Honest Kombucha Berry Hibiscus

After dominating the naturally sweetened ready-to-drink tea market and testing the waters for kids' drinks and yerba mate, it seemed only natural that Honest Beverages expand their product line to include kombucha. Honest Tea's first foray into the realm of kombucha is a line of five flavors: Apple Jasmine, Berry Hibiscus, Lemon Ginger, Maqui Berry Grapefruit and Peach Mango. Berry Hibiscus is a strong flavor from the group.

UPDATE -- Honest Kombucha was discontinued in December, 2010.

Of all the kombucha lines on the market right now, Honest Kombucha has the most mass appeal in its packaging. Sure, it looks a bit like a Coca-Cola ad, but it is visually distinctive and it provides an abundance of information, including:

• Probiotic contents
• Acidic content
• Listing of the bacterial culture strands used to ferment it
• Notes on the trace amounts of caffeine and alcohol
• A Kosher seal
• Notice that it is gluten-free and that there were no GMOs used to make it

In addition to attractive packaging, Lemon Ginger has a pleasing ruby-violet color.

Berry Hibiscus plays to the strengths of flavored kombucha by masking its vinegar-like tartness with hibiscus and berries. It has a fantastic berry aroma with some hibiscus tartness underneath. The flavor is citrusy and sour with notes of blueberry and raspberry. It's remarkably refreshing and crisp -- more of a sipping drink than a chugging drink.

While the flavor of Berry Hibiscus is not quite up to par with Wonder Drink Cherry Cassis Komucha or Honest Tea Lemon Ginger, it's a welcome addition to the world of kombucha. If you like berries, hibiscus or kombucha, be sure to give Berry Hibiscus Kombucha a try.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.