Zola Açaí

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 32 oz PET
BevNET Review: While it is a very nice tasting beverage, ZOLA’s Acai with Blueberry is just a little too similar to their Acai Original product. It has the same base acai flavor (complete with a slight amount of pulp to the finish) and 24mg of caffeine, but the blueberry flavor creates only the subtlest of differences in flavor. Increasing the blueberry flavor, or perhaps even choosing a different fruit flavor, might help it achieve an identity of its own. On the packaging front, we’d say the same thing, with blueberries scattered throughout a pile of acai berries looking similar, especially from afar, to the Acai Original. However, if we were to consider this package by itself, it is still a very nice looking, polished design. Overall, a very enjoyable product, but creating more variation from Acai Original would definitely be an improvement.Reviewed on: 3/9/2011

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 32 oz PET
BevNET Review: Made with 93% juice, sugar, guarana (which adds 24mg of caffeine), and citric acid, soy lecithin, and natural flavors, ZOLA has created a very nice tasting USDA Organic acai drink. The product is slightly tart and moderately sweet, with a touch of acai grit (from the pulp) to the finish. This product is definitely up there with the best of the acai category in terms of flavor and quality. They’ve done a really nice job with the packaging, which is a 12 or 32 oz. PET 2 bottle. The label has a matte finish, with the exception of gloss finish around the logo at the top of the bottle. Graphics are vibrant and whet the appetite, while text has been arranged in a clean and easy to read fashion. All of this combines to give the product a very professional and polished look, which ultimately makes the product feel like a credible premium juice brand. Overall, a very well executed product from ZOLA.Reviewed on: 3/9/2011

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 32 oz PET
BevNET Review: Like the other ZOLA flavors, Acai with Pomegranate uses a 93 percent juice blend (acai pulp, cane juice, pomegranate juice), which delivers a very bold and natural fruit taste. Compared with the Original variety, this product has a much more tart body, no surprise given the use of pomegranate juice. However, it’s a very balanced mix, with just the right amount of acai and pomegranate. USDA Organic certification is a plus, especially since some of ZOLA’s competitors also are certified organic. The only other thing of note about the formulation is the addition of guarana, which gives the product 24mg of caffeine (about 1/3 of typical energy drink) per serving. Again, they’ve done a really nice job with the packaging, creating something that is easy to read, visually appealing, upscale, and approachable. That being said, we think that this package definitely will have broad appeal. Definitely one of the more enjoyable acai drinks that we’ve sampled in recent memory.Reviewed on: 3/9/2011

Product Type:Juice: Coconut Water and Juice; Container: 17.5 oz Can
BevNET Review: Zola’s Coconut Water entry is a not from concentrate “pure” coconut water beverage. It’s produced in Thailand and comes packaged in a 17.5 oz. steel can, which, like other products in this package, has a fair amount of ribs on it. From both a looks and flavor standpoint, the product is very much interchangeable with other canned coconut waters. With a flavor profile that’s a bit sweeter than some of the offerings that come in Tetra Pak cartons, Zola Coconut Water is probably closer to a juice than “water.” Still, it’s enjoyable and relatively low in calories, with 55 calories per 8 oz. serving. On the electrolytes front, the product has sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium and it’s certainly a hydrating product to consume. Visually, it follows the same design format as Zola’s bottled offerings, but adapted to coconut water and the different shape of the can. The product has the “tropical beach coconut” theme that has become synonymous with the category, so it should be easily identifiable as a coconut water. While it doesn’t feel as sophisticated as Zola’s bright purple bottles do, it’s definitely a step above the ethnic players in the category. Overall, this seems like a smart, timely, and, for the most part, well executed move on the part of Zola to grab a piece of the rapidly growing coconut water category.Reviewed on: 3/7/2012