While browsing at my local Fresh Market (formerly known as Albertson’s in Utah) and came upon this pricey bottle, sold at a staggering $6.79 for the 32 ounces.  But, it was a local product, and in the name of pure curiosity, I grabbed it.  I winced after scanning it, slid my card, and brought my new acquisition home.  The name, MOAB, stands for Most Optimum Antioxidant Beverage, which sounds like a forced acronym with a possible intentional reference to a famous Utah town of the same name.  Mangosteen is a relatively unknown taste for my palate, so I was excited to try it.  The next day, I carefully opened the bottle, careful not to spill the expensive liquid, and the rest, they say, is my post.

I came into this post with equal parts excitement and hesitation, like your first time jumping of the high-dive.  I am immediately wary of anything using the word ‘superfruit,’ but I am always more than willing to try something new.    At first smell, the lychee (second ingredient) wallops me with its powerful, delicious scent, with a citrus-y background that should be the mangosteen.  After a sip of the precious fluid, I am amazed at how good it tastes, especially compared to other ‘superfruit’ drinks (we will have more to say about them later).  There is a tangy sweetness that isn’t overpowered by the lychee.  There are several other filler juices in here to tame the flavors, but the end result is taste-bud ecstasy.  It’s a little thick, but not unpleasantly so, and not gritty.

Along with the long list of vitamins, antioxidants and other various contents like sterols (don’t worry, they fight cholesterol) there is a great deal of sugar in here.  About 30 g to the 8 oz serving, that’s more than Coke, but at least it’s from fruit.  The truth about mangosteen, as far as I can gather, is that its health claims are highly overblown; the supposed high concentration of nutrients and antioxidants are located in the inedible skin, called the exocarp, and can only be obtained when pureed as a whole or added, adding astringency and a purple color to the juice.  This looks more like a good, pressed, apple cider.

So, although the mangosteen is probably more of a novelty than a superfruit, all the good stuff is in this bottle, including flavor and possible health benefits.  However, there’s a lot of sugar in there too.  And don’t forget about the cost, although it’s a bargain compared to something like Xango.

Score: 4.5 out of 5. Would I purchase it again?  Probably not.  Would I drink it if offered? Oh, my, yes.  Delicious.

– WiseGuise

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