uses heat). As for the flavor, the product is, despite its green color, relatively light in body and quite refreshing. And, thanks to the HPP, it’s super fresh tasting. Despite the heavy emphasis on green ingredients, the product doesn’t have an overwhelmingly strong vegetable flavor. The apple provides some contrast through its natural sweetness, while the touch of mint helps cleanse the palate (although the celery flavor does linger a bit). Visually, the 16 oz. slim plastic bottle has a premium but hip look. The front panel is exclusively text, which keeps the visual emphasis on the liquid. Given the type of product, that makes sense, although paring down some of the text would allow for more emphasis on the important elements (such as “Organic, Raw, & Cold Pressed”). Finally, there’s the naming convention, which, in the case of this flavor, is “Glow.” We understand what they are trying to achieve, but it has a certain functional tone that might be confusing. Giving it a name that states something about the flavor or style of the formulation would be more useful in our opinion. Nitpicking aside, this is a very enjoyable and well executed product. Reviewed on: 10/17/2012

Product Type:Other; Container: 16oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Based on the classic “master cleanse,” Suja’s Master Cleanse drink is made with water, lemon, maple syrup and cayenne. True to the form of a master cleanse beverage, this product is quite spicy, with the lemon and maple quickly fading to the background as the cayenne overwhelms your palate. If you aren’t doing a master cleanse, this product might still lure you in based on its visuals, but you’ll likely find it to be a bit too spicy for general consumption (unless you are a true spice junkie). That said, we’re torn on the approach that they’ve chosen. It’s really good for the purpose that it’s serving, but is that purpose one that has a large enough base to justify the shelf space? Beyond that, the execution of the product is really good, with a very fresh taste to the product thanks to high pressure processing rather than pasteurization. And the bottle design gives the product a clean and appetizing look, which will definitely help it catch the eye in the cooler. Overall, this product has great execution, but the appeal feels slightly limited based on the niche that they’ve chosen.Reviewed on: 10/17/2012