GT's Kombucha

GT’s Sacred Life kombucha is a limited edition SKU created in celebration of the company’s 25th anniversary. The product features a unique formulation that’s blue in color and is packaged in a bottle that was designed just for this flavor.

When we think about the history of blue colored beverages, the majority of those that have been attempted -- whether successful (e.g. Gatorade Frost) or not (Pepsi Blue, anyone?) -- come from the other end of the spectrum in terms of health and natural ingredients. 

To that end, we think that consumers who know the GT’s brand or the natural beverage set might stop and pause when they see the (bright) blue liquid inside this bottle. That could be a good thing in terms of catching the eye, but we do question whether or not this will appeal to the senses over another beverage with a more familiar color.

Regardless of the chromatic approach, the execution of what’s inside this bottle is top notch. Core ingredients include kombucha, fresh pressed ginger juice, young coconut water, and blue spirulina. The kombucha base is light and tangy, while a hefty spike of ginger juice gives the product a mild but noticeable spice. There are also notes of kiwi (used in the kombucha) and coconut water that help bind these flavors together. 

Last, but certainly not least, is the blue spirulina, which is, as the name suggests, the source of the blue color. But it also adds a unique earthy note to the finish, as well as what seems like a bit of texture.

Comparing this with some of the other limited release flavors that we’ve seen from GT’s, Sacred Life is certainly a bit less fruit forward and, thanks to the spirulina, leans towards a more earthy flavor. While it’s not our first time having blue spirulina and we know that it’s recognized as a superfood, it is a little hard for our senses to get past the blue color.

On the outside, the product is packaged in a 16 oz. round glass bottle that’s the same overall shape as the rest of the GT’s family; however, the bottle has a custom look just for this flavor featuring an embossed “Flower of Life” design that’s an extension of the lotus flower that’s on all GT’s bottles. From a practical perspective, what the bran has created, which is a repeating pattern of symmetrical shapes, is definitely cool and catches the eye above and beyond its normal packaging.

The label, which is silver with metallic blue for the lettering and logo, looks the part of a limited edition, special product. Plus, the copy is simple and to the point, with “25” and “Limited Edition” being the focal points.

Overall, it’s hard to see a blue colored flavor besting GT’s other limited editions in terms of sales, but we still think that Sacred Life is a very worthy and thoughtful way to honor the company’s 25th anniversary -- while also showing that the brand is capable and comfortable with executing ideas that would likely prove extremely challenging without its depth of experience.

Since GT’s was the brand that created the kombucha category in the first place, it seems only appropriate for its Classic Gold to be the first alcoholic kombucha product to be reviewed on BevNET.

The Classic Gold lineup includes three flavors: Heavenly Hops, New World Noir, and Pina Paradise, each of which have 3 percent ABV and are packaged in 16.2 oz amber glass bottles.

From a taste perspective, we’d describe these products as being slightly richer in flavor than GT’s flagship Synergy or Kombucha offerings. There’s a slight note of alcohol at the finish, but fortunately this does not take away from what are three really well formulated products.

First up is New World Noir, which is a fruit-forward kombucha that features a slightly oaky flavor (one of the ingredients is “oak blend,” but it’s not clear what this actually is just from looking at the label). It’s made with aronia berry and blueberry juices and there’s also a touch of vanilla to the finish. It definitely tricks your palate into thinking that you are drinking something that contains wine, but it very much has the bite of kombucha in an otherwise smooth finish.

Second is Heavenly Hops, which was our favorite of the bunch. While this isn’t the first hopped kombucha that we’ve ever sampled, it is quite possibly the best. This one blends seven different hops, peach juice, and a base of raw kombucha, which results in something that tastes somewhat like a beer.

Finally, there’s Pina Paradise, which was inspired by Mexican tepache. It features raw kombucha, cold-pressed pineapple and turmeric juices, habanero pepper, and cinnamon as its primary ingredients. The product is sweet and spicy, with the pepper ultimately winning out as you continue to drink your way through the bottle.

On the outside, these products look very much like GT’s core non-alcoholic packaging -- aside from the amber glass bottle. GT’s has taken to using this bottle for it’s “over 21” products, which, aside from helping to protect the raw kombucha that’s inside,look the part of the beer category (which is how it’s legally classified anyway).

Otherwise, the labels are intuitive, cleanly designed, and easily identifiable as part of the GT’s family.

Overall, GT’s Classic Gold Kombuchas are very well executed products that do a great job of showcasing the company’s capabilities. And, similar to how its non-alcoholic offerings set the bar for that category, these products help set a high standard for other “hard kombucha” offerings.

The latest extension of the GT’s Kombucha seasonal lineup is Bloom, which blends elderflower, jasmine, and violet in what might be their most unique seasonal release to date.

Much like other GT’s flavors, the product really excels thanks to its balanced  formulation. In this particular case, the product is floral and fresh, with a mild amount of sweetness that’s consistent with their other seasonal offerings (this one has 8g of sugar per 8 oz.).

And of course, the product tastes great because the kombucha that is the base of the drink is well executed. It’s made with black tea, green tea, kiwi juice, and kombucha culture and has just the right amount of tea flavor, effervescence, and sweetness. It is, especially when paired with the flavors that they’ve layered on top, quite crushable.

Beyond what’s inside the bottle, GT’s Living Foods is including a charitable component to the sale of the product -- now standard for their seasonal offerings. This time around, they are supporting the Born this Way Foundation (read more about it in the official press release).

Finally, there’s the packaging. Bloom has the painted-on label that you’ll find on all of their seasonals. The illustrated approach is whimsical but clearly very carefully executed. You’ll find all of the important elements colored in yellow and placed in the center, while elements colored in white are more conceptual and speak to some of the things that the GT’s brand stands for.

Continuing with the theme of limited edition flavors that started with their 20th anniversary flavor, launched back in 2015, GT’s Kombucha has recently released a 2017 Fall seasonal flavor called “Living in Gratitude.”

The product, which also has a social/charitable component, is a blend of kombucha, apple, turmeric, carrot, and cider spices. The flavor is lightly sweet, moderately effervescent, and is complex but smooth.. They’ve done a superb job of selecting flavors that complement each other, withthe turmeric and cider spices working really well with the sweetness of the apple and the vegetable flavor that the carrot imparts.

Unlike the many pumpkin spice flavored products that are practically smacking your palate with “Fall” flavors, GT’s Gratitude does it in a really subtle and enjoyable way. The underlying flavors really shine, which makes this a product that could certainly have legs beyond just being a seasonal flavor. However, as a seasonal product -- and there are a growing number in the kombucha category -- this is probably one of the best tasting ones we’ve ever sampled.

On the packaging front, we’ve been in love with the style of the seasonal labels since we first laid our eyes on the Sharing Gratitude flavor back in 2015. It’s clean and visually appealing, and its simplicity feels on-brand for a company that’s about organic and raw living food.

However, we have two suggestions for how they could make this even better. First, we wish that that the flavor of the product had a more prominent place on the bottle (or perhaps a flavor name). Second, if seasonals are going to continue to be a part of the GT’s lineup, we wish that there was a more clear way to make it obvious that this is the current seasonal (e.g. a larger “Fall 2017” callout).

Overall, GT’s Living in Gratitude is a really well-executed seasonal offering that’s super tasty and very on-trend. It’s definitely one of the best tasting kombucha products that we’ve had all year.

GT’s Kombucha has recently released a new Summer seasonal flavor called “Liberty,” which will be available from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2017.

The product, which features watermelon, cherry, and lime, is a well-crafted formulation that does a great job of using classic summertime flavors. This all starts with the watermelon, which is the first flavor to hit your palate. From there, you’ll taste the raspberry and lime, which has an old-school soda shop style raspberry lime rickey flavor. Lastly, there’s the kombucha, which adds a slightly fermented note to the finish. And all of these flavors come from added juice rather than flavorings.

That being said, this is an extremely gulpable and mainstream oriented flavor. And it’s a nice showcase for just how far the category has come since its origins, when comparisons to vinegar were the norm. While we understand why they are launching this as a limited release product, it certainly has enough merit to be a part of the regular lineup.

We’d say the same for the packaging. It follows the same format used by their last limited edition flavor, Sharing Gratitude, which the company released for its 20th anniversary. It uses a painted-on label that gives the product a chic look.We’d love to see GT’s utilize this format more often.

GT’s has added a social cause to this product by creating a “#LibertyForAll” campaign. The campaign has the company donating $1 to the ACLU for each photo that’s posted on social media tagging both the hashtag and the company’s official social media account, @GTsKombucha. While this isn’t overly obvious from looking at the bottle (since it’s not really mentioned), it’s a bit of a bonus and certainly a nice gesture from the company.

Overall, GT’s Kombucha has done a really nice job with Liberty. The flavor and the packaging are both top notch.