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2023 Author: Cody Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:20
Large-scale distribution has now understood this well: there is a large slice of consumers looking for high-end products.
Organic, healthy, possibly far from the multinationals. Consequently, the supermarket chains they have chosen to expand their suppliers, fishing in small or medium-sized companies.
This is the case for fruit juices, for example: those who decide not to buy the gigantic tetrapak packages that sometimes (not always, of course, there are many virtuosos) contain infinitesimal percentages of fruit, today have many available high-end juices, which mostly come in small glass bottles and tend to have as few ingredients as possible.
We decided to understand if there really is a difference, by testing the medium-high range of fruit juices.
To compare them in the most correct way it was important to choose only one flavor. We have chosen a fruit with a thousand beneficial properties: the blueberry.
Antioxidant, diuretic, beneficial for eyesight, blueberry is a natural wonder. So, at the end of this test, we felt a little healthier.
For the Dissapore tasting test we selected nine high-end blueberry-flavored fruit juices.
CONTENDENTS
Blueberry juice and pulp - Az. Agricola Radici
Organic blueberry - Small Fruits of Val Sangone
Blueberry & co. - TVB
Blueberry - Nectar Anita
Wild Blueberry Nectar - Fruit to drink
Wild Blueberries - Zuegg
My Juice - Yarrow
Wild blueberry juice - Luca Dalpian
Blueberry smoothie with apples - The fruit allowed
JUDGMENT CRITERIA
Visual aspect
Packaging
Ingrediants
Gustatory Analysis
The test was carried out blindly, tasting the fruit juices at room temperature.
# 9 Wild Blueberries - Zuegg (F)
Judgment: more than a fruit juice, it looks like a drink. Which, in our opinion, is not positive.
Packaging: the bottle is sold in a pack of six. The label is clear, colorful and gives ample prominence to the images of the fruit.
Ingrediants: the percentage of blueberries is the lowest among the contenders (40%). Contains water (first ingredient), sugar and lemon juice.
Taste analysis: we found the blueberry taste really too hidden for a drink in which fruit should be the main ingredient. Among the contenders, it is the one with the sweetest taste.
Price: 5, 19 € / lt
In short: David beats Goliath and eats his whole basket of blueberries
VOTE: 5
# 8 Wild Blueberry Nectar - Fruit to Drink (D)
Judgment: a product from which we expected more. Without sugars, with the right density, however, it did not convince us in the taste.
Packaging: the label graphics are promoted. The information in evidence is also correct, with the right space for the lack of added sugars and the amount of blueberry berries contained in the product.
Ingrediants: only blueberries (65%) and water. The percentage of fruit is not among the lowest, but some other ingredients are missing to reinforce the taste.
Taste analysis: upon tasting we found it too not very tasty, and we had the immediate perception of the presence of water in the ingredients.
Price: € 9.95 / lt
In short: the blueberries got lost in a glass of water.
VOTE: 6-
# 7 Organic blueberry - Small Fruits of Val Sangone (I)
Judgment: a juice that does not give much space to fruit, which is why - probably - it has a very light color that does not immediately make you think of blueberry.
Packaging: the graphics are suitable for an artisanal product, but it is not very attractive.
Ingrediants: a percentage of fruit among the lowest among the contenders (55%). There is the addition of water and cane sugar (organic).
Taste analysis: in the mouth we find it a bit grainy, with some excess residue. We have struggled more than in other cases to find the blueberry taste.
Price: 12 € / lt
In short: Organic yes, but a little bit.
VOTE: 6
# 6 Blueberry - Anita Nectar (H)
Judgment: a good juice, even if we expected something more from what appears to be the most artisanal and homemade product of all the contenders.
Packaging: maybe it was really a primary school child who drew it on a squared paper.
Ingrediants: the percentage of blueberries is high (70%), with the addition of water and sugar.
Taste analysis: a juice with a balanced flavor, even if it does not give great emotions. The presence of sugar sweetens it to the right extent, without making it cloying. Water inevitably greatly attenuates the taste of fruit.
Price: 9 € / lt
In short: Postponed to September.
VOTE: 6 +
# 5 Blueberry & co. - TVB (G)
Judgment: A very good product, even if more than a juice it is a fruit puree. Mixed.
Packaging: The logo and the graphics in general do not convince us. However, the label is full of interesting information, such as details on the different percentages of fruit contained.
Ingrediants: 100% fruit; with apples, bananas, blueberries, grapes, raspberries.
Taste analysis: the taste is very pleasant, but it is almost impossible to distinguish the taste of blueberries, covered mainly by apple and banana.
Price: € 9.90 / lt
In short: The rest of the company clearly took the blueberry out of control.
VOTE: 6 +
# 4 Blueberry Smoothie With Apples - The Permitted Fruit (C)
Judgment: A juice that already gives positive sensations to the nose, with a very intense fruit aroma. In general, a product that we would like to promote, even if the complexion is a little too red to immediately recall blueberry.
Packaging: We are not. If it's a blueberry smoothie with apples, why is the logo an apple?
Ingrediants: 70% blueberries, 30% apples.
Taste analysis: A juice with a pleasant taste, in which the use of apples is a good corrector of the tartness of the blueberry. The only problem is that the blueberry taste is a little covered.
Price: 10, 50 € / lt
In short: The bone of contention.
VOTE: 7
# 3 My Juice - Achillea (E)
Judgment: The yarrow juice has put us in crisis. The percentage of blueberry, compared to the contenders, is low (40%). Yet, it is a full-bodied juice, very fragrant and above all with a good flavor, a sign that the right combination of ingredients has obviously been found.
Packaging: The graphics are captivating. The wording "with blueberry" is both penalizing and correct, given the not very high quantity of the fruit present.
Ingrediants: In addition to blueberry, there is apple juice, water and lemon juice.
Taste analysis: The high density of the juice fills the mouth without kneading it. The flavor is decidedly balanced, not at all sour and with an apple aftertaste that softens the mouth without being overbearing.
Price: € 9.95 / lt
In short: Love does not always require explanations.
VOTE: 7 ½
# 2 Blueberry juice and pulp - Az. Agricola Radici (A)
Judgment: A product that clearly stands out from the other contenders. Much more liquid, in appearance and color it is reminiscent of red wine (once poured it even left some bubbles). Let's assume that the presence of grape juice has something to do with this. Perhaps it is far from the idea of fruit juice we had, but the result satisfied us.
Packaging: A retro-style label that is suitable for an artisan product. The crown cap was rejected, which is more reminiscent of a tomato sauce than a fruit juice.
Ingrediants: Present, in addition to blueberry, grape juice, water and lemon juice.
Taste analysis: The taste is very pleasant, with an excellent balance between the sugar of the grape juice and the acidity of the lemon. All without covering too much the flavor of the blueberry.
Price: 20, 80 € / lt
In short: A glass of alcohol-free wine.
VOTE: 8 +
# 1 Wild blueberry juice - Luca Dalpian (B)
Judgment: Exactly what we expect from a cranberry juice: it tastes like blueberries. That it is dense and full-bodied, because it contains a lot of pulp. That it is good, even if a little sour, because not all fruit is sweet, and those looking for a sweet fruit may not choose blueberries.
Packaging: The graphics are not particularly modern, but the label gives the right weight to all the information, with the image of blueberries clearly highlighted.
Ingrediants: (Finally) 100% blueberries.
Taste analysis: A very persistent, important, full flavor. Slightly harsh, it might need to be slightly balanced. Certainly the blueberry is the undisputed protagonist.
Price: 23.50 € / lt
In short: Super star blueberry.
VOTE: 9 ½
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED
It is no coincidence that all fruit juices (or almost all) have been promoted in this tasting test. We speak in general of good, tasty and basically healthy products, with high or very high percentages of fruit.
Beyond the beneficial properties, we have chosen blueberry precisely to test the contenders: it is not an easy fruit, not everyone likes it, it tends to be sour. It is easy to make a pear juice good, less simple to do it with blueberries. Still, the contenders fared well.
Sometimes, however (it must be said) fruit is contained in these high-end products in the same quantities that are found in the products of multinational companies.
Therefore?
So in some cases we are sure that it is worth spending a little more to have a better product, in others our faith in organic, healthy and good has faltered a bit.
In general, we came out satisfied with this taste test. With slightly blue lips, but satisfied.