Better Libations | Healthy Drink Reviews

Perfect for chillin' on the couch

Hello libationers! I’ve been absent for a while, mostly due to my own laziness, but partially due to aiding my girlfriend in her ceaseless endeavor to save every homeless dog in the tri-county area.  Any-who, I’m going to be finishing off this string of Zico reviews, first with a tasty-sounding combination of pomegranate, berry and coconut water.  I’ve been enjoying the last few flavors, but feel slightly guilty not adding my opinion, so enjoy my detailed reviews.

Senses: After finding my way through the maze of packaging that would have impressed Daedalus (look it up, kids), I got to inspect the olfactory complexities of this drink.  The distinct pomegranate scent takes the leading position, followed closely by the nutty coconut scent, and a sweet, tangy but vague background of berry.  Off to my expectant tongue.  The taste strikes me as predominantly coconut, then a slight tang of sour and followed by the pomegranate and a hint of something berry-like.  There is a slight, lingering sweetness, which is surprising with the 12 g of sugar in the 14 oz bottle.  The overall flavor leaves me wanting more pomberry and less coconut.

Sensible: There is a total of 60 calories in the 14 oz bottle, all of them coming from the naturally occurring sugar in the coconut water.  There are five electrolytes inside, including more potassium than a whole banana.  I’m writing this review after a hard day working in the ninety-degree Utah summer, and I feel quite refreshed and hydrated after finishing this.  Reading up on their product, Zico claims that coconut water is the only natural substance that can be used as an emergency intravenous fluid, and from what I’ve gleaned from the Internet, it’s true.

Overall, although it is still a tasty and unique flavored coconut water, this is probably my least favorite flavor from Zico.  I feel it lacked somewhat in the flavor category, and could have easily handled more pomegranate flavor.  That being said, I am biased due to my love of pomegranate juice, and I still enjoyed this beverage.  I will personally continue to support Zico by using their coconut water line as a great recovery drink, and for general re-hydration purposes.  The only other issue I can take with this drink is the excessive packaging, which prohibits a more immediate refreshment, and isn’t particularly environmentally friendly.

Score: 4 out of 5. A superb re-hydration beverage that only lacks a little flavor.

– WiseGuise

User Reviews (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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**Danithius Review Rebuttal!**

Took the words right out of my mouth.  Decent flavor, but I think it could be polished up with another trip to the flavor lab.  I want more of a true pomegranate punch with a twist of fresh berry.  I also give this a four.

4-Star Reviews, Zico Coconut Water coconut water, drink reviews, no added sugar

Howdy, enlightened libation seekers!  Today I’m fresh off a session of Kenpo and ready for my next Zico contender: Tao Mango.  (The logical next step in the tropical fruit spectrum, of course!)  I’m thirsty and covered in sweat, so let’s skip the pleasantries and get right to it.

Aroma: Mango tang!  I love it when drinks nail the nuances of fruit flavors, and it smells like Tao Mango is right on track.  It smells of that citrus-y tropical bite you get when cutting into a real mango.   

Taste: Coco-mango!  The flavor turned out to be a lot lighter and smoother than the scent led me to believe.  I believe the coconut water has something of a muting, smoothing effect on other flavors that results in something totally new. Evidently when mango and coconut water are combined, you get a bonus banana-like flavor that also springs up to say hi.  I am surprised that the distinct mango tang that I smelled turned out to be mostly absent in the taste, though.

Health Factor: 12 g of sugar in the whole 14 ounce bottle.  Tons of potassium and other vitamins and minerals.  All-natural.  No fat.  Need I say more? 

Overall:  As you may have noticed from previous nitpickings, I’m something of a purist when it comes to drink flavorings.  I dearly appreciate companies that can get spot on flavor profiles.  This flavor is a worthy nod to mango, but at the same time I can tell that it is indeed a flavoring – something that was concocted by a research lab somewhere.  It feels a bit hollow, like it’s missing that distinct bite of a real mango.  It’s still tasty and quite refreshing, don’t get me wrong.  The flavorings in this are all natural.  But the thing is, for a perfect 5 star drink I really want to be WOWed by the flavor profile.  (See: Zico Chocolate)

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

-Danithius-

User Ratings: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, Zico Coconut Water coconut water, drink reviews, no added sugar, reviews