Diabolo: Acai Berry Guava (2013)

Diabolo “Loco” Acai Berry Guava is a reduced-calorie energy drink and one of two varieties that make up the brand’s “Energizing Collection.” While we’re not sold on the company's segmentation of “Refreshing” and “Energizing” products (all of them look like energy drinks), this is definitely one of the more enjoyable varieties that we’ve sampled from Diabolo. The flavor is pretty much a fruit punch-style flavored energy drink, with a taste that is probably closer to the CSD end of the spectrum than that of a classic energy drink. We don’t really get the “acai berry guava” flavor that the it claims to have (and, for us, it doesn't taste like any of these ingredients on their own). The product is sweetened with sugar, sucralose and ace-k, which gives it a fairly nice level of sweetness and minimal aftertaste. However, at 25 calories per serving, we think the company should consider further reducing the calorie count so that it’s as close to zero as possible. Functionally, the product is very much your standard looking energy drink, with 80mg of caffeine, B vitamins and amino acids; it certainly shouldn’t leave anyone disappointed in terms of energy function. Visually, we have mixed feelings about this product. On the one hand, the product is clean and simple-looking. On the other hand, it feels sterile and, thanks to the vertical text, reads as “diablo” rather than the actual name of the brand. Lastly, it feels like a rather safe-looking product. The branding isn’t strong or personable enough to cut through the clutter of the category. Overall, this is a decent entry, but we feel like the company could definitely push the concept further.