Review: Koa Raspberry Olakino

Swapping lemongrass flavor for that of raspberries, Koa’s Raspberry Olakino is a slight riff on its flagship Natural Olakino. It shares many similar attributes to its counterpart, including a zero-calorie formulation that’s made with 100 percent juice that is filtered using a proprietary process. So, while this product looks just like a bottle of water, it actually has a pretty hefty amount of raspberry flavor to it. In many ways, the resulting raspberry flavor is not that different from what you’d get by using raspberry flavoring. (Perhaps the processes of creating the two are related?) In any event, it makes for light-tasting product that’s not far off from a flavored water. The lack of added acid, which you’ll find in most flavored waters, is one of the noticeable differences and the product is extremely smooth and fresh tasting. But there’s more to this product than just taste; it has over a dozen vitamins and minerals listed as part of its nutrition facts panel. This part of the product, which comes from the fruit and vegetable ingredients, is something that definitely sets it apart. Plus, the label is clean in that you can understand exactly what is being put in this product. Combine all of these things and we think that the beverage has a unique and on-trend value proposition. Last, but not least, the packaging is well-executed and attractive. The 12.7 oz. bottle has a slim shape to it and the label, which places white text on the front of the bottle and a red leaf on the back of the bottle, helps give the product a premium look. While it’s not innately clear what an Olakino is, the look of the product does enough to catch the eye and from there the company has done a nice job of explaining it in easy to understand language. Overall, this is a very nice line extension that will hopefully be the first of a few more to round out the brand.

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