I got a delivery from the US a few days ago from none other than Snapple, you know, those guys that made iced tea famous? Seems they're releasing a new product and they wanted me to test it out for them. Either companies out there were actually paying attention when I posted (in the chicken beer entry) that they should start sending me products directly, or Snapple doesn't trust their own product testers anymore. Postage from Brooklyn NY to Japan was more than $45, a tribute to the power of my tastebuds. Not to worry Snapple, I actually have a very refined palate. Anyway let's open it up and see whether their new Antioxidant Water is worth a damn.

Four flavours! We've got Grape Pomegranate, Tropical Mango, Raspberry Acerola, and Dragonfruit. Apparently there are 7 flavours in total but Snapple saw fit to send me only these four. Their best ones mayhap?

Having a blog is not without it perks! Let's get down to business shall we? I was joined in my testing by Kumi, to give Snapple some idea of what the Japanese market might think of their beverages.
Even with a name like Antioxidant 'Water', I was expecting something a bit juicier. On first sippings I wondered if Snapple just dipped a couple pieces of fruit in a big clean vat of water, and then bottled it. However, I'm not saying it wasn't good, just that I was unprepared for the lightness of the flavour. Truth be told, I'm sick of all these sugary juices that are on the market these days (especially in Japan), so it was a pleasant change. It's the kind of drink (like Gatorade), that probably tastes amazing after running a marathon, playing a hard game of ultimate frisbee, spending a day on the beach, etc. However if you're neither hot, sweaty or that thirsty, or if you're the kind of person that drinks Coke 10 times a day, you might find the taste a little thin.
Kumi and I both liked Tropical Mango the best. I also liked Grape Pomegranate as well as it had a very natural grape taste. Incidently, Snapple writes that all the drinks are naturally flavoured and coloured, meaning (I hope) that no strange chemicals are added for any extra enhancement. Raspberry Acerola was pretty good as well, but Dragonfruit scored fairly low, especially with Kumi. However it did taste like dragonfruit which (in my opinion) isn't the most flavourful or exciting fruit in the world.

Thirst aside, Snapple's new drinks have power! They are also full of vitamins and electrolytes, reflecting the West's current need for everything they ingest to be cancer preventing, stress relieving, anti-aging, artery clearing, sex life improving and so on, an idea that has yet to really catch on in Japan. The flavours all come with their own interesting little blurbs saying stuff like how this drink tastes better than the fountain of youth, and that drink acts as your own personal bodyguard, etc. Different flavours give you different powers, namely the power to protect, awaken, defy or restore. That kind of thing is a little hard to test though, especially as my electrolyte/vitamin body performance testing machine is currently broken. For now I'll just have to take Snapple's word that their drinks are helping me stay young and virile.
Here I am with a look of intense concentration as I give Tropical Mango a go.

What's a taste test without a little video? If this doesn't make you thirsty for Snapple's Antioxidant Water I don't know what will.

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