Blume Honey Water

Blume Honey Water, which we first reviewed in March 2018, is back with a big update to both its packaging and formulation.

The original version came squat 10 ounce bottles that contained 100 calories and 22 grams of natural sugar from honey each. At the time, we expressed concerns about the product’s relatively small serving size, as well as the amount of sugar it contained.

Fortunately, Blume’s latest revision addresses both of these concerns by shifting to a larger 16 ounce bottle and reducing sugar content.

The three flavors, which, like the original lineup, includes Vanilla Citrus, Wild Blueberry, and Ginger Zest, can are all light and refreshing. They drink a bit more like flavored water than what we remember of the original. Given the larger bottle size, this is definitely a good thing; we think it would be pretty easy to gulp down a bottle.

From a flavor perspective, Blume’s products are all solid. Ginger Zest has sweet and spicy with a touch of lemon to the finish and definitely benefits from being a bit less sweet than the first iteration. Wild Blueberry, which starts with a base of blueberry-infused water, has a bright blueberry flavor and a nice touch of honey to round it out. Finally, there’s Vanilla Citrus, which begins with notes of honey and vanilla before finishing with a splash of lemon.

Diving into the branding and packaging a bit more, we like the decision to move from a fully wrapped to a partially transparent label . The new design features a rectangular white panel that runs from top to bottom, some illustrations of flowers and fruit on the sides, and an illustration of a bee flying across the label. The text is cleanly and intuitively arranged and, perhaps most importantly, the new look is appealing and inviting overall.

In the end, this is a pretty major upgrade for Blume Honey Water. The product feels much more market ready and well-executed than the first time around, and, if it’s placed in the juice or tea set, we think it has a shot to do well.

Blume Honey Water is a line of beverages that are made with “100% bee-friendly honey” positioned as delivering “elegant energy” and “artisanal hydration.” The product line features three SKUs, including Vanilla Citrus, Wild Blueberry, and Ginger Zest, each of which are packaged in a wrapped 10 oz. plastic bottle.

The first and most obvious question about this product is regarding the “bee-friendly honey,” which is clearly a key part of what Blume is offering. The company claims that they use honey from humane beekeepers where the bees are not overworked or mistreated. More information is available on the company’s website for those who are interested.

As for the liquid inside the bottle, we think they’ve done a pretty nice job. The flavor of honey is present in all three products and we like that it is both a sweetener and part of the flavor of the drink. From there, each flavor gets its own identity from added juice, flavorings, and, in some cases, a base of infused water.

We were particularly fond of the Ginger Zest, which has notes of sweet and spicy with a touch of lemon to the finish. Wild Blueberry, which starts with a base of blueberry-infused water, has a really bright blueberry flavor, while still managing to be light on the palate. Lastly, there’s Vanilla Citrus, which has a lot of vanilla up front before giving way to the honey and a splash of lemon.

Nutritionally, the products clock in at 100 calories and 22g of sugars per bottle, which is certainly on the full calorie end of the spectrum when you consider that the product comes in a 10 oz. bottle. It’s hard to say if consumers will see honey as a functional element or not, but we think this product is probably right on the fence of being perceived as high in calories or sugar.

That leads us to the branding and the packaging. The most obvious criticism of what they’ve done is going to be the size and choice of a squat looking bottle. At 10 ounces, it’s certainly not the smallest format beverage on the store shelves, but it definitely has a smallish look. A taller and more slender bottle might fix this -- and it certainly wouldn’t hurt the look of the product if they could find a bottle with fewer ribs right in the middle.

Otherwise, our feeling on the branding is that it looks a bit too earthy and natural to the point where it really doesn’t do a great job selling you on honey as a functional ingredient. We’d probably like it better if it were more modern and chic and perhaps took a slightly playful approach to the bees.

Overall, Blume Honey Water’s strongest assets are in its flavor and formulation. The underlying concept seems like a good one, but the presentation of the product feels like it could be improved upon.