Teas' Tea Plus

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16.9oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Teas' Tea Plus is a line of reduced calorie "Half & Half" style teas that use a blend of sugar and stevia to achieve their 50 calories per serving (100 per bottle). Looking at the flavor lineup, the Half & Half with Lemonade definitely seems like their most marketable and mainstream effort. Using a base of green tea and adding in lemon juice isn’t exactly something that qualifies as “Half & Half,” but it’s certainly a well executed lemon flavored tea. The presence of the stevia is pretty easy to miss, while the sugar helps the product achieve a very natural tasting sweetness. However, it’s definitely not on the sweet side, leaving the gap between this product and those that have simply reduced sugar pretty small. From a visual sense, we wish the Ito En brand was more present, with the front panel almost looking like some sort of store brand as there’s really no logo for the product. In addition, the word “Plus” implies some sort of enhancement, which simply isn’t what this product is about (we can only assume that it’s “plus” is the stevia). Combining all of this, it’s hard to say what the product stands for. Ultimately, a more assertive and personable brand would do a lot for this product, especially considering all of the other more strongly branded products that it’s up against. Reviewed on: 2/8/2013

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16.9oz Plastic
BevNET Review: This variety pairs green tea with green apple, which makes for a pretty unique tasting variety. The base green tea is quite light, while the apple flavor (which comes from flavoring and added apple juice) starts to take over the palate as you make your way through the bottle. However, it, along with the sugar, does a nice job of masking the stevia sweetener that has been added to help reduce the calories. All in all, it’s a nice tasting product that offers a flavor that isn’t commonly used in RTD lineups. Visually, we have mixed feelings about this product. For anyone who has had Ito En teas, the look will certainly have at least some subtle familiarity. However, for those who are new to the brand, we think it might be somewhat confusing as to whether this is a store brand or not. Teas’ Tea, both the name and the logo, have a very common feeling to it. And it’s definitely lacking in the personality department to the point where it doesn’t actually sound like a brand. Calling it “Half & Half,” which, at least in the US has come to mean a blend of iced tea and lemonade, only confuses the matter. Attempting to repurpose something that already has meaning is a risky move, especially when the underlying brand seems to have its own challenges. Still, given that the flavor and the concept are good, we think there’s something here if they can retool this a bit. Overall, it’s a good start, but it feels like something that should very much be a work in progress.Reviewed on: 2/8/2013

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16.9oz Plastic
BevNET Review: Teas’ Tea Half & Half Green Tea with Peach takes one of the most popular fruit flavors to be paired with tea and delivers it in a reduced calorie format that uses sugar and stevia. In terms of flavor, it definitely seems like a success, with a pleasant base of green tea and an accurate tasting peach flavor. There’s a modest amount of sweetness to the product, with only a hint of stevia at the finish. The concept of a 50 calorie serving is good, although using a bottle that is referred to as a single serve size seems like something that would be more honestly labeled as 100 calories. In terms of branding and packaging, we are again left feeling like the brand should be further developed to make the product seem more exciting. Maybe that’s something that Ito En doesn’t think is an issue (their other teas aren’t exactly exciting, but have been successful), but in the sweetened tea space there are definitely a host of very strong brands that this product will be up against. In addition, they really need to rethink the use of “Plus” and “Half and Half,” which are essentially being misused on this product. Otherwise, we think the visual format that they have for this product is a nice play on their core brand. Overall, a nice product, but it would be a lot better if it communicated what it is in a more clear and personable way. Reviewed on: 2/8/2013