Urban Farm Fermentory Kombucha

Product Type:Tea: Kombucha; Container: 500ml glass
BevNET Review: Urban Farm Fermentory’s Ginger Root is a 1.5% ABV kombucha beverage that’s made in Maine. From a flavor perspective, it’s pretty heavy on the vinegar flavor that is the result of this being a fermented product. There’s a hint of sweetness to the product, but that’s about it. As for the ginger, it definitely adds some much needed contrast by way of its natural spice. In this particular formulation, it’s not overly spicy, especially after the vinegary flavor of the kombucha is mixed with it. Visually, the 500ml glass bottle has an artisanal look to it, right down to the plastic wrap that has been placed over the cap. The small mouth bottle makes this something that really has to be sipped, but we don’t see that being an issue for a product like this. Our only issue with what they’ve created is the clear label and their choice of a yellow and white color palette. It’s very difficult to read against the yellowish backdrop of the liquid. Changing up the colors or leaving less transparent would definitely help this product’s shelf presence. Overall, Urban Farm Fermentory’s Ginger Root Kombucha is a nicely executed product, but the visuals need improvement.Reviewed on: 10/5/2012

Product Type:Tea: Kombucha; Container: 500ml glass
BevNET Review: Of the three kombucha flavors that we sampled from Urban Farm Fermentory, the ElderFlower (sic) variety might just be our favorite. The floral flavor of elderflower provides a nice complement to the light vinegar flavor that comes from the kombucha. Otherwise, there’s a mild amount of sweetness to this drink and a slight amount of carbonation. All in all, it’s a complex, but very enjoyable flavor -- especially when compared to other kombuchas that we’ve sampled. On the packaging front, we like the squat 500ml (about 17 ounces) bottle. It’s labeled as an alcoholic beverage (at 1.5%), so there’s no ingredient list or nutrition panel on the product. It’s hard to say if that’s a benefit or something that will work against the product. Aesthetically speaking, they’ve succeeded in creating a label that feels like a small batch product. However, the choice of colors, such as the white for the text, wasn’t the best when it comes to making this easy to read. Simply making the text black and using an accent color that isn’t so close to the color of the liquid would be a nice way to improve the product. Overall, Urban Farm Fermentory’s ElderFlower variety is a nice entry into the kombucha category.Reviewed on: 10/5/2012