28 BLACK: 28 Black Açaí

Billed as an “acai premium drink”, 28 Black is, with its 80mg of caffeine per can, more of an energy drink than anything else. From a flavor perspective, the product has a flavor that we’d describe as “tart berry” than something as specific as acai. To that extent, calling this a premium drink might make consumers expect something that’s heavy on acai flavor. Regardless of what it’s called, it’s still very pleasing to drink, with a sugar sweetened mixture that’s well balanced. There’s just the right amount of tart fruit flavor to go with the level of sweetness in the drink, while a mild bite and a mellow amount of carbonation round things out. From a functional point of view, the product has B vitamins, Vitamin C, amino acids, 80mg of caffeine (we’re not sure why they list it as 32mg per 100ml), and coenzyme Q10. So, as far as energy drinks go, this product is definitely a good one. On the outside, we like the use of a matte black 8 ounce can. A minimalist design and black, silver, and gold color scheme make for something that catches the eye. However, we think that they’ve taken minimalism to a bit of an extreme, especially when it comes to figuring out what the brand name of the product is and what it’s for. Nit picking aside, this is a very enjoyable and well executed product.