Reviews: Liquid Death, Throne Sport Coffee, House of Cha, Dappy

In this roundup of new product reviews, we check in with a Super Bowl QB’s favorite sport coffee, sip booze-free functional drinks from Dappy, enter the House of Cha and come face to face with Liquid Death‘s new soda-inspired sparkling waters.

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Throne Sport Coffee: Mint Mocha

Throne Sport Coffee’s brand new Mint Mocha is a smooth and creamy enhanced coffee drink.

The first line extension since the brand’s launch, Throne Sport Coffee’s brand new Mint Mocha is a smooth and creamy enhanced coffee drink. Mint, chocolate, and coffee is a combination that works surprisingly well. Plus, the green can has some nice visual pop. For more information, go to sportcoffee.com.

Things that stand out:

  • Enjoyable flavor with only 50 calories and 8 grams of added sugar.
  • The functional cocktail of 150mg of caffeine, electrolytes, B vitamins, and BCAA’s feels very marketable – especially with the athletic consumer that Throne Sport Coffee is targeting.

Things to consider:

  • A little too much bite (presumably from the functional ingredients) at the finish.
  • The can says “dairy free,” which could imply a plant-based milk (the product contains no “milk” at all).
  • A front label callout for calories might be helpful.

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The House of Cha: Masala Oatmilk Cha

House of Cha uses oatmilk, but otherwise attempts to deliver unadulterated, authentic chai flavor.

You say chai, I say cha? That’s basically what The House of Cha is going for with its new RTD chai drink. The product uses oatmilk, but otherwise attempts to deliver unadulterated, authentic chai flavor. It’s sugar sweetened and has 25 grams of added sugar and 140 calories per 11 ounce can while the added tea provides 128 mg of caffeine. For more information, visit thehouseofcha.com.

Things that stand out:

  • Very smooth flavor that delivers a mild chai spice flavor.
  • The use of oatmilk works really well – you wouldn’t know that this is dairy-free.
  • The bright red can is definitely eye-catching and we like the boldness of the Cha logo.

Things to consider:

  • The most likely questions that consumers will have are most certainly going to be “what is cha?” and “is it chai?” Don’t fight it, we say: just add the word “chai” to the front of the package.
  • The badge next to the logo, which is a speed limit sign for India’s National Highway 44, could be confused as a functional callout.
  • Additional SKUs would be helpful as it’s hard to be a single-SKU brand.

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Dappy Booze-free Functional Drink

Dappy is a two-SKU line of sparkling functional drinks that are positioned as alcohol alternatives

Dappy is a two-SKU line of sparkling functional drinks that are positioned as alcohol alternatives. Flavors include Cucumber Ginger Yuzu and Tangerine Grapefruit Jalepeno; both 12 oz varieties contain ginseng, L-theanine, cordyceps, Lion’s mane, and guayusa. For more information, visit drinkdappy.com.

Things that stand out:

  • Sweetened with blue agave syrup (3g added sugar per can), the drinks have a very clean and enjoyable taste and the use occasion could be more broad than just replacing alcohol. We especially like the spicy Tangerine Grapefruit Jalapeño.
  • 30 calories and 3 grams of sugar without any zero calorie sweeteners.
  • “Dappy” as a brand sounds playful and fun.

Things to consider:

  • Does this brand need to position itself exclusively as a booze-free product?
  • The front of the can needs work – it’s hard to quickly figure out what the drink is and we think calling out 30 calories would help potential consumers.
  • The functional blend promotes slightly conflicting benefits, e.g. relaxation, calm, and energy.

Rating:

 

Liquid Death: Killer Cola, Rootbeer Wrath, Doctor Death

Liquid Death has introduced its own twist on better-for-you soda, launching three CSD-inspired sparkling water flavors in 12 oz. and 19.2 oz. cans. Available in Killer Cola, Rootbeer Wrath and Doctor Death flavors, the drinks are lightly sweetened with stevia and agave nectar (2 grams of sugar per 12 oz. can) and made with natural flavors. For more information, visit liquiddeath.com.

Things that stand out:

  • Without being full flavor CSDs, these sparkling waters capture the flavor profiles of their inspirations, with Doctor Death as the standout.
  • The branding is fully in line with what we expect from Liquid Death – these bear a proven, simple and clean can design with catchy flavor names that invite curiosity.
  • The flavors are on trend with the resurgence of better-for-you soda.

Things to consider:

  • There’s a disconnect between the lightness of the drinks’ body and the expected full flavor of a classic CSD that can be jarring at first sip.
  • The blend of agave and stevia as a sweetener can be polarizing.

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