Sapp: Rosehip

We sampled three varieties of Sapp, which include Original and Nettle, however, this one, Rosehip, was our favorite flavor. It’s the only one of the three where the acidic flavor doesn’t totally run over your palate, which is definitely a good thing. While the flavor of the birch water is slightly reduced, the addition of the rosehip is enjoyable. But if you’re looking for a product that really showcases the birch water, this isn’t it. This flavor actually drinks more like an herbal tea than the other flavors. Ultimately, we have mixed feelings about this product. On the one hand, diving into flavorings might be a bit premature, especially ones that are as potent as rosehips. On the other hand, it does taste enjoyable. We’re also fans of the fact that the product has only 10 calories and 3g of naturally occurring sugars per bottle. It’s also high in manganese, although we’re not sure that consumer awareness is high enough to make this a real selling point over other similar beverages, such as maple water. From a packaging and branding perspective, the name Sapp is straightforward, although it appears to have improper use of an umlaut. There’s a lot left to do with the packaging, including a better label (it’s paper and falls off), organic certification, and consideration of other package formats than glass. The last point might not sound overly important, but it is if the product is to stand with the tree water products that are gaining momentum. Overall, we like the concept and are curious to see where the company takes it from here.