Zone 8: Hibiscus Tea

Made with organic hibiscus tea, organic cane sugar and organic lime juice, this variety of Zone 8 was the most enjoyable of the three that we sampled. It’s also the best representation of the brand, which has the tagline “experience the flavors of the world.” Being an herbal tea, the product, which has no caffeine, has a mild flavor that is slightly floral. If you’ve ever had a jamaica aguas frescas or another hibiscus tea, this should be a familiar tasting product. There’s a fair amount of sweetness to the product (34g per bottle), while a touch of lime definitely rounds out the finish. And that’s pretty much it -- it’s a very straightforward and enjoyable blend. As for the branding and packaging, we’re still somewhat perplexed by what the company has created. “Zone 8” has no explanation on the bottle, and its visual treatment says “functional beverage” to us. This is the exact opposite of what this product is, both in terms of what’s inside the bottle and the copy on the back of the bottle. In our opinion, the company should consider either a rebrand or redesign to make things more intuitive. Outside of that, it’s certainly a nice tasting product and we appreciate the company's desire to use minimally processed ingredients.